novelist - come back and post more about yourself when you have time. We all have our own challenges and have to overcome them on a daily basis but as people like Purpleorc have proven -- it's possible to lose a lot of weight and become healthier despite serious health conditions.

ok. I forgot the reason why I was posting. it was something big. I promise. maybe I'll remember tomorrow. ahhh sorry I havent had time to really read all the posts. they look interesting!


edit: oh ha ha so it's not that big. just funny. My brother usually administers my interferon injections for me (because the autoject does this loud spring sound that makes me jump and it used to sting so much) anyways... I've had to cut back using some of my injection sites because 'I'm running out of fat'. ha well not really but some sites take longer to heal.. because they arent morbidly obese. Anyways. small victory. yay.

k so. i had an iced cappicino today.. at like noon. but I'm wired right now. so time for catch up.

Rosebud - whats a banger? Is your numbness caused by pinched nerves? It is a disconcerting feeling, I know. And so good to hear about your newest purchased vehicle It must be a nice reassurance!


Purple - oh my gosh Gas is crazy over there. In my town it's only 1.29 a litres.. and thats an all time high. I bought a south korean made economy car a couple months ago because it's supposed to be amazingly fuel efficent.

I'm in a similar situation as you with work/school.. though I'm not regularly pulling 13 hour days. The timing for this training is the worst possible... I'll be gone 2 weeks of the 2.5 that I have to prepare the basement suite in my house for a tenant.. and I'll be out of town the entire last week before my parents do their final farewells. Tourism is busy in town too.. so it seems like everything in my life will suffer.. because I will drop it to train. But I dont think I will regret it.. even if it happens to make me sick by June. (knock on wood)



I think I'm going to lay in bed awake now. ha I guess I can blame the mortgage signing.... yesterday now.. for keeping me wired.

HI LADIES ~ Thanks for carrying us along there VAL; have been busier than normal lately. Late last night, I just came in to read, then started nodding, so I figured I would just wait and post today; but I see that I have some catching up to do too. The day started out with ***; yes ***, but it didn't hang around; but I don't really mind that, and then afterwards, the sun came out for the rest of the day.

NOVELISTKAT ~ WOW, that's a lot of weight to lose in just three months; sounds like you were very sick. Are you writing a book about your experience (hence, your moniker - novelist)? Nice of you to join us; we are glad to have new members in our group. Yes, do tell us a bit more about yourself, your family, and your life ...

We had to move my large salad garden drum becuz NIKO wants to use it as his playground and bury all his bones and toys in it; what a mess!!! So I found a site on the net by a couple of Vets who suggested filling a hole with sand and let him play in that instead. We have a sand pit near us so on the weekend we will go get some for him.

UPDATE ON OUR NEWER CAR ~ finally getting to go pick up our new car tomorrow; gee, sure took long enuff. I was getting a bit ticked with the garage and the mechanic for taking so dang long. Good thing too, as we have to take my friend to see some specialists in the city early Monday morning; talk about cutting it close. DH will finish up the paperwork and then come and get me to go for a nice, long ride.

VAL ~ Bangers are large sausages; my favorites are made locally and they are so yummy. I like the medium-hot ones myself; they are popular eaten on buns with relishes like chow chow and mustard (we use whole grain buns), but I like them plain with beans and coleslaw on the side. They come in mild, medium-hot, and hot; and these local ones are really LEAN, not greasy like some are ...

CONGRATULATIONS on signing your mortgage for your house; and you're taking possession soon, right ~ LOL!!! It can be a bit nerve-wracking at first, but it's very exciting too; and once it's all settled, you can sit back and relax. The biggest thing is to remember to get that payment paid first every month; then the taxes and insurance (which some banks include in the payments for you); and of course, your utilities to carry the place. I add up all our expenses plus car insurance (and payment, if one), phone, internet, savings; and LEAVE that amount in our main account.

Most of our bills come out of our account the first two weeks (I try for the first week, if I can), so then all the rest is for us to spend on miscellaneous expenses like groceries, gas, household, PA's, and so on. Each week we take out just what we need for those things, and at the end of the month, if any is left we put that into savings too (say for holidays, Christmas gifts, or our cabin we want to build).

I see that you have a basement suite that you will be renting; that will be good to help you carry your place. I did a similar thing in my house: we made an apartment upstairs and I rented that out: that really helped me carry the place (half my expenses were paid right there).

ABOUT NUMBNESS ~ you know, that's what I suspect; that the numbness and tingles were caused by pinched nerves. At first, I thought it was low sugar or even menopause, but I had a really bad fall, where I damaged some discs in my back and I really think that may have caused that. I have a neck brace that I have to wear every now and then to alleviate the pressure on those discs. And with spina bifida, and all the problem with my lower back where the discs didn't close right (therefore weakening my spine), I really didn't need that too. I sure have my problems; add to that the same fall that dislocated my right knee (the one that collapses), and another fall that fractured my left calf (which I still get pain in, if it's overstressed).

RE GAS PRICES ~ VAL, your prices are similar to ours; last time I was in town, they were $1.27 liter (which is about $4.83 a gallon); but England sure has it bad ($12/gal, as does Africa $24/gal). How terrible is that???

HEY PURPLE ~ Hope all is well with you and yours ...

ANYWAYS, that should catch me up a bit for now; take good care, ladies ~ your friend ROSEBUD

PURPLE ~ SORRY to hear that you are feeling under the weather; I am sending up prayers on your behalf. Hope that fall didn't cause the problem with your numbness; or was that caused by it? Either way, will continue to pray for you until you feel better.

VAL ~ We picked up our newer car today; got some pics and will be downloading them tomorrow (it will take a while); and I'll post them so you and Purple can see them too.

Just wanted to check in tonight; have a great weekend ladies, the best you can, OK??? ... your friend ROSEBUD

oh Purple I was concerned you might experience some symptoms -- I know I do when stressful times end up with me pushing it too far. take extra special care please!

Rosebud My dad makes deer sausage like the bangers you describe. nice lean wild meat. I dont eat much red meat but the lean stuff tastes sooo good!

I put some basic overdraft protection on my bank account.. but everything will start coming out the first of the month and I'm just not going to think about it for now. The bank isnt charging me mortgage payments till a month after possession and I'm so grateful because I wont really be home till next month.

I'll look for your pictures tomorrow if I can get online in Edmonton. I did my packing today... I'm trying to just take a carry - on the plane because some of my connections are iffy... but it has been so hard to pack all my liquids in less than 100 ml containers and keeping them in a small ziploc. My new motto is ' I LOVE packing liquids in ziplocs *rolls my eyes* I snuck my deodorant and cold cream back into my suitcase though... and I'm going to try to sneak some tweezers with me. Will report back on whether or not I have to dump it!

nite all

GRRR ... I wrote up a nice post and it disappeared before I had a chance to submit it; so gonna do a shorter remake.

We had lovely sunshine and 65F temps all day; went for a tour in our new car so DH could get used to it. We visited a couple of our favorite lakes as well and took out my SIL for lunch for her 65th birthday as she also retired right afterwards too. We had Chinese; tried something new today; lemon chicken (they are mini chicken balls with a mild sweet & sour lemon sauce: very yummy indeed).

VAL ~ good idea to have that overdraft; not to worry, you will do just fine. Yes, some people make moose and pork bangers; we have had them and enjoyed them very much. Have a wonderful time in Edmonton esp shopping at the world's largest mall. Look below for the pics of our newer car and NIKO's sweet face as well.

PURPLE ~ Glad to pray for you; it costs nothing but gives so much in return. Maybe you should talk with an MS professional as they may have some ideas for you that may help. The car runs great; the driver's window was stuck so we had to buy a new repair kit, but today it wasn't working again, so we will have to take it back to the garage next week to get him to fix it right as we paid him $60 an hour to do those repairs, and we supplied all the new parts too. We really got a great deal on the car though, and we are so very happy with it.

Take good care ladies, your friend ROSEBUD


Here's a pic of our newer car and one of NIKO's happy face too!

what a face #4w.JPG side view #2d.JPG

JUST came to check in a bit as we have to get up really early to take my friend to the city tomorrow. We went out to our lot today to pick up our pop-up screen tents (as the mosquitos are roaming about early this year). We checked on things then stopped by my Aunt & Uncles place for a coffee/tea and a chat before coming back home.

We ended up having a late dinner; had leftover BBQ Spit chicken with rice, green beans, cucumber salad, and coleslaw. Had a few phone calls tonight as well so that's why I'm running so late. I have always loved Chinese food, esp the different veggie dishes, garlic ribs, and chicken balls. I haven't tried much Indian food; we don't have any Indian restaurants around here: you would have to go to a large city to find them.

PURPLE ~ our newer car is a 1996 GRAND MARQUIS LS (Luxury Sedan) by the FORD company. It has lovely dark rose-burgundy interior; and is in excellent condition inside and out. My Uncle who is a mechanic, says the body is in fantastic shape and it should last us a good while; it actually looks like a brand new car.

Yes, most cars here are automatics with electronic computers in them; boy, are we having fun trying to figure out all the bells, buttons & whistles (pun intended) in this newer car. This is the most modern car we've ever had so DH has been trying to get some practice in using it as it is different than the older models.

VAL ~ have a grand time down there in Edmonton!!!

TAKE GOOD CARE LADIES ~ keeping you in my prayers, PURPLE; your friend ROSEBUD

HELLO CHICKIES ~ well I managed to wake up first this morning; DH is usually the early bird, but not today. We woke up to pouring rain so I decided to stay home with NIKO as my friend's husband decided to go with them too. They had a safe and short trip; were back just after noon. This was just a consult really; there is much prep before any surgery will take place.

DH made an appointment with our FORD dealer to have our cruise control re-fitted next week when my friend has to go back for some more prep tests. There was a recall of a part in the cruise which finally came in; they are paying for the whole thing to be fixed.

PURPLE ~ Hope things get resolved real soon with your doctor tomorrow; so you can start to feel better ... prayers continue for you and your friend!!!

WAs on the phone most of the evening again; had sent out prayer requests for my niece to get a job and she was offered two and she picked the full-time one today. Thanks to all the prayer partners for their faithfullness.

GONNA get off to bed early, as I was up so early today and now I'm really tired. TAke good care, your friend ROSEBUD

just running by before I crash in bed. Thanks for the pics Rosebud - niko is adorable and the car doesnt look half bad either

Purple you mentioned something about me being pretty 'go getter' right now. And I just wanted to say. I'm so blessed... I've been able to do this healthy lifestyle and it's totally helped give me endurance with work. I used to be so sickly.. but this summer has gone better than I could have ever thought. Sorry I dont mean to brag. I have had some bad times... when I never thought it would be this good. I didnt get a chance to read all your update but I hope you can find some relief soon.

I was in class from 8-5:30 yesterday.... doing math and economics. it was horrible! today was better... despite being a monday. because I got to west edmonton mall.. and was in a Sephora for the first time in my life. the mall is wonderful. I'm glad I bought some orthopedic shoes last month because my balance isnt perfect either... but the person I walked with didnt seem to mind me bumping into her once in awhile.

all right. nite! be well friends!

HELLO LADIES ~ we had some sunshine today so I put out some laundry on my new line again; gonna take advantage of every sunny morning that I can. It was a lovely day and we had turkey drumsticks with veggies for dinner; very yummy! I'm doing OK on my meals lately, but I must confess that I'm having a problem with my snacking for some reason.

I have been getting cravings for things like chocolate and the like; but the good thing is ... I know that these cravings eventually subside after awhile. In the exercise front, I'm trying to get at least one or two short walks each day; taking NIKO for a walk just after lunch on some days is helpful I think.

Did some more spring cleaning; sorting out drawers and cupboards in the kitchen these days. Tossing out stuff that we haven't used in a while; and I did the same with some of my clothes this month too. I'll go at it some more tomorrow; got a bit of mending to do too. Have to get at that or I'll get behind and I don't like that.

VAL ~ NIKO is as sweet and fun-loving as his picture shows; he's a regular silly willy!!! Yes, the car is in excellent condition and we feel very blessed to get such a great deal from a friend (who bought a new one this year). I'm not sure what a SEPHORA is, Val. I have one pair of shoes that are better too; the new ones I bought aren't made for long walks. This fall, I will be ordering another pair of the really good ones with the strong supports.

PURPLE ~ I hope that you got a call from your doctors today to get some help with your nummy problem. The Grand Marquis is one of the best cars that FORD makes; they run well and are a sturdy car. If they are looked after well, they can last a long time too.

WELL, that's all the news for today, take care ladies and have a good night ~ your friend ROSEBUD

HELLO LADIES ~ well, we woke up to rain this morning; and it stayed that way until after dinner when for about 2 minutes we had a full giant rainbow, but I couldn't get it all in my digital camera it was so big. Instead, I got half in one pic and the other half in another ~ LOL! Oh well, it was very pretty nonetheless ...

Didn't get too much done other than sorting a few things and baking some muffins for DH. My legs are very swollen this week, so I had to put them up twice today; in a few days, I hope they will be back to normal again. Even DH only went outside a couple of times; the wet cold was yucky today.

Other than that, just did the usual daily stuff like cooking and dishes and such. I spent part of the day searching on the net; and DH's old PC died on him this morning (the power pack blew) so we spent some time trying to figure that out. We will just set up my other PC for him; I'll have to spend some time loading up some games for him as that's his favorite thing to do on a computer; he esp loves cards games and he has a few others that he likes to play like Pinball and Starwars stuff. That's a good way to pass some time when it's raining outside.

WELL, hope you gals are feeling well; have a good night and a great week too. We are going into town tomorrow to pick up a few things and get that window fixed on the car so it closes properly like it should. Take good care of yourselves, your friend ROSEBUD