Hey there,`
 

Yesterday went well. I timed my workout this a.m., it lasts 40 minutes. I did my warm up, some upper body work and the jog. Food was good too.

My mother has always had a way with birds. Two years ago a parrot of all things found its way to her backyard and stayed as long as the crab apples lasted, it would spit out the apple and eat the seeds. Now a guinea hen has found her. I think it is the only one of a neighbors flock to escape the dogs. Anyway it is very happy following her around all day as she works in her yard. Something my mother does every day. Whenever I talk to her I hear about their latest adventures, she calls it her little friend and it is such company to her.:lol:

Last night I got a call out of the blue from a girl I lived next door to in the dorm with when I was a freshman in college. She had just bought a Carol King CD and it made her think of me. Isn't that :cool: ! Anyway, it was a blast from the past. Very good to hear from her.

Guess I better get busy. Lot's to do before leaving work with a clean desk for my little trip!

Goodmorning,
 

A last post before heading out on my trip this morning. I decided to weigh this morning and there was a satisfying kerplunk sound of weights falling on my scale. I'm down 3.75 lbs. so far this month. Making me just over 21 lbs. away from my immediate goal of 25 lbs. I am pleased with those results, slow as they may seem.

I am vowing now, NO COOKIES during the coming holidays. They are the worst, full of butter and sugar, no redeeming qualities whatsoever! Just easy to eat and eat and eat

judi and Alice, I know you'll hold down the fort while I am gone. I look forward to checking back in on Monday.

Good morning!
 

DH & I had to take my car to get it's mileage checkup. While we were at the dealership, we bought a new car. We had been toying with the idea of getting the new model that just came out, it's a better car all around, plus it has everything we wish we had in the one we have, plus they gave us a fantastic deal on the trade in. We pick it up Fri. I've had time to think on it some more, and I am wondering if we did the right thing. DH says "YES", but then you know men and cars:rolleyes: I am sure I will like it as much as I like the one I am presently driving.

ledom~KUDOS for losing weight:cool: That's fantastic!!!!! Everything I have read states that you should lose weight slowly, but I know it can be frustrating to lose slowly.

judi~I was in the grocery store yesterday, and I noticed that BOCA has sausages. Italian flavor and regular flavor. From the looks of what was on the shelf it appears that the Italian flavor is popular. I was tempted to pick up a box, but I was far from home, had more errands to do, and did not have a cooler with me. I plan to go back later in the week and pick up a box.
How is the hiking going?

I think I ate very well yesterday. We had lunch out again, at WENDY's this time. I had their Deluxe Garden Salad with 1/2 packet of their Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing. Then for supper we had some left over Teryaki Chicken, brown rice, & winter squash.

I hope everyone has a great day. Alice

Good morning ladies!
 

You bought a new car Alice!!! :cool: What kind is it? I am taking my car (a red 97 Honda) into the body shop today. My DH backed into it with his big truck (a Ford) and put a bend in the side:lol: He was so mad but it was at himself.

Wow! Ledom, I didn't realize you have lost so much weight. You never really mentioned it. That is so good!!! You are inspiring!!!

Alice, those Boca sausages are the very ones!! When we came back from out last trip we brought back a whole freezer full (the freezer in the 5th wheel). Most of them were the Italian ones but the bratwurst are good too. When you cook them, cook them in the pan they describe how on the box. I found that to be the best way.

Ledom, that is interesting how birds find their way to your mom's place. A parrot....hmmm, I wonder what his story is.

Speaking of the upcoming cookie season....I just threw out a box of shortbreads that were in the freezer since last Christmas. I am resolved not to make as much this year. Thank goodness I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I have my ongoing battle with peanuts and sharp cheddar cheese (& wine) well, the last one isn't really part of the battle...I just give into it. I do plan to make Christmas cake this week. I will be without my car for about 4 days (AUGHHHH:( !!!) so I thought it would be a good time to do something. I also plan to organize all my mom's photos into albums. She loved taking photos. Every family occasion was marked by some pictures. So diff. from my DH's family. They have one or two pictures and that is all.

Are you looking forward to your road trip Ledom? I am starting to feel it is time to go somewhere again but so far no word about any future trips. I am resolved NOT to fly again...if I can't drive there, I don't want to go. We have travelled in Europe quite a bit, a bit in the Middle East, latin America etc. but now I feel the ONLY place I want to visit is in the USA and Canada. I have seen everything I need to see off the continent. I don't know how long I will feel like this but for now other than our two countries I don't want to go anywhere. I am with you Alice, I wish they would make a bridge to Hawaii. Anyway, Ledom enjoy your drive, put on some great music and drive carefully. I like the freedom of travel on the road, stop when you want etc. You will have a nice time.

I watched the video "Dogs & Cats", it was good for a giggle.

Our holly trees are in a very shadey spot (just luck on my part because I didn't know they weren't supposed to be in the sun) and they are quite big now about 7-8 feet so that must be right. They were little guys that I gave a vicious pruning to when I bought them. (My first pair of Fiskars and I had to use them on something) But they not only survived but thrived. Good luck on finding the right spot for them Alice, I am sure you will. I plan to plant some bulbs for spring if the rain gives me a break.

Have a good day. It was nice to read the posts this morning Ledom & Alice.

Good morning!
 

It is awfully chilly. When I went for my walk yesterday it felt so invigorating. It must've been invigorating for Lacee too because when we got into our front yard I let her run loose and she ran, and ran and ran in circles. She tired me out just watching her.

judi, I drive a 99 Audi, which I absolutely love. I am sorry to be getting rid of it, but DH & I could not pass up the deal we got with the trade in. I know how you feel about being without your "wheels" for a few days. I live in an area where I need a vehicle for everything. It would take me 2 days to walk to the store:lol: My weaknesses are the same as your's. I cannot have peanuts or cashews in the house, but we do have wine in the house. DH's weakness is potato chips.
That is really nice you have all those photos from your mother. Our family is like your DH's family, we didn't take many photos, so that I don't have many recent photos of my parents. A wife of one of my cousins was researching for a family tree and asked me for a recent photo of my Dad. I wasn't sure I had one, and I was delighted to find a fairly recent one taken at my grandmother's 100th birthday party. Enjoy making your Christmas Cake!

Take care. Alice

Hi Alice!
 

Well, we had kind of a sad day here. My DH's Akita died in the night. He was 9 years old. It looked like a heart attack or a stroke. We are having him cremated. So now we are down to one dog. We decided to leave it like that for awhile.

I didn't go out and walk today. It is just pouring, rivers of water are running down the pavement on our hill. Yesterday we did have a break so the DH and I got out and dug a new garden area. It is going to be the site of a big spring garden. I planted diff types of Alliums (lots of the tall purple ones) and various types of daffodils. I still have some bulbs to plant. It was fun and expected to be stiff today but I was ok.

I bought all my baking stuff yesterday. So I am set for a big bake off.

I tried to talk my D into letting her Boston come stay with me for a few days...no dice, maybe "someday". I took some pictures of him when he was here. That Boston face is pretty photogenic. What great little dogs. Lacee sounds like she is a real character.

An Audi...that is a NICE car, Alice! What color is it? HMMMM, your DH must be sweet on you;)

Hi judi!
 

I am so sorry about your DH dog. I know how sad it is when you lose 2 dogs so close together. I send you both my deepest sympathy. Is Marley the one left? If so, how is he taking it? Animals are so sensitive. Many years ago, DH & I had 2 Boston Terriers. One was a year or two older than the other one. Six weeks after the older one died, we lost the other one. After that we vowed never to have 2 dogs at the same time.

Your Alliums sound beautiful!! Are they a deep purple or sort of lavender? Is all the rain you are getting usual in your area? We have had hardly any rain at all. The last two times we had rain it was a cold drizzle. If the weather cooperates this weekend we plan on planting our Holly bushes. The woman at the nursery told us to wrap them in burlap for the winter since this will be their first winter.

My new car will be denim blue. It's a blue with a pearlized paint underneath. DH thinks the color is HOT, and I'm just hoping I'm not going to get sick of the color, since supposedly we will keep this car for the next 10 yrs., which is the same thing he said when we bought our 99.

Enjoy your baking. I can imagine how good your kitchen will smell. Too bad you can't bottle that aroma ;)

Take care. Alice

Hi Alice!
 

Thank you for your kind thoughts. Yes, Marley is the only dog left. We decided not to get anymore dogs until he passes on which won't be for a LONG time, I hope. He sat on Bob's knee all morning being consoling.

I bought a few more bulbs to plant. I am very happy with what will be the spring garden. We planted the really tall purple alliums, lots of them. I also have a few of the fancy types of daffodils. I have to have deer proof bulbs (they love tulips) since this garden is outside my fenced garden. The house looks down on this garden so I know I will be glad I made the effort in spring.

I bought two small tube pans to bake cakes in. So I can freeze one and have one to serve. Since there is only two of us we usually end up chucking out half a cake. I HATE wasting food. So these pans take one cake mixture nicely between the two of them plus the shape of the cake is nice. Yesterday I made two lemon/cranberry angel food cakes...3 pts a peice.

Your car sounds just beautiful:cool: I don't think you will get tired of a color like that.

My D's Boston (Bentley) has started going around the apt. eating stuff:?: this morning he swallowed his 3rd ear plug. Why would he be doing that??? He is well fed and not ignored. This morning when he saw my D wanted to take away the earplug he swallowed it...causing lots of consternation of course.

I haven't weighed myself for a week :o Don't really want to know.

My DH stayed home all this week, it was so nice.

Ledom, I hope you are having a beautiful drive and a safe one.

Hi Shebacat, hope you are doing great.

Sorry....
 

Hi ladies,

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My poor baby cat passed away on October 3rd, and I'm still trying to recover. Judi, I'm sorry about your husband's puppy. When I'm more emotionally stable, I'll write in. Take care.

Shebacat
 

I am SO sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved kitty companion.

Good evening,
 

Shebacat, I am SO sorry about the loss of your little kitty. Animals are so much a part of a family. It is hearbreaking to lose one.

judi, When I saw the car again I liked it better than I thought I would. When I drove it home I felt at ease with it, until DH started playing with the temp. control and hot and cold air was blowing in my face:nono: I did feel rather sad leaving my old car behind. Your lemon/cranberry angel food cakes sound really good. My eating hasn't been very good this weekend. I read an article in a magazine. They polled some women about losing weight and 32% were experiencing diet burnout. I think that is what I am feeling now.
Your garden will look beautiful in the spring. What month will your daffodils bloom? Lacee eats a lot of stuff she's not supposed to. The other day she was outside sniffing on the ground. Some sort of white feather was stuck to her nose. By the time I had gotten to her to remove it, her tongue came out and she inhaled it! I just don't know what to do to break her of that habit. I can only hope she grows out of it.

Take care. Alice

Good evening,

You now have your new car Alice, that must be fun. I can't wait until I get mine back from the body shop. I hate asking the DH to drive me in his truck here and there and I really feel a loss of independence with my car gone.

The feather and the earplug must be a puppy thing.

I am not sure when the bulbs will come up, I am trying to remember I think we are a bit later than Vancouver. The island is colder.

I baked my Christmas cake today. I made a dark one, I got the recipe from www.baccalieu.com/yaffles/dccake.htm on the internet. It made the 2 small angel food pans and two small loaf pans. It is now "aging", I hope it will be good. It looked good.

I also made a Sweet & Sour Cabbage Soup from www.celebritydeli.com It made a lot so I had some to freeze.

My eating was kind of hit and miss today. I know I didn't get 9 fruits and vegetables, more like 9 refined carbohydrates.:(

Good morning!
 

It's a fairly mild day today. Yesterday it started out raining, but it cleared up by the afternoon. We did get our Holly bushes planted yesterday afternoon. We have to go out and buy some burlap to wrap them in for the winter. While we were outside I decided it was time to get my garden ready for winter. The only thing left to do is rake again when all the leaves fall.

The puppy isn't feeling very well this morning:( She had me up a few times during the night, as she had dirreah. She has been subdued this morning, and just a few minutes ago she vomited. I don't know if it was on account of that feather she inhaled, or from her constant chewing on her nyla bones. If she doesn't feel better by tomorrow morning I will have to call the Vet.

Judi, would you post your lemon/cranberry cake recipe? It sounds like something I would like. Thanks, I'd appreciate it. Do you use angel food cake mix, or do you make it from scratch?

Once the weekend is over you'll go back to eating right. Something about the weekends makes you forget about eating right.

Shebacat, I hope that you are doing ok.

Take care. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Alice

Alice
 

Sorry to here about the puppy feeling poorly. I hope she is on the mend soon. Maybe she found something and ate it?

The lemon cranberry cake is just the Robin Hood lemon angel food mix with the addition of dried cranberries. It was a suggestion on the side of box. It is really good.

Guess what? I have the my D's Boston here for a few days:) She wanted us to have him here to help us with our "bereavement". He is busy checking everything out...Marley has taken off to the upstairs.

Goodmorning Girls,
 

It was so good to read your posts this morning. I felt like I had been gone much longer than 5 days.

Shebacat, I am so sorry about your cat. I know you had her somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years. That is such a long time - you probably are thinking back through all those years you shared with her. One of my friends lost his 19 yr. old cat recently and I know how hard he took it. Everyone deals with it differently. When my beloved Sandy died a couple of years ago I immediately got two kittens because I just couldn't stand to be that sad. They of course could never replace him, but they brought new joy into the house.

And judi, so sorry about DH's dog as well.

Well, Alice - what a great car! Congratulations, now you have to plan a road trip.

Hey, I am going to have to cut short here because I should be ready for work and I haven't even started yet. Was a 13 hr. drive home yesterday and I guess I am feeling entitled to dawdle a bit but I have a big week coming up. My trip was just what I needed. More later.