Good afternoon ladies! Just took this picture of Miss Ginger! We are having thunderstorms this afternoon--- sometimes I think that she is smarter than we are!!!

A very beautiful day here.we spent most of it running errands and grocery shopping.with a 11 yr old and 14 yr old i didnt have kid foods. i let them pick out some of their favorites along with good healthy things.all ready we have been doing crafts lol. dh and grson are going to the cabin for 4 days. my grdd wants to learn to use my sewing machine and makea quilt. so my projects are lined up and i love it. im posting afew pics of our trip. we went to the alaska zoo a 1st for me and they had a baby polar bear..she was so stinken cute we watched her run up ahill and dive into a tub of water full of balls. my pics didnt all turn out well if you want to read about the baby bear go to the penninsula clarion newspaper kenai alaska it was in thurs edtion and have cute pic and story about her. the zoo has gravel paths and it was hilly. my grson and dh had fun pushing me up hills and then running me down with the wind blowing my hair it was alot of fun.hope your days great. rosey

mts on the way home
big daddy polar bear
baby bear
dd and me

More pics.

Tylers graduation from middle school
Amandas birthday
Tyler and his award
Moose
Muskox

More pics i loved the zoo and it was amazing to see the polar bears but i felt a bit sad at the same time to see these creatures in cages.

family
black bear
wolf
cook inlet and mts on the way home
grmpa and me

Rosie - Love the pics...and you look great my dear. Sounds like you had a wonderful day.

My DH and I just got new (used, but good) bikes. We're going to head out to the Cape Rail Trail tomorrow. Went for about 45 minutes after dinner tonight and it felt GREAT! more fun than going to the gym in this nice weather.

I've been catching up on everyone's posts, but don't have time to send personal messages.

Have a great holiday weekend GGs

Lyn

Hey GGs,
Well, my fingernails are all pretty now. I got them painted “hot magenta” to match the color I put on my toenails. But, I’m disappointed because I didn’t get any sandals. And, I wanted to show off my pretty painted toenails! I tried on about every pair they had in my size, at Wal-Mart & at K-Mart, but they didn’t have any that I thought were both pretty & comfortable. Guess I’ll just have to keep looking.

I wanted to tell you all about another thing I do to keep from over-eating. Whenever I finish eating the one plate of food I allow myself at meals, I usually want to eat more, even though I’m full. I just really like eating! So, I’ve made a deal with myself - first I have to clear the table, & get all the leftovers put in containers, & wash the dishes. Then, if I still really want “seconds”, I can have them. So far, & I’ve been doing this a long time, I haven’t once had to have them! Sometimes though (like tonight), I do have a chocolate-covered mint pattie, because I like ending my meal with something sweet. This is just one example of the “bargaining” I have to do with myself to stay OP. Don’t know if this would work for anyone else, but maybe…… ? Just my little "hint for the day".

Just looked at the posts. Zoe & Mary, thanks for the info about the water. I cut back to 72 oz. yesterday & today, & so far - no swelling! And I’m learning to enjoy just sipping my small glasses of water. Oh, a little trick I use to keep track of how many glasses I’ve had - I put 6 coins in a sm. bowl on my kitchen shelf, & each time I drink a glass of water, I transfer one coin to a shot glass. When I run out of coins in the bowl, I’ve had all my water for the day. Oh the tricks we have to use, to help out our failing memories!

Mary, I do appreciate having my mom around, & we do a lot together. And she calls me every day to check on me, I think that’s nice. Oh, & she’s only 72, so she should be around for a long time! Good for you on that weight! Still going down! Yay! And, your meal last night sounded so good. And healthy too!

Donna, you enjoy that family reunion, & Zoe, have fun on your trip (what happened with your hair, where are the pics?). I’m going to an outdoor festival tomorrow, & then we’re having a birthday dinner for a friend on Monday. I’m probably going to eat too much at both events (that will have to replace my pig-out meal this week, or maybe not - I’m really wanting to go to the all-you can-eat pizza place!), but I’m just going to enjoy the holiday weekend, & go back OP on Tues.!

KarenMO, like I said on Facebook, I really love the color pink, so I just love that bathroom! And, we already knew your "girls" are smart!

Rosey, I really enjoyed your pics. Looks like you all had so much fun on your trip & at the zoo. And you have such a lovely family. Your daughter is beautiful, & she looks so much like you! You’re sure to have a fun weekend with your DGD, while the guys are away.

Hi Lyn. The bikes sound like a fun way to exercise, & it's nice that your DH rides with you.

Yikes, just looked at the time. It’s past my bedtime & I haven’t had my snack! Gotta go. Once again, Have A Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everyone!
NCNancy

Hi! Rie,
We must have posted at the same time! That's such a nice thing to do on Memorial Day, visiting the cemetery. And, thanks for your advice on the water. As I said, I think cutting down on my consumption is working. I hope!

NCNancy

Well the day is almost over. It sure went fast. Dh and gs went swimming, came home to play with the remote car, had lunch, then swimming again. They had to come home because the pool was closed for classes during that time. After they came home again, we decided to go to Costco for gas and of course we had to browse the store even though we didn't really need anything. Dh found a pair of jeans he liked but otherwise we just got the samples. It was almost 5:30 pm and I was surprised the sample stands were still available. Gs really enjoyed this! It was alternating sun and rain all day...rained really really hard a couple times. Came home, watched a little TV and then I fixed a late-ish dinner...we had Asian Steak, Filipino Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes (instant) in which I mixed some garlic and herb cheese. Ugh! Didn't like the potatoes and I normally LOVE potatoes. After adding a bit of salt at the table, something we rarely do, they were edible. But I have made these instant potatoes before and they were very well seasoned without adding more. I would have thought the cheese would have made them even saltier...they were creamier but very blah. At least I wasn't tempted to eat more.

Nancy - I do that too...put things into fridge immediately and I normally have no problem overeating at meals. Maybe 2-3 times a year, I'll get a second helping on something, usually potatoes...something I really like but that's it.
Now if I were only so good with my snacking! Glad the swelling has gone down and that is a great easy way to track your fluid intake! I don't track mine at all but I think I drink enough...at least a cup at each meal, a cup with pills (3-4 times a day) and at least a cup after brushing my teeth (twice a day at least). I also try to drink whenever I feel thirsty which isn't often usually but some times I do. Besides water I drink herbal tea at least once most days. Sometimes I do that instead of water, others in addition.

Rosey - enjoyed the pics and you look great in that pink..fushia, isn't it?

Karen31 - Poor baby hiding in the bathroom! I don't blame her a bit, and I know animals sense these things better than we do. My sister (in KS) used to hang sheets or blankets on all the windows when it stormed. She was VERY afraid of the lightening. I also remember once when I was staying with her (out on a farm) we all went to the cellar (guess that's what you'd call it) under their windmill. Her dh was at work I think (he worked in town) and her young son (about 6 or 8) and she and I went into the cellar. Her son even at that age was like a little man and when daddy wasn't home, he would try to take his place and would sit out on the tractor watching for the tornado. Anyway this one time we all climbed down into the cellar and there was a great big snake down there! If I remember correctly we climbed back out really fast and just stayed in the house. I was never as afraid of storms as she was (I mean lightening storms) and I have been through a lot of them and a few tornados. Thank God the tornados were always worse on the other side of town....trees uprooted, people killed. We did get a lot of high wind though and I remember cowering in the house. One time my mom, dad, sister (before she was married...a teenager) and I had to hold our large piano against the front door to keep it closed as the wind kept blowing it open. It took all our strength but we did pretty well, but like I say, we were always spared the very worst of it.

Trying to decide what to do tomorrow with our gs...we thought about driving down the Columbia River Gorge, or going to the waterfront for the Rose Festival in Portland. Regardless, the weather is supposed to be rainy. It always seems to rain at Rose Festival time. My dh is so tired of the rain since we got home from our winter trip, however I don't really mind it except it isn't easy to take visitors places.

Good morning GG's,

Off to work here soon. Weekends are usually a little less hectic ~ so hoping that that holds true today. Hopefully that poor patient who yelled all day the last two days I was there has gone home. (That patient wasn't in pain, but had dementia and was not able to be reasoned with to try to be quiet. Sad)

Mary ~ you mentioned in your post about the Portland Rose Festival ~ then I was reading on one of my friend's (a friend I had when I lived in Maine) Facebook entry. Yesterday was her birthday and she mentioned that she had a wonderful birthday ~ that she got to spend it with her clown family at the opening of the Portland Rose Festival. I'm silly I guess, but I thought it was neat that you mentioned it and then she did too. Small world Below is a picture of her (she's the one in the middle).

Hello to everyone else ~ hope you all have a great weekend.

Take care

Good Morning Everyone,

My AC is working - thank goodness - VERY hot here already. My DF and I got out early to walk on the canal & then went to local flea market. Too hot to stay out.

Glad to be back home in the cool.

Lynn

Hello Golden Girls.

I went to the garden store and bought my plants. Not much, just some cukes, tomatoes and herbs. I bought mint ans stevia for my herb garden and i am looking forward to that. We tried the little portable tiller but the ground is too wet so the plants will have to wait a couple days to get into the ground.

After a couple days of doing well, my knee is crazy sore today so I am going to indulge in an old habit: I am going to drink herbal tea and read all afternoon.

Mary it sound like you guys are really enjoying gs! I laughed when Gayle talked about the Portland Rose Festival. I am a western girl and I thought, "I didn't know Mary was in Oregon???" LOL. Then when I read Gayles post, I thought, OHHHH, Maine!

Lynn, I am glad that the AC is back on. I couldn't live without mine.

Nancy I liked all your tricks to stop eating. We all have to have our tricks. I just always think it is weird that I can know that my belly is full but I still want MORE! Oh well, that's the way it is.

I hope that the rest of our friends are enjoying the weekend.

BBL

Rie ~ you were right the first time ~ it is Portland Oregon where the Rose Festival is that Mary was talking about ~ and where my friend was. I knew her when we lived in Maine ~ but she lives out there now. Sorry for the confusion.

LOL. Too funny!

Just to add to the confusion LOL I actually live in WA! But I am just across the river from Portland. Town down Portland is only about 15-17 min away depending on traffic. Today we ended up taking our gs on a Columbia River Gorge trip instead of the Rose Festival. So the Rose Fest will probably be on our agenda for Monday. Tomorrow we will go to church and then out to lunch...to that awful (but tasty!) buffet where I so often overeat on the desserts, but we know he will enjoy it and it is easier to take a kid where they can choose whatever they want. When I told him he said 'I LOVE buffets!!"
We picked up fried chicken and potato salad and I brought along some carrot and celery sticks plus apples and strawberries for our picnic today. I only ate two chicken wings but did eat about 2/3 c potato salad of the "worst" stuff and tried to fill up on the veggies and 1/4 of a large apple. Later on we did buy a small amount of fudge and shared it. So wasn't a perfect eating day but didn't do too badly. And tonight I fixed a vegetarian meal..Asian noodles and lots of veggies. I tried to get mostly veggies.

I was looking at my passport picture to day and oh my, how much I have changed in 8 years! I looked so much younger then. It's amazing how age creeps up on us. I was made to realize this recently when I renewed my drivers license too. Then the guy makes me remove my glasses for my picture and that makes me look older too. Just life but it's hard to accept sometimes.....