Oh, I wish I had a porch to sit on! Enjoy, Ruth. (I live in a porchless, garden less, though not completely unpleasant when the neighbors aren't playing the stereo at assault level, apartment.)

Thanks for advice, Lexxiss! I know that. I'm just not very good at doing it.

We need rain too! We've had storms, two that took down huge, hundred year old trees, but no significant rain. It's been in the high 90 s all summer. I want to start walking, but cannot do it in this heat.

And so I read. I just finished The Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick. Several friends highly recommended it, and I'm glad I took their suggestion. It's an odd book, but very compelling. It's set in the Midwest about a hundred years ago. A man seeks a mail order bride. His voice is a schemer whose goal is widowhood. It's also about cold, and loneliness, and ultimately, as one review said, forgiveness.

And now, having read, I'm off to do taxes (the ones most people do April 15th. I lead a disheveled life.)

Good morning chickies!

Xan- Good to see you back! I have just recently returned myself. Im in the same boat as you in the upper 90s the entire summer! unbelievable... I am just hoping fall is going to come soon and be a nice long season... That book sounds good I will have to put it in cue ;0)

Cyndi- I am paranoid of canoes too! Funny thing is I love love love the water and love to swim so I don't really know what I am afraid of?! Maybe trying to get back in....

Debbie-I've missed you too- all of you! That’s why I am back! Nice that I got to keep in touch with several of you on fb though Wish it was cool enough here to get outside and exercise, I have been thinking of getting a bike and just may have to do it when the weather gets a bit cooler...

Ruth- I vote for reading on the porch... It rained here the other day and I just said forget it, I'll do the chores tomorrow... I read several chapters of my book, took a nap, and well, then did dinner and a few chores but it was a great day! Enjoy your day whatever you choose!

Linda- you're really making me want a dehydrator! I've wanted one for a while but I really have no place to put it... My mom told me my grandpa has one that he probably never uses and I am flying out to visit them in a couple weeks I may see if I can finagle a way to borrow it for a while while the garden is going!

As for me, I had-IMO- a huge NSV last night... We went out with friends downtown to a couple bars and at the first one I just had soda water and lime, and the second I had 2 glasses of pinot noir(and more soda with lime) which is exactly what I had planned to do. I don't think I have ever went out downtown, or possibly out any night to bars where I didn't just say screw it and drank beer or whatever I was feeling like! It definitely helped that the wine was good- And I think the scale rewarded me this morning for it! down almost 2.5lbs for the week! Yeay! SO I got my chores almost finished yesterday- just a little more tweaking left to do in the bedroom bath that I have to do and I am going to try to talk dh into running to the farmers market with me, and maybe to the furniture store if I can't I will just have to go myself. although I did tell him if he doesn't go to help me pick out the stuff he is not allowed to say anything negative about it! Even if it is just his opinion. bc it doesn't matter at that point that the furniture is sitting in the living room and there is no sense in bringing negativity into play!\rant.

Morning Ruth, Debbie, Schmoodle, Cottage, Karen, Cyndi, Cat, and Rikki! Bon voyage, FoodO, and welcome back Xan! I'm new here, and I just finished Week 1, Ph1. I just realized I now get to say good morning to egg-dropping chickies (at home) and pound-dropping chickies (online).


Official first-week weigh-in this morning showed a 6 lb loss. That's FAR better than Week One when I went on SB last fall. I am pumped, to say the least. And DH is gone for 5 days, which should make Week Two a breeze, cooking only for myself.

Have a lovely restful Sunday, see you tomorrow!

~~Sally