I guess Debbie's father-Debbie is the tenant-will be here soon. He fell again at home and needs his meds supervised. That's why she wanted a bigger place.
Getting ready for a yard sale on sat at the camp. It's such a mess in the garage, it's hard to find things. I did find out on the new that some dishes are worth money so i am trying to find a dealer-I heard business in the antique business is s-l-o-w. Why wouldn't it be.?
We are thinking of soalr panels to heat our house and water. You get 1/3 back and a tax credit!
Taking Auntie to lunch after I get my shot today,
Tammy, I went for a walk yesterday-I think you are motivating me!!
Mima

Hey Tammy...pass some of that motivation this way, huh?? I still haven't gotten my butt on that elliptical...it's just sitting there collecting dust behind me as I write this! Queenie keeps me walking but I need something more aerobic for sure. My doctor is going to be awfully pissy the end of the month if I don't drop more weight.
I have some workmen here this morning fixing all the cracks in my pool patio. The company that installed the pool didn't put in "expansion joints" and I have all these little cracks everywhere that will eventually get bigger if they aren't fixed. I am really tired of having to redo things that I paid good money for when this house was built. Don't know why I bothered to pay a general contractor! Once they get done in about 3 days, hubby and I will powerwash and paint the entire patio....and it's a big one! Oh well, at least it will be done and we won't have to paint again for a few years. I'll probably be a cripple for about a week after that...Being a home owner has it's drawbacks....maintenance is top of the list.
Mima, let me know how you make out with your solar estimate. We were considering doing a panel just for our water heater. They also have some unit that does a "heat exchange" thing off your A/C. It uses the discharged heat from the house via the A/C and heats the water heater with it. Don't know which would be more efficient but the tax credit is a great incentive to go green. I have been going green for the past year or so...bought those reusable grocery bags and recycling everything. I think the expense of adding solar to the home is well worth it. Are you doing this through your electric company contractors? Keep me posted, okay? I'm interested to know how expensive this might be.
Need to get moving. Having my hair cut this morning..finally! This heat and humidity makes me want to cut it short but I will try to continue growing it out a bit more. Hope everyone enjoys their day.

Hi. Well, we made it back home late Sunday night. Had to have yesterday to unpack, wash clothes and fight to stay awake until bed time. That is hard to do and even harder when you have FM. I did really well on holidays. Not too much pain, just a lot of stiffness, but it is because of the humidity and it wasn't all that warm. It is also cold here. It was 32F this morning, but heading to 65 this afternoon, and warmer for the next week or so. I guess they say we need rain. Hasn't been this dry for years. Yesterday it rained - must have been in honor of my return I think the cloud hitiched itself to the airplane and came along with me!

I did have new potatoes and nice new strawberries as well. The Asparagus was just coming out when we were leaving. I don't think the potatoes have even started to bloom here yet - still another month to go.

We had a super holiday. Visited with lots of relatives, and did tons of sight-seeing. Germany was so very pretty and so clean. I think you could have eaten off the floor at the airport in Frankfurt. The hotels were cleaner than most hospitals as well.

Our summerhouse that we rented in Denmark was great. Ashley went to school for 2 days, and had a good time. One of her friends came swimming at the summerhouse one afternoon, and she went to a birthday party for one of the boys in her class on Friday. The kids all remembered her from 2 yrs ago. It's not like here, where people are forever moving. Same kids and if she went back in 4 yrs, it would still be the same kids.

I have pictures but they are not ready yet. Maybe sometime next week.

Kate - hope you are enjoying your alone time (is hubby back home now or not?) I couldn't stand to be where it was "steamy". Hate the really hot weather as well.

Mima - have fun camping. I went to a flea market in Germany. We just kind of wandered in. It was fun.

Tammy - good for you on that weight loss. Don't let her tell you that you need to do more exercise. Only go until you are comfortable, or you will be overdoing it. It is just a fine line for FM people. I walked tons on holidays, but my toe is paying the price. Back to the foot Dr. on Tuesday.

JoAnne - they say if you use Vick's Vapor Rub on your toenails it can help with fungus. Hope it goes away. My SIL took some kind of meds internally that seemed to help.

Hi Meme and Candice. You two have been very, very, very quiet. Hope all is well with you.

Catch you later!

Welcome back Anne! Sounds like you had a great time. Hubby did arrive home Monday afternoon and returned to work this morning at 5 am. Such is life. I always thought he would be the kind of man that would want to work forever but lately I have been seeing him more thoughtful about his retirement benefits. He happens to be one of those busy beavers that always has to be into something but I think the "Floridian" mentality here might just be getting to him. He seems to be looking forward to the "age" of retirement. I also think if he finally gets to a healthy weight and can reduce his meds, he will be a lot happier. I can't do that for him...he needs to take control of the issue for himself. He admitted he was embarrassed to ask for the extension for the seatbelt on the plane. If he could just get past that feeling of "i'm-so-fat-it-depresses-me" part, he will do fine. What can I do to help?? Suggestions?
Hope all is well with everyone...will check back later.

Kate- Weight Watchers has a good program. Maybe if you joined with him and you both did the plan it might help him.
Motivation is something we all seem to find hard.. I know for myself it has been hard to stay on tract.. Maybe we should find a way to support each other..
Happy- I tried the Vicks vapor rub.. Didn't help. I think wearinf New Balance shoea all the time didn't help either. My feet didn't get enough air. Also my hubby has fungus in all his toe nails . I am sure that is where I got it. Maybe at the nail salon when I got a pedicure.. That is a good place to get these things.
Mima- There are 2 temps down here. Hot and Hotter. I don't get out to walk very far.. Christie can only stand a couple blocks. I don't walk when the sun is down..
Tammy- Good for you on the weight loss. Don't listen to anyone telling you to up your exercise. Do what you can and feel comfortable with.Increasing your exercise will build muscle.. Being healthy is what is important...
I went shopping today and bought eggs. I came home and was trying to carry to many bags.. Well guess what I dropped . The eggs.. They all went into the garbage.. Glad they were only $1.29. I'll get some more tomorrow..
Hello Meme,Candice..
Joanne

I wish weight Watchers was the answer for hubby but I fear it would be more along the lines of Atkins...hubby is definitely a meat man. He lost 100+ pounds 7 years ago doing Atkins but managed to put most of it back on when we quit smoking. He just needs to make up his mind to do it and get into it. Having to walk around with his bone-on-bone knees is not helping either. The orthopaedic has suggested having it done now rather than later because he has nothing left in his knee joints. I'm trying to talk him into getting cortizone shots to help alleviate the discomfort because he is not accepting the idea of knee replacement yet. He's warming up to the idea because he needs some relief. It's very difficult to be motivated and have a positive attitude when you are in pain all the time...how well we all know that, right? He just hasn't gotten "there" yet. It's coming, I'm sure...
I love Vick's Vapor Rub!! Try it for some aches and pains sometime...works wonders! I use the cream version. Best stuff ever invented.
Off to bed. Need to get housework done tomorrow and get to the paint store for our patio paint....the deck area will be done by Thursday and it looks like we will be powerwashing this weekend. Night to all!!

I tried the Vicks on my toe-nothing happened.
Glad you are back Anne, sounds like a good time and Ashley will have so many remebrances.
Kate-you have to be careful of the shots because certain kinds can destroy the tissue?? I did have one yesterday in my upper thigh because it was affecting my walking.
Had a great time with Auntie, although our favorite restaurant is closed and do not like the one we went to. Paid a lot for the soup and there was nothing substansial in it. But we sure had a nice visit-bumped into someone I hadn't seen for years.
I lost good weight on WW and mostly maintained because I am so sensitive to foods. I know I eat too much although I sure didn't yesterday. It was raining so I couldn't walk/
Going to get my things ready for the yard sale. Sure hope I sell things.
Bye for now-Mima Wow for the eggs!!!!!!! Yikes!!

Just wanted to check in and let you know I'm not dead! Read this thread but no time to go back to the old one. Hope I didn't miss anything important.

Hubby's Dad had heart surgery 2 weeks ago and now his mom is in the hospital. Had to call the ambulance Sun. afternoon, she nearly passed out and was disoriented. They said she had pneumonia, gave her some antibiotics and sent her home. Got her home, she went in the bathroom and passed out. Had to call the ambulance back and take her back to the hospital. They should never have sent her home to start with. Anyway, she's still there. So weak she can barely sit up and still has moments when she isn't lucid. Her pneumonia was worse than they thought. They finally decided, just today, to call in a lung specialist. She's 88 and I feel like they were just pushing her aside. I asked them why they didn't have her on a breathing machine with meds in it. They weren't doing hardly anything for her. Giving her some antibiotics and tylenol and not very much of that. The Dr. said today they were going to have to start treating the pneumonia more aggressively. I think when we get up to a certain age the Drs. don't work as diligentlly toward our healing. Makes me so mad! We have our hands full between the two of them. He is on a walker and home alone. I've been cooking and taking his dinner over. Worries me, him being alone, because he is so dizzy. He's 91. He won't have it any other way, though.

I have 2 of the kids tonight. Daughter has been taking them to work with her, about to drive her crazy, so they are staying with me tonight and tomorrow to give her a break. Always something.

Rah Rah Rah! Let's all take a walk or get moving!! How's that for a little motivation?


Kate, sounds like you'll be pretty busy with the patio. Don't let your husband talk to me because I'm all for retirement! You can tell him to go for the shots in the knees! I've had it done twice over the past 4 years. since Weight Watchers is on a points thing, maybe you could combine that and Atkins somehow.

Welcome back Anne!!!! Did you miss us? Tim said the same thing about the airport in Frankfurt. I would love to take a video of my class that I take at the Y, and take it to show my class on Wednesday nights to show them what I'm doing. I don't think they have any idea.

Joanne, I agree about motivating each other. I think that is why my Wed. night class has been so good for me. Some of us email during the week. I've done that with eggs before!

Mima, too bad that your favorite restaurant was closed. Is it closed for good or just when you went?

Class this morning was a really hard workout. I came home and took a nap! I am now getting ready to go to my bible study and weigh in. Hope she doesn't make any comments about my exercise this week.

Hello Everybody..
Kate- I don't think the Atkins diet is all that healthy.. It isn't a good eating plan for a lifetime. That is what we have to do at our age.. Short term it works but we need to think long term.Mima is right. The shots destroy healthy tissue. I have had them in my knees,back,and shoulders.. They are just a bandaide for short term.I had knee surgery 15 years ago.. It is supposed to be easier now and the rehab is supposed to be shorter.. When I had it done the rehab took a year before I felt like a normal person..
Meme- That is what I had when I was so sick this past fall. I nearly died because a Dr. didn't give me anything but a cough med. By the time I was in the hospital pneumonia was in both lungs and I had a heart attack.. They didn't expect me to live.. I lost a few days.. I was out of this world in a matter of speaking. Dr.'s do not pay enough attention to a older person.My daughter and son was chasing them down the halls. They didn't let them get away with anything.I bet they hated to see them coming. I was in the hospital 16 days and 5 in a rehab that I couldn't stand .. The beds nearly killed me. My backside is just now well and it has been sore for 5 months.
Tammy- OK now you can let your leader know you are doing fine,and to back off. My motivation is to get my butt back on the treadmil.. It is too hot outside.. Maybe we should pick a buddy and report to each other for awhile..
Mima- I bought another carton of eggs today. I told my hubby all I needed was to drop those. Believe me I turned the air blue yesterday.. He said that isn't going to help..
Joanne

Joanne, I'm sure glad your son and daughter took control when you were ill.

At class last night, the leader was very friendly, didn't mention last week at all. She was even more friendly after I got weighed and had lost some more. I was happy too! I went ahead and changed my butterfly. I was off .1 off hitting 17 pounds since January 7. I went to the bathroom after I weighed and that had to be .1, right? Too much information?

We don't have bible study/weight loss class next week because they are having vacation bible school at the church. Would you all help me to be accountable till I weigh again in 2 weeks?

Joanne, picking buddies might be a good idea. I know a couple women and I from our group emailed our foods we had eaten for the day when we had a break once before. We critiqued each other if we saw something we didn't think we should be doing.

I know with this program that I'm on, I don't deprive myself of anything. I mark everything on my foodtracker, and I also keep track of the foods/calories at an online site ( sparkpeople.com). With the intense exercise that I am doing 3 days a week, I think it all evens out.

Good morning all. And Joanne is right about the heat here! It is brutally hot this week. I am about to go out and start the powerwasher up and begin the big project. Don't know how much I will be able to accomplish today but will at least get it started.
Hubby's othopaedic said the surgery would be done within 2 weeks on both knees (first knee done then 1 week second knee done) with a 6 week rehab. the doctor thought a total of 8 weeks he'd be out of work. We can use his short term disability but would need to coordinate all this with his company. Timing would be important here too. Hubby has decided to try and lose as much weight as possible and continues to tell me his knees are not painful enough to have the surgery yet. With the shots and Aleve, he is hoping to buy himself the time he needs to lose the weight. I'll just have to hope he can do it....not much more I can do except wait and see I guess.
I personally do not care for the Weight Watchers program. It never worked for me. I prefer South Beach/Sonoma food plans.....all whole grains and no sugar (keeps my cravings at bay). I have no trouble now eating all the good grains and no sugar. My control needs to be in portion sizes. I have completely eliminated my IBS and feel great....but I still tend to put more on my plate than I need. Once I conquer that issue, I will be on my way to permanent weight loss. Hubby likes too many of the "bad" things, like white bread, hot dogs, diet soda, beer etc. His portion sizes are good but he needs to exercise more too. Driving a truck all day is mentally challenging, not physical. I've got him eating chef's salads now for work but he still takes a sandwich on one those "thins" from Arnolds. He also eats a banana, a SB fiber bar and a V8 juice. Dinner is what I prepare... protein, veggies, and something like brown rice, whole grain pasta or sweet potato. I always eat salads but he eats his at lunch and doesn't want another at dinner. That's about it. Sometimes we'll have a suger free pudding for dessert.
Well, off to do the powerwash thing! Hope I don't overdo it ...need to be mindful about this.
Meme, sounds like you've got your hands full. Hope everything works out okay on your end. What would these kids do today without the help of their parents??

Boy, we need to npower wash this house and the camper-it's not hot here, Kate.
Brad had his stress test and he did well-probably good for 2 more years and his sugar and cholesterol numbers are good. He was done by 10:45 and we went to lunch and grocery shopping. I found some more stuff in the attic to sell-teapots. If I could see up there, I could get more-next year,
Tammy-17 pounds-that's awesome.
I am so glad my aunt is over her pneumonia-she was sick for a long time. But she doesn't live alone.
I have been walking but my leg hurts, despite the shot.
I am going to call the restaurant and see how long they will be closed. Since I am halfway to her house on Tues, it would be nice to go out every week.
Glad the eggs made it home this time , Joanne,
meme, it's so hard with elderly people. I think my sil finally found 2 homes that would take her father, but now she has to wait for a bed.
Bye for now-Mima

Just been busy..DS #2 got engaged and here is their dog Daisy May. She is a long haired Daschhound.....

Happy the trip sounds wonderful

Joanne...sorry ya got a uti.....ya don't need more pain.

Tammy...glad the program is working for you..

Kate...Dh eats all that bad stuff too....and gets no exercise.

Mima...we need to powerwash here too but are afraid it will come in through the windows.

Meme...sorry aobut your inlaws, hope they get better soon. Yes I know what you mean about the docs and age.

I am having a trerrible time tryingt o get this place furnished, the man to fix the hole in the wall comes next week finally. DH gripes about the cost of everything! Pulling the pond out and putting a flower garden in with a small fountain maybe.

What a cute dog, well that's one way to get daughters! Congratulations!
-Why is the left hand side of my face red and swollen. Had a pain under my dentures there yesterday and last night. Sinus? Methotrexate. It's no way near where the dentist worked on.
Got my stuff ready for the yard sale. Got more stuff out of the attic
Brad's stress test went well. He went 8 minutes on the treadmill. He was happy he didn't get a cramp or that his hammer toe/corn hurt..He's here wanting me to look something up-Bye Mima