Hi guys !!! Good to find so many posts... but bad to make enough time to reply to all of them. LOL

Sandy.... You are good for my EGO. No wonder I like you so much. I am glad I can contribute to you laughing quota for the day.
You had me laughing today too. I read your recipe and wrote down that I needed to buy some ICBINB.
I thought to myself... "what the heck is that? Some kind of foreign ingredient? LOL
When my daughter came into the room I asked her if she had ever heard of such an ingredient and she started laughing.
She said it was obvious I was not a WW member.
Now I know....

Thanks for the instructions on all the different squashes. When I went back I saw you had already given me instructions on the acorn. I am looking forward to hearing about the eggplant. I have never made that either.

Deon.. I remember those days when my kids were young. I miss them often too. Enjoy them. Our local celebration is called Rooster Days. Many many years ago the farmers came to town once a year to buy and sell roosters and have a rodeo.

Kat...I am going to have to buy me some of those zinnias. Do you have to weed them. ?? I hate weeding !!!!
I loved your story about waking your daughter up.
Yep...Sounds like a true DORK to me.
Also... I heard if you soak the turnips in milk before you cook them they will not smell so bad. I consider myself BRAVE to try a veggie that is known for its BAD SMELL.

Lucky.... loved your 3 bears story !!!!!

Donna... I think you hit the nail on the head concerning your husband.
Need more be said.
It is not as important to him as it is to you.
That is one of the curses of being a perfectionist.
Feel free to come and release your frustrations with us as often as needed. {{{ HUGS }}}

okay... I am heating up the grill again tonight.
Steak, baked potato on the grill, squash, salad.
I think I will go make some kind of dessert.
I just LOVE this spring weather. !!!!!

Hey, 2cute, regarding your post:

"Many many years ago the farmers came to town once a year to buy and sell roosters and have a rodeo."

Just checking to see of it was a rooster rodeo! It just cracked me up thinking about a bunch of farmers buying roosters and riding them in a rodeo!

As for dh, being married as long as I have, I have learned the better part of valor is....."When in doubt, do it yourself." It prevents fights and the end product is either the way you want it or you can blame no one else but yourself. The only problem with today was, his trimmer, weedeater, and leaf blower/vacuum are pretty much off limits to me. A man thing, you know? Sooooo, I had to let him do the leaves. As for the garage, I already told him that I was starting on it on Monday. When we bought the condo from our kids, they left a crap load of stuff in the garage and finally got what they wanted out and told us we could trash the rest. Well, it was right before winter and too cold to work in there so we had to wait for warm weather. I am looking forward to getting it cleaned up and straightened. (ACTUALLY.....IT IS DRIVING ME NUTS!!!!)

Yahoo another clothes hurdle. Got into a pair of 100% cotton shorts that are practically brand new (15 years old), have a zipper and button front and not only came up over my butt, but buttoned and were roomy enough for the legs to be baggy and room in the seat to sit down and not worry about splitting them out! I have two more pair exactly like them in a cream and olive green that I can't wait to wear.

Got a good brisk walk in at the mall except everyone is so rude. I try to stay clear to the right and people will not move for you even if they know you are there. I had to walk around a huge group of people at least half dozen times. My mean spirit kept saying, "Hey, at least I am trying to do something, chubby!" I promise to say several prayers of forgiveness for being such a grouch about it!

I have been really neglectful in giving everyone who has lost my very best hurrahs so here goes:



I am so very proud of each and every one of you.

Donna

I found a post by a woman who weighed over 400lbs.
She has lost to almost weighing 250 now.
I thought what she said was worth repeating here.
Hope you agree.

She wrote much more... but I really liked this part the best.

Donna... that is quite a mental image.
No, I don't think they rode any roosters... but they do ride pigs.

Boy, I know just how she felt and that is what I have been saying all along. Let the scales be a guide, but don't be guided by the scales. Thanks for sharing 2cute.

Here is a pic of my dgs with his new roller blades.

Donna

I like that about taking the pressure off...no numbers to mess with your head. Just stay on plan every single day and it will happen.

...Okay! I can do that!

Another squash recipe...this is a good summer one, I may have even posted it before;
Cut into chunks: 1 yellow squash, 1 zucchini, 1 small eggplant. Saute in olive oil one medium onion and a couple cloves of garlic, toss in rest of veggies, cook til crisp tender, add one can of diced or stewed tomatoes, heat through. This is great, as is, or you can sprinkle some grated mozzarella on top...serve over rice or pasta...whatever!

I made a LOT of headway in our garage today, right after I took my son to baseball practice...where I had to stay and watch cuz it was at the batting cages. :P It killed me to be inside for that long!

If I waited for dh to clean the garage...forget it! As for mowers and leaf blowers being "Man things," HAH! Of course I like doing that stuff...so it works out. He has bad allergies, so I do most of the yard work. He usually does clean the garage, now that I think of it, but if i waited for him, I'd never find my gardening stuff! Plus he saves WAY too much crap. I ruthlessly toss things that he waould say, "That's still good..." or "I may need that someday!" NOT ON MY WATCH, MISTER!

When I was done in the garage, I puttered around, did some pruning and snipping and cleaning in my flower beds. My forsythias will be blooming soon. I should bring a few branches in and force them open. I love forsythia! This year, I want to plant some lilac bushes, right under my bedroom window...

I just peeked in at chat and no one is there...I guess I'll go to bed...I have to work tonight...

See you later
xxxooo

Donna... what a sweet picture. He looks like one happy camper.
Does he have red hair ?? My youngest granddaughter does.
Her sister is blonde. The oldest is 2 1/2. The baby just turned 1 in Feburary. They both spent the night and we had a great time.

Kat.. I remember sitting at those batting cages too. Just sit back and enjoy it. They grow up and leave home and you will miss it ... believe it or not.
Congratulations on the garage.

Oh my this cold is taking me down hard. I give myself a good dose fo cough syrup 1/2 hour before bed then I can atleast sleep for a while. But this a.m I woke up at 6 all plugged up!!! I can't believe I made it through the winter with nothing like this and now boom it kicks in to high gear. Oh well, I will survive, because like we have stated we are super women.

2cute, you sure did give me a laugh out load yesterday when I read about the ICBINB spray. My dh thought I had lost my mind. I have found that parkay makes one too and I like the taste of that better.

~EGGPLANT~Well now, I know I love eggplant parm. but last night I took the eggplant and pretty much made that recipe that kat posted before she even posted it. must be esp? Anyway, I think next time I will leave out the eggplant, I did not really care for it. But it was worth the try.

Kat, glad you got your garage under way. Our cellar/basement whatever word you use in your part of the country looks like a tornado hit it. My dh loves to bring things home and just park em wherever there seems to be a clear spot. He has 1 side of it and I have the other, well on my side I have the washer, dryer, the can goods/pantry shelves, the oil tank, the heating system the coat closet, the kids toys, a fousse ball table and camping gear......well on his side its just the wood for the wood stove that was piled up but fell over and he has yet to fix that? He had this wonderful idea about burning wood this past winter to save on the oil bill, well I think that wood stove has been lit maybe 1 time and we still have a ton and a half of wood. Also on his side is his tools/toys/mess!!! He has been suppossed to clean it up for 3 weeks now, but everyday he finds some excuse. Or says he is tired from work all day, which only brings us back to 'WHAT THE **** DID I DO ALL DAY?" then the vicious cycle starts again. I asked him what he thought I did all day at work, he said "answer the phone, do computer stuff, and whatever. Well he is partly right, but missing so much of what I do in a days time.....Would like to see him get accomplished half of what I do at work and learn how to do 3 things at one time while someone else is at your desk asking for another thing. Oh lets stop there on that!!!

What a wonderful philosophy that lady has about the scales, wish we could all be like that, but I have come to accept that the scale is my friend/enemy and thats the way life will be. I'm just not fretting over it anymore.

Donna, what a cutie that granson is. I know I've told you before that I am partial to red heads, my son is redheaded, my daughter is blonde currently with burgandy streaks in it, because yesterday we found the Halloween hair color spray stuff in a cupboard I was cleaning and her and my neice who has been here since Friday decided they needed streaks in their hair.

Well gonna close for now girlies, I think I gave you enough to read and hopefully when I return I will have some to read.

Hugs,
~~Sandy~~

Looks like another beautiful day here. I think I'm going to roust the dog out of my bed and take her for a nice long walk this morning. Then I'm heading for the grocery store, and if I'm still awake, to Costco after that. I've been putting off the shopping for a few days now and I think we're down to our last roll of toilet paper...

All that talk about eggplant, I think I'm gonna have to make some eggplant parm. I dip the slices in egg whites, (not crazy about eggbeaters) then in bread crumbs, spray them with Pam and bake til they're browned...then layer with sauce and cheese and bake. Good stuff! Thanks for the idea, Sandy.

Another new veggie (or is it a fruit?) that I've discovered lately is the avacado. Yes, it's high in fat, but it's good monosaturated fat, and it's not likely that I'll eat the whole thing in one sitting! I just slice it and put it on a sandwich with sliced tomato, a little low fat mayo and lots of salt and pepper...what a treat! The rest of the avacado i mash, add some chopped onion, garlic and tomato and it's a yummy guacamole. Because of the fat, it's very satisfying!

And then there's asparagus! This is the time of year for them. Good steamed, better grilled on ol' George Forman!

Okay enough food talk...I'm making myself hungry.

Donna, your little guy is adorable! Love that red hair!

2cute, thanks for the reality check. I was just complaining about how quickly my daughter has grown up, soon to spread her wings. My son is still my baby...(a big 12 year old baby!) He was cute, so proud of himself that he could even HIT the ball! Even more so when he moved to the faster pitch one and could still hit it! He is such a sweet kid, so totally innocent, not a mean bone in his body. I'm dreading middle school next year...so many obnoxious, punky kids. I've always worried more about him than her, she was ALWAYS an independent spirit, self confident. He's the total opposite. Kinda shy, (though not at home!) and quiet, (again, not at home!) and lacking in self confidence. How do you instill that? Especially since his mother is the same way! Wow, I just rambled on about my kids, huh? A mother's prerogative!

Deon...good to see you again, I hope you had fun at the Daffodil Festival! We have the Clearwater Festival around here, down the shore...lots of environmental issues addressed, but also all the fun stuff: craft booths, demos, and great food! Then, a little farther down the shore, there's the Chowder Festival! Oh yeah. 'Nuff said.

Okay, I think I replied to all those who have posted! Come on out, the rest of you! And those of you who have been excused, due to weekend obligations, had better come back with full reports! That's an order!

Bye all!

I'm here. My brother called at 6:30 this morning to tell me he was ok. He sounded a little better. Oh Well. Going to a birthday party for my great nephew today. Missed all of you in Chat me and Sandy was there.

Kat... you asked the question....
Just think of self confidence as you would muscles. It is... in a way.
Self confidence can make you mentally and emotionally stronger just like muscles make you physically stronger.

How do you make your muscles stronger?
You stretch them. You work them. You do exercises.

You do the same thing to build self confidence muscles.
You stretch them. You work them. You do exercises.

Think of some exercises you can "secretly" have your son (and you) do.

Maybe have him take something back to WalMart and get a refund. Tell him in advance what the process will be. Tell him what problems may occur. Give him the reciept send him in to do it on his own. Then use this success story as a reminder to him how he can do things he never thought he could do on his own.

Or have him cook one of his favorite foods that he would need to follow a recipe for. Be there to help him learn terms he does not understand... but refrain from doing it yourself. Show him how if he can read he can follow the instructions. Be supportive but make him do it himself.

Each time he does something NEW for himself he will build more self confidence. You stretch those confidence muscles by stretching them beyond the norm. It doesn't have to be big accomplishments... just beyond what he has already done.
Then you use all of these new successes as reminders later when they doubt themselves again.

When my one daughter went away to college I would have to remind her sometimes of how she overcame other uncomfortable situations and she CAN and WILL overcome any new situations.

I know these sound minor. They were probably poor examples. If your son has already grown beyond those just think of something else that will S T R E T C H his confidence muscles.
I hope I made some sort of sense. When I need to think of some of the exercises I used on my kids I can't remember a single one.

Oh yes... I know I don't need to tell you... but don't forget to PRAISE him. Praise works wonders too.
The weaker we are... the more exercise we need.

Mary... glad to hear your brother is doing better.
You can build his self confidence by reminding him how he came through this and he can overcome anything else that comes his way.

Sandy... spring colds are the WORST !!! Hang in there and take an abundance of Vit C and zinc lozenge.

This exercise is also what we need to do to ourselves.
When we slip on our food plans our first thought is...
"What a failure I am.... here I go... cheating AGAIN"
Well. That is when we pull out all of those successful times we stayed on program and then we say to ourselves...
"I can overcome this slip because I have overcome slips of the past. I am not a failure... I am a winner in progress. I am building my success muscles ... I will be STRONGER next time"

AND YOU WILL BE !!!

Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement! I think it was a "rocking chair moment!" You are so special.

Having grown up in a family of five kids, I think I kind of got lost in the shuffle and never received the praise and encouragement that you speak of...I doubt they even noticed how shy and introverted I was...( I have come WAY out of that shell, by the way!) Well, I wasn't that way at home, but at school, definitely. I see the same tendencies in him and have always encouraged him to speak up for himself and praise his accomplishments, no matter how small. When he was a tiny baby, he was diagnosed with a heart abnormality which recquired open heart surgery at 20 months...so I have always been somewhat overprotective.

I just got back from watching him play baseball with my sister's two boys, my brother, and his son and daughter...Spring is truly here!

I have to go conjure up something yummy for dinner. I think a stir fry is the way to go. I have red and green cabbage, that I will stir fry in a wee bit of sesame oil, and add some soy sauce at the end...with steamed shrimp over that. Okay, that works...gotta go, my mouth is watering!

Thank you again, 2cute, and you too Baylee, for sharing your wisdom! Love you guys!

Hey everybody! So, looks like the husband noodlehead gene involves more than mine! Don't get me wrong, he is really a sweety when it comes to helping in the house as he helps clean up dishes every night, will carry down the dirty laundry and then carry the clean up and usually put it away, helps me make the bed on the days I get up with him etc, but he has a short circuit when it comes to jobs like yesterday's.

2cute: Yes, T has gorgeous red hair and here is the funny story about that. His dad has black hair as well as his parents and sister all have dark hair, my dh has dark brown hair, ds is blond and I am a blond. His mom had beautiful cornsilk blond hair her whole life until she was a senior in high school. She wanted to cut her hair all off and color it dark red so I let her. When her hair grew out, it grew out red and it is now the color of my grandson's and she has never colored her hair again!

It is warm and beautiful today and I never even stuck a toe out. I was exhausted last night so didn't go to church this morning and was still kind of drug out today so moped around the house. I did watch a really good DVD we had bought called Road to Perdition with Tom Hanks. It is sad though.

Not much news from here. Kat, I LOVE avocado, but try to limit how much I eat of it.

Talk to you ladies later. Enjoy chat tonight. Sorry my computer does not allow me to join you.

D

HERE IS A GOOD REASON TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!


(Unfortunately, I never saw any sailors that looked like this on my husband's ships when he was in the Navy )

OH BOY I may join the Navy