Hello,

Holly, if you always share tips, shouldn't you have gotten a share of the $40?? Oooh! That dummie would get to me.

Lisa, have you considered going to a food bank? I have volunteered at my local one, and there are many hard-working people that come in occasionally just to make it to the next pay check. I believe all you have to do is show a driver's license and a utility bill proving you live in the town.

Today I am grateful that Holly got through my thick skull when she announced that she was starting South Beach. I am ending Day 3 with no sugar!!!! I know I won't make it through Christmas, but just knowing I have a few days under my belt will help.

EasySpirit, things are ok now. I got my check cashed. I am blessed.


I'll post more later tonight.

I am sooo glad Lisa got some money!! that was a worrisome post

EasySpirit, I bombed on my diet yesterday but I will TRY to get back on board today. I am really glad though I attempted and got 3 days under my belt also.

Hello to everyone else!!

Well, Jennifer and I had a fight. Merry Christmas to me.


I got a check from Financial Aid yesterday and gave my mom some money for Christmas. Jennifer rolled her eyes when she saw how much I gave my mom. I was pissed. When we got home, I told her I didn't appreciate her attitude. She then laid into me about how much money she had paid out last month in helping me pay bills. I pointed to the tree and told her that she hadn't even checked the tree yet and I hoped she was happy. There was a Christmas card with money ($150) for her under it. Then I told her to just leave and go be with her other more important family.

Did I mention I was pissed? I am even more hurt. I don't even want to be around her. Just because she has issues with hoarding money, don't lay that on me.


So now, I've turned on the tree but I'm still sad. I hope she sees what a huge mistake she made. I admit I'm not perfect, I never have been.

I was able to put some money away in the bank too, I didn't give it all away. I am not as irresponsible as she makes me out to be.

Oh Lisa, I'm so sorry to hear that!!! You did NOT deserve that at all. and how rotten for it to happen on Christmas Day

BIG hugs and support to you

Thanks, Holly. The thing is she asked for money for Christmas, so when I got my financial aid the day before Christmas, I was thrilled. We will never see eye to eye about money. She is selfish. She is never here with me anymore. I am hurt. I feel like everyone else is put before me in her life. I won't get over this anytime soon, she has hurt me a lot.

Sorry to hear ghis Lisa, I know money can always be a tough thing at this time of year! Any time I hear of family fall outs on Christmas, it is usually two things: hunger or money.

We had Christmas dinner with our aunt this year, it was a nice day. With the weather so mild, it really didn't feel like Christmas. In a weird way, I knew today wouldn't be a bleak and horrible day spent missing Mum, as we have had 10 months of knowing it was coming. But I did miss our christmas traditions. And there is a bit of me left feeling guilty for not spending the day with my head under the blankets in a dark room, crying lots. I feel future christmases could end up tougher than this.

On a good note, my dad gave us a soup maker today, and I ca look forward to some nice healthy soups in the new year *starts looking up the soup diet*

Hope you have all had a nice day.

Lisa, I am sorry you had such a difficult time. Please try to think back when you were your daughter's age. Looking back, I find it was a very selfish me-me-me time of life. You are right out of college, with your first job, meeting new people....you must be on your best behavior. So, when you are upset, when you are frustrated, who do you turn on???? the person closest to you, your mother! I am sure she feels miserable after giving you such grief. But, I do believe it is her age and life situation.

Holly, I ate cake, cookies and candy for two straight days. I am SO happy I have those three days of no sugar behind me, and I am starting again this morning. We can do this. I have gone without sugar for many weeks in the past, and felt so much better.

Hello to everyone else.

Take care.

I read a statistic that people are generally self-centred until the age of 31. I reckoned 31 is an average age to have kids, but who knows! When I think back to my teen years though....

So my weekend:

"I hate being so fat, this is awful, I need to lose this" Get up, go to kitchen, open fridge, "hmm, cheese and crackers" *stuffs face*

"I really need to take care of myself and get more exercise and STOP EATING" *finds chocolates*

"I'm going to write a diet plan, research some diets, find some home exercises" *eats entire tube of pringles*

I'm just getting very mindless about my diet, but I'm struggling to drill it in that I want to stop eating. No idea if this is a depression thing or an anti-depressant side effect thing. However, my anti-depressants are used as pain management and not for depression, so I can't alter the dose at all. I'd like to come off the pills altogether to be honest, but I ought to wait for an appointment with the pain clinic, which will hopefully be soon! Maybe I can get OH to padlock the kitchen after dinner to stop me going in there?! Although that might be putting himself at severe risk!

Some friends and I do secret Santa every year, but with money a bit tight, we set a challenge to make gifts this year. I was presented with a lovely chocolate cake - best I've had in a long long time! And time with people has cheered me up!

For when I've finished the cake, I have been creating a diet plan. I'm going to find ways to encourage myself to stick to it - a diary, reminders, and motivational blogs.

Hope you're all still enjoying your break!

Coop, thank you for keeping up with postings here! so, you lost your Mother 10 months ago? I'm very very sorry reading those Christmas cards that don't mention her (or even worse, DO mention her) must have been very difficult.

I did have to giggle at your description of your well-intentioned goals and then the nibbling afterward...I go in the kitchen, take some Christmas cookies and savor them while thinking 'this is why I am miserable' but finish them

I am not sure I understand about your anti-depressants are your pain management? but that sounds like it could be a quandary. That if you need them for pain relief, you shouldn't be off them.

Lisa, how are you??? do you expect your daughter to call and apologize, or isn't that the way she does things? I hope your hurt has faded a little..but wow our kids can hurt us sometimes!!

Hello to everyone else

Had to go to a first cousin's funeral today, she died of ovarian cancer at age
59, too young, her parents (my aunt and uncle) are of course pretty devastated, we are not supposed to outlive our children I was not that close to my cousin so I am kinda embarrased that I didn't even cry

We are getting our first significant snow tonight/tomorrow, and I do have work tomorrow, so I hope my new-to-me car does good in the snow, wish me luck.

good night all

Vermontmom - sorry to hear of your cousin, it's not an easy time of year to lose anyone. It will have meant a lot to your aunt and uncle to have had you there - these things are also about showing support to those left behind, and whether you cry or not, the sentiment is there.

The pills I'm on came to the market as anti-depressants, but they discovered they're good for pain management if taken at half the anti-depressant dose. Just enough to mess with your emotions, but without the same benefit. They aren't helping the pain either, so I'm fed up with being on them!

Things here are tough. I won't be here much, please keep the thread going until I am ready to come back.


I wish I could explain but I don't really feel like going into the whole thing.


I'll post again when I am up to it.