This warm weather has been such a nice home-coming gift! Guess it gets cooler again tomorrow, but a day with just a windbreaker was great!

Silly - I just LOVE Italy, too - we hit Florence (my fav), Rome, Sorrento and did day trips to Pisa, Pompeii and Paestum. He was really into the ruins and so I wanted to work in what we could along that front. Love to travel and just need to figure out how to afford more of that.

All I want to do this weekend is relax. Next weekend I'm flying home (Florida) and kinda just want to do not much of anything here now. Lazy!! Have a lot to get done, though.

FL- have fun finding good deals at the farmer's market!! I love that, but only hit ours in the summer. It runs May-Oct.

Penguin - good luck vibes going to your hubby on the job! How long until they make the decision on that position?

Annie - hey there - how have you been doing? How's this semester started out for your son?

Ashley - Could you go to LA for a visit now and then or too mch $$ from Canada if your husband gets that position? Good way to look at that time, though - YOUR time.

Ange - WOW - China!! Looking forward to hearing how that goes!

Barb - I missed the veggies of the week - have to get to the market and will stock up - I need to get back with filling up on more veggies. And more fruit. Didn't get in much while on the road.

Activity for the past 12 days was great - walked a TON. Aiming to get out on the trail with the dog after a run to petsmart tomorrow... Hubby is working nights now for the next few days, and so he'll be sleeping days. I try to keep it kinda quiet around the house so it'll be a good day to get outside activity. Plan to wrap up early tonight and sleep!

Hello All
What a lovely community you have here... I am new to 3FC and hope that... I can contribute to it and draw on you all for support. I am over 40, Married, and most of my excersize this past month has been shovelling snow.

looking forward

WELCOME, Izzadawn! I'd send a fancier-looking greeting but I'm not as computer savvy as everyone else I'm with you on the shoveling snow madness. ENOUGH! Though it is good exercise, I have to grant it that. But I'm ready for spring soon. What are your biggest challenges?

A nice sunny morning here. Made out my marketing list and will tackle that before too long. Want to get some biscotti baked this afternoon for my sister-in-law's bday.

Excited to see the scale return to what it was before our trip - yay! Now to get started on moving that down another pound...

Thanks all- I didn't know some other farmer's markets were not open in the winter, we have several around that are open all year round.

The weather today was wicked, winds were 40mi. per hr. & only in the 30's. We went to the Farmer's market in Kutztown, it's called Renninger's. Maybe some of you may have heard of it. There is one in Florida also. Half is Antiques, other half is the farmer's market. Got alot of fruit there, but spent more than I wanted to. I got better deals at our local market, 2 bags of small blood oranges for 1.00! Now that's cheap! I was proud of myself, didn't buy any baked goods or candy at either place. Still went way over my calories with all the fruit I was eating once I got home. Also went food shopping, I'm ready for bed! Rode the bike for 30min this morning & I was walking all day. I'm gonna ride the bike some more tonight cause of all the extra calories. My weight stayed the same, but I might see a gain tomorrow!

I don't see any posts on here for all last night or today? Or is there something wrong w/ my computer?

The weather is cold, no walk today. Rode the bike for 30.min. I gained a half pound, not bad considering the higher calories for the past 4 days. They were healthy calories though. Can't believe it's been a week since I ate any kind of junk food. I'm stuck on fruit & yogurt, since I discovered chocolate yogurt, I'm hooked. Also i like to snack on dry Kashi cereal, there are a few kinds I like to keep on hand if I just want a snack. I think it's tasty. With that stuff here, I don't even want junk food.

My computer was being a jerk yesterday and wouldn't let me online. It kept wanting me to 'restart', so I finally gave up and just knitted most of the day. I was afraid to do too much or bring my headache back. {Hubby finally fixed the computer for me}

Today is very nice, partly sunny and 75*! but its supposed to start raining again tomorrow. Hubby and I did some running around after church. He's now changing the oil in the car.

Dawn, Welcome, glad to have you join us.

NP, we just have to wait and see.

Fruitlady. our farmer's market is only in the summer, but we do have all produce stores called Easy-Way. They usually just do local produce but that may change in the winter.

Have had a pretty relaxing weekend - got a great marketing trip done, highlighted by actually finding a [rather expensive!] gardenia in the flower section that somehow found its way into my cart. I was just yesterday morning talking to my mom saying how much I missed the gardenias in the spring up here ... I usually bring one home most mother's days when I fly home, but they last a month and keel over. I'm hoping this one that's loaded with buds will be so fragrant and actually BLOOM!

Have done okay staying on points today - weighed in and am down another half pound - that'll be it until I weigh before going home this weekend. Originally from Florida, so that's "home" ... whenever I'm on the road, my hotel is "home" ... here is "home" ... hubby was giving me grief last week for calling our hotels in Italy "home" .... heck, I lived in Italy for several years growing up, so that could be home, too, right? ha!

Rain coming tomorrow and snow after that, but it's been a few nice days out of the 30s!

Off to prep my lunch for tomorrow. And trying to stay away from a piece of chocolate... I have this record playing over and over "what damage does ONE piece do?" ARGH. It's the "one piece" every night mentality that will do me in...

Hey gang! Just now checking in since Friday. Just a couple of personal comments, sorry I'm not commenting on all, but I did read!

Welcme, Izza!! Glad you are here.

NP-I'm thinking the slightly larger size of your thighs might be from all the walking you did on your trip?? I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Fruitlady-I'll have to try those Yoplait choco thingies!! But for some reason things with that kind of consistency don't seem to satisy me and/or fill me up.

Went to the dentist Sat. a.m. and got my dental plate adjusted and it is much better. Hope I don't have to have it adjusted any more, but at least we know what to do if it is still too rough. Feels okay for now. Just still getting used to it.

Weekend w/ fiance was nice, even though TOM came to see me yesterday. Did some walking around w/ Tootsie out there yesterday, it was such a pretty day. But today....Tootsie was running full tilt back to the house and injured her leg somehow. I am hoping it is just a sprain. She will not bear weight on it so I am taking her to the vet in the morning unless she shows great improvement over night. She hasn't eaten or drunk (drank?) much water since she hurt herself. I take her out and sit her down to potty and that is all she has done. I feel so bad for her. Here is a pic of her resting in her little bed this evening: Looks like it will show at the bottom of the page.

Hope you all have a good day/evening.

Had to make another post to attach another image. This is a pic of the crocuses blooming in my yard! Spring is on its way!!

ETA: Oh well, it won't let me post it. I'll put it on Photobucket tomorrow and post it then. I'm too pooped to party right now.

Hello everyone! Just a quick check-in today. Dropped Tootsie off at the vet this a.m. and am hoping to hear good news soon. She still isn't eating or drinking and barely using her leg. But she somehow jumped up on the bed while I was in the shower.

I have pulled a muscle or something in my left shoulder/upper back myself this weekend. I called my doc in hopes that he might call in a mild muscle relaxer for me to try to get it feeling better w/o having to take off work and go see him. I believe he is going to do it and I'll have it this evening. Surprising, as he is usually really adament about seeing you first before prescribing ANYTHING. Hope it helps, it was waking me up last night and is really painful.

I did get up and move this morning (best thing for me when I feel like NOT moving), but was very careful of my shoulder/back....no weights or resistance bands. I did the entire 5 mile walk DVD and was proud to get it all done. 65 minutes!!

I made cake part of my b-day cake last night. I will ice and decorate it this evening and we will have it tomorrow evening after dinner. Hope it turns out!!

Thanks for the Warm Welcomes

Annie how old is you Pup? she won't eat if she is in pain the vet will be able to help with that. as for your soar muscle Epsom Salts Bath, and or Tiger Balm, they have a new sport version that comes in a larger tin. works for me!!!

Snow again here in Pa. & another small storm coming again tonight, so depressing. Rode the bike for 30min. the weather is so crappy, no walk. My weight stayed the same, that's ok , but I'm starting to think about junk food. I have to go to the store tonight, I hope I don't give in to any temptation. My calories are finally on track today, I don't want to mess it up. My stomach didn't feel good last night after I ate some fresh baby spinach, i hope it wasn't a touch of E-coli or something. I was actually in pain with stomach cramps, popping Rolaids like crazy too. After about 2 hrs. it got better, couldn't fall asleep right away at bedtime, some ways I was laying hurt my stomach. If I eat junk today, it could make my stomach hurt again.

Have a great day everyone!

Izza-My dog just turned 12 years old. Vet called, thinks it is just a sprain/strain and will give her some anti-inflammatories to bring home. I'm relieved.

Fruitlady-I can understand being tired of winter. It was in the high 70s here all weekend and is now 38 degrees. Well, at least seeing the crocuses this weekend helped me.

Here is the pic of the crocuses.

Hi all, i'm just in transit in Hong Kong, and about to get on local china flight to go to work this morning. Nice hotel breakfast hasn't assisted my resolution to be good with the diet this trip, although i did just have museli, fruit and one piece of toast (no butter) so could be worse.

Right, lets see where i'm going to be staying this week, and what its like. Not worked in China before so should be interesting....

Annie - awww, hope it's good news for Tootsie, what a sweet girl! Lovely pic of crocuses too, it reminds me of growing up in England and seeing the crocuses as a sign of new life and lengthening days. Funnily enough i've just pulled something in my left shoulder too - it's only minor though. Did it whilst trying to do some sideways situps this morning!!

Dawn - Hello! welcome, and good luck with sticking to plan and being able to do something other than shovel snow very soon!

NP - Great you're back, and posting again. We missed you!

Fruitlady - hope you're feeling better today and manage to avoid any junk!

not sure whether i'll be able to log in over the next two weeks or not, so if i disappear, that's why!

sorry about all the exclaimation marks in that last post. Slightly excessive.
Must be feeling a bit too chirpy this morning. Could be the three cups of coffee i've already consumed.