HELLO EVERYONE ~ it's snowing again (since lunchtime); guess it's gonna be one of those years -- when we get buried by the white stuff. Actually, I think it looks really pretty out there; some of the snowflakes are huge. The temps have been pretty crispy; frosting everything up. People are having trouble starting their vehicles, so it's time to bring in the batteries to keep them warm.

We picked up some big red and white candy canes and Dh put them up on the building; we'll see what they look like tonight. DH irritated an old back injury, so the candy canes were a better idea than lugging home a big tree. I like the idea of a change anyways; and I think the neighbours will too.

KAREN ~ that's an interesting poem; rather sobering, I think! I also think that I'm a little dizzy ~ lol! I'm getting some of you ladies mixed up ~ haha!

COUNTING ~ I'm not a fan of eggnog or tofu; but I don't mind bean shoots in a Chinese Veggie stir-fry though!

SHY ~ I am trying to incorporate my favorite foods within my plan as well; if we are going to last at this for life, we'd better enjoy it. We had pita pizzas last night; it's nice to be able to have some kind of pizza without hundreds of extra calories from the excess dough.

HI SUE ~ I'm sure you will find a way to break that plateau; sometimes just changing things up a bit will do the trick. I have a NSV; gone down one more size on top, but I'm lop-sided: my top is now one size smaller than my bottom. Oh well, that's not too bad, maybe my bottom will catch up later ~ lol!

UPDATE ON UNCLE TOM ~ I heard from my Aunt yesterday; and she said that they are determined to remain optimistic that not only will Tom get treatment and recover, but they are praying for a full healing! Apparently, his specialist seems optimistic too. He certainly has a lot of prayers going up for him; and they send thanks to everyone who is lifting them up in prayer. She said that they cannot express in words how much all the prayers and support means to them ...

WELL, we got some shopping done on Friday; I was exhausted and my feet were throbbing from all the walking; but, I got my exercise in for the day. We are just staying home and hibernating today, the best thing to do as the roads are getting a little slippery right now.

HELLO TO EVERYONE ELSE ~ hope you are all well; take good care of yourselves, your fellow encourager ROSEBUD ^PRAYERS^ still going up for you and yours ...

Karen - thanks for sharing the poem - so true and a great reminder this time of year.

Shy - we got a dump of snow AND the freezing rain. I spent a good amount of time shoveling today (good exercise though). But you are right - it is beautiful. It really does look like December out there. We lit our nativity for the first time tonight (First day of Advent) and it really does put one in the mood for Christmas

Rosebud - we are continuing to keep Tom in our prayers! God can and does do wonderful things!!!!

We do English muffin pizzas quite often. The Thomas light multi grain English muffins are wonderful and have an extra portion of soy added for extra fiber. They are a favorite with a nice cup of soup. What a wonderful feel-good winter meal!

Busy with Advent activities at church today. I also got my Christmas cards finished. And more Christmas shopping. I'm hoping to get it wrapped up this week

I hope everyone has had a wonderful first day of Advent! Blessings

Shy, Counting- that is awesome, I used to do that with counting calories, I need to get back to counting and the scale would move quicker.
Karen - thanks! for the poem I have a similar version ! We do tend to put the bible on a back burner, in our culture, so much for being a Christian country. I try to read everyday and do miss it when I can't fit in devotions.
Rosebud thanks for the encouragement, added prayers for healing for both hubbies back and uncle tom!
I am doing well have to be to work tom. at 6am and we are suppose to get over afoot of snow and freezing rain, so travel will probably be fun in the AM, gotta get to bed soon, take care all blessings!

HELLO EVERYONE ~ I am starting to think that we are living at the North Pole ~ haha! We had a blizzard all day; we've got hills and drifts out there about 3-4 feet high now!!! Dh's snow machine is buried; but he's resting his back right now. Later, when he feels better, maybe the neighbour can pull it out with another machine.

I was talking to my Dad on his b/d (who just turned 75 y/o) and he says that tearing a muscle away from the bone could take a month to heal, cuz he did the same thing once. Dh is starting to feel better: I hired a neighbour to shovel the snow off our deck and pathway, so Dh can let his back heal; and it's helping. I hope it heals pretty soon cuz Dh is pacing around the place cuz he's bored out of his mind.

Our lighted candy canes look great (they're flashing); that is just what we needed on an empty spot and matches our giant cross and the red lights on top very well. We bundled up and went out last night to see it; and it looks great!

Needless to say ~ we just stayed home today; but Dh wants to go in town shopping early tomorrow to miss the late week shopping rushes; last Friday was a nightmare in town, esp on the roads. But, I think I'll wait to see what the weather is like outside first ~ lol!

Anyhow, not much going on here. Guess I'll have to try and talk Dh into getting out the Christmas decos to pass the time. Some of our regulars have disappeared and we haven't heard from them in a while; wonder where they all went???

TIME FOR TEA ~ THANX for all the prayers for TOM and DH. Take good care; your fellow encourager ROSEBUD ^PRAYERS^ are going up for you and yours ...

It was snowing and blowing again today. I am tired of winter already - LOL.
Shy, you are so right of course. I try to get my reading/study/devotions/prayers in first thing in the morning. It just sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Rosebud - thanks for the update on dh. We will continue to keep him and Tom in our prayers.
Sue - I hope you made it to work ok. All the schools around us were closed today. Several of our buses got stuck - we probably should have closed too!

Hope everyone was safe and warm today! Blessings and prayers ascending!

Helloooooo. Is there an echo in here? Where is everyone? I hope the lack of posting means that everyone is out doing fun things!

Shy - I hope you got those lights finished! I don't like the blinkie ones - I always change out the bulbs for the steady lighted option.

I will keep everyone in my prayers - and I hope you have a blessed hump day!

COUNTING ~ You're absolutely right; I think everyone's off to Mexico or Cancun, or somewhere like that ... lol! Well, our snow drifts are up to 4.5 feet high. We had to knock part of one down to reach our large bird feeder, but by this aft, it had blown in again.

I did get some Ski-Walking in this morning though, but only for a short while as the winds were pretty fierce out there today. I don't know why, but our candy canes stopped flashing. DH used the wrong cord ~ a long orange one instead of the shorter white one, which he changed tonight; but now it just stays on with no flashing (oh well). DH thinks the flasher bulb might be have blown out, but we just put it in.

ANYWAYS, other than that, we just did indoor stuff today; not too busy though. The weather was too bad too go into town; Dh says maybe tomorrow cuz they are predicting no snow for the next two days. We have to pick up stamps and last minute gifts, or we'll get too far behind.

HOPE everyone is feeling well; take good care of yourselves. I know this is really one of the busiest seasons of the year, esp for those of you with families. Most of my family lives far, far away; wish they didn't or is that, wish we didn't live so far from all of them ~lol!

ANYHOW, take care til next time; your fellow encourager ROSEBUD ^PRAYERS^ continue for you and yours ...

We are under at least a foot of snow right now. We got a major dump yesterday. It's so beautiful but hard to drive in. I got a little exercise shoveling.

last night I did some Christmas shopping and made sure I walked from one end of the mall to the other. I got some exercise plus I managed to find one gift I was looking for. I also did some strength exercises the other night. I plan to do a little bit each evening and then hopefully build up to spending a lot more time doing it. I have a very low stamina right now so anything is a workout!!

Ladies: Your Christmas decorations sound lovely. I have done the inside of my house all but the tree. We get a live one and don't want to put it up quite yet. I want it to be nice and fresh for when everyone comes at Christmas. We don't have any lights up outside yet. Hopefully this weekend if it's not too cold. DH bought be a beautiful pot filled with greenery, long twigs and berries to sit outside our front door. With the snow on it it is really lovely. What a great guy!

Have a great day!

Shy - your tree sounds beautiful! I have an artificial one (I have a tree allergy) that is pre-strung with lights. It is all or nothing with the blinkies. Sounds like you got a great workout with shoveling. Your walking is really getting you in shape! If I shovel for an hour, I am one tuckered out gal!

Wilma - great way to use life as exercise. I need to do more of that! I still have some shopping to do, but we don't have a mall (one of the joys/curses of living in a small town.

Rosebud - Your drifts are already above where ours get to in February. I applaud your tenacity in getting out walking in the winter. I am an indoor walker all winter long.

I hope everyone is doing well - prayers continuing for all!

I am off for my date with Leslie and the WATP gang

Blessings

Well I did 4 fast miles again tonight with DH. Whew - it is a real workout! We are supposed to get more snow tonight, so I will probably be shoveling instead of pilates in the morning!

Good day here - something about exercising that makes me feel really good about how the day went. Even though there were challenges at work, they seem to fall into perspective. Though NOTHING puts things into perspective better than Bible study and prayer!!!!!

HI EVERYONE ~ quick run-thru; spent the morning spiffing up the main part of complex; my Christmas gift to the rez. It was a beautiful sunny day, so we went shopping this aft and walked and walked and walked our feet off ...

We are exhausted tonight; so had to take a two hour nap to rest my feet and legs (Dh is still sleeping). Ordered him a back support wrap and an ERGOMETER (arm exerciser machine); will be in early next week. LIke many of you, I try to find a place to walk anywhere I can ~ it may be department stores, malls, the back yard, the parkin lot, down the road, or even around our place, if need be! Whatever burns those big C's ~ lol!

WELL, I'm beat; off to have some tea with my evening devotions and prayers; then it's off to dreamland for me. Take good care, your fellow encourager ROSEBUD Sending up ^PRAYERS^ for you and yours ...

I am doing great, working alot, as a matter of fact working double shift tonight. I got most of my shopping and decorating done, alittle more to do outside . I finnally broke through the plateau down 2 lbs, so hopefully that will continue, hard this time of year, with all the yummy goodies around.
Shy- I agree He is the one we should concentrate on, and not neglect but especially with everything to do this time of season He ends up neglected. Have to make a concious effort to do that, not postpone devotions which I try to do everyday. Wow you had a huge workout shoveling!!
Rosebud- Continued prayers for DH and Tom. Wow 4.5 ft of snow yuck, we have about 4 inches but suppose to get more this weekend.
Counting- It was yucky out w/ ice and it took longer but I made it.
Wilma- great job exercising. i love the smell of fresh trees, but is easier for me to have an artificial, which when decorated works out nice. Need the fake pine smell to spay around.
Well gotta run, hi to all who are MIA. Blessings, stay safe w/ all that snow and shoveling!!!

HELLO EVERYONE ~ well, we had a bit of a blizzard tonight; the forcast called it 'SNOW SHOWERS' ~ haha! We call it 'WHITE-OUT' up here; or is that 'WIPE-OUT' ~ lol? But, it finally stopped by around 7 pm tonight.

UPDATE ON TOM ~ they went to city for a test for his bowels/instestines and that was 'ALL CLEAR' ; my aunts says PTL, and sends thanks again to all of us for praying for TOM and the family! She says that the specialists are kinda baffled about this case becuz they say that the cancer that is showing up in TOM's lungs is the same one he had before in his colon; but they can't figure out why it's in his lungs now but hasn't been in his bowels for years. Apparently, they have a whole team looking at TOM's case trying to figure this mystery out. This is very interesting ...

My aunt says that it would be a wonderful time for a full healing becuz it would be a great witness for GOD to so many people; I fully agree. She said that she is grateful for the prayers becuz she was having panic attacks at first when they first heard the diagnosis, and she is sure that is what is helping her feel calm and at peace now. So, I say thank you again!

Now, they had to get some more tests done; partly, becuz they want to confirm the original diagnosis, which is a smart thing to do; AND, becuz the specialists needed to know what kind of cancer it was, so that they could figure out how to treat it. There are still a few tests left to do yet (for the prostrate); but they sound optimistic. My aunt said that the hardest thing to deal with now is ignoring other people's pessimism; ditto on that! BUT, we hope that our positive attitude and faith and hope, will rub off on others in a good way!

I just stayed in today and started on my Christmas cards, but Dh went in town this morning to get me a present; but I know what it is, cuz I asked for it. I asked for a digital camera and he got one for almost half price off, but I can't use it yet; it's wrapped under the tree ~ ah, shucks!!!

SUE ~ yah, more snow today too! Thanks for ur prayers! Dh is feeling better today! We hope that back support wrap will keep him from re-injuring it again, and again ...

SHY ~ I only go out when the weather is nice; it has to be calm (few winds becuz they can freeze the skin too quickly here); and, I prefer to go out when the sun is shining the most.

GARY ~ See, you have lost too much weight; cuz you have just UP AND DISAPPEARED, just like I said you would ~ LOL!

ANYWAYS, I'm trying to recupe from yesterday; now it's time for my tea, and that's all the news I have for now. So take good care, your fellow encourager ROSEBUD ^PRAYERS^ are ascending for you and yours ...

Dawn, sorry to hear about your daughter! Both of our DS totaled their cars. (deer collision for one, and the other was hit by one of his professors). What a blessing that she wasn't hurt badly!
Our boys are 22 and 25 and I still feel the same way - I so wish I could wrap them up and keep them safe.
I like my walking videos too! They are wonderful and so convenient - I never have an excuse (well, not a good one) for not walking!

Sue - congrats on your weight loss. That is awesome! I still have some shopping to do, but most everything else is done.

Rosebud - lol - I agree about the walking! Even the bix box stores can be a good workout for me if I try! Thanks for the update on Tom - we will continue to keep him in our prayers!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm gonna try to get all of my gifts wrapped and some cleaning and laundry done. And of course some walking and yoga too

Blessings to all!

SHY ~ you posted while I was typing. There's nothing in this world like an angry momma bear! So glad your daughter is OK: the foot will heal, the thumb will smart a bit, and hoofing it a while might teach her a lesson??? BUT, who's car was it? Hers or yours? Ooops! Maybe I shouldn't ask that ~ LOL!