Hi:

Vickie, I'm so jealous that you're retired...goes for you too Sandra!!! Boy, I can hardly wait.

But, Vickie, I won't be over to help clean. My house may be the smallest one in Toronto, but with two dogs in my life, I seem to be constantly on the move cleaning something. But, not today....today is for resting.

I did enjoy thorougly cleaning two rooms this past weekend. I read somewhere that everything in your house should be either beautiful or functional..otherwise, get rid of it. That's my guide.

The dress really suits me, flatters my shape and the color is perfect. I think that it is just a little too summery, but the taffeta jacket makes it a little more "all season" in my opinion. Besides, blue lace is a classic and we have a great picture of us as teenagers and I'm wearing a blue lace dress that my sweet mother made. I will post a picture after the wedding.

Did everybody read that November 10th is Vickie's anniversary?????? Don't forget!

Sandra, you're gonna make it...!

Froufy, where the heck are you?

Kathy and Paula, I'm enjoying your stories...

I've got to run out and buy dracula capes for our dance party tomorrow.....don't eat that candy...it's old, not Core, not good for you, make you gain weight, rot your teeth...just don't eat it

Rhonda
Rhonda

HI chickie,

Here I am - busy and tired as usual!

Rhonda - your 'dress' sounds lovely - how about adding the black dracula cape? (www.lindalundstrom.com)

Sandra - I can feel your excitement - hope all goes well with the planning for your trip and I know you will be in touch! No sweat getting into the 160's - we all know you can do it!

Kathy - did you say you bought a hotplate for work? and are cooking there as well?

Angela - love the trunk idea for the kids - I too will have major trouble keeping out of the candy!

Vickie - how is the ankle? Hope you are not overdoing it w/all of that cleaning going on!

As for me - I am not doing well - very stressed and eating all that I shouldn't which has been keeping me away from here - which is obvioulsy NOT A GOOD THING! Need to find some motivation/inspiration very quickly!

The Gala event by the way was AMAZING! (even tho we did not win any awards!). First the briefing (really just all the finalists with lots of red or white wine, and champagne)....then about 5 minutes briefing on the stage - where to stand, walk etc. Then off to another 'reception' - i.e. more drinking. Then dinner guests all seated - in the Grand hall of the Museum - picture 2 escalators descending into a HUGE open area - with about 4 story windows on one side - and stage backed w/totem poles on the other - very magnificent with all the tables set and mood lighting.

We were escorted down the escalators (thank god as many would not be able to walk straight given the amount of drinking that went on!) by a bagpipe band (yes I almost jumped out of my skin when they began playing - very loud). Everyone at the bottom was giving us a standing ovation and clapping for several minutes - so very embarrassing really!

Then escorted onto the stage by uniformed Royal Canadian Mounted Police - more yapping - then the national anthem - and finally allowed to go sit down with the others!

Dinner was excellent - starting with my most favorite smoked salmon as an appetizer - followed by stuffed rock cornish hens in port cherry sauce, potatoes and grilled veggies....yes more wine was flowing at the table.

Then the awards ceremony, some entertainment - and finally back up the escalators to the other reception area for the decadent dessert reception - very impressive display of all kinds of yummy cakes! Yes the frouf over indulged for sure.

Otherwise life goes on - very busy tho - yes Vickie I did get some hired help - but no sooner did she arrive than she left on previously planned leave so she has been away for the past 10 days, back on Monday!

This saturday little ds has hallowe'en party at school - sunday dd needs to go shopping (to spend some of her $$) and then 2 hour dance rehearsal. Tonight is meet the teacher night and while dd dances I get to visit all 4 of her teachers - she is more excited than I am! How shocked they will be when they see me - somewhat frumpy conservative mother of the black w/red stripe in the hair, semi-goth, black eyeliner girl who wears ripped tights, different colored socks and baby bow barettes in her hair! Can't imagine what they will be expecting!

I am gearing up for the 31st which is when I am doing my presentation at a local conference - a bit uptight and have booked time off monday afternoon to practice so I don't talk too long (must find my small battery operated timer that I used when doing my MBA!). Worst thing is we are on at 8:15 am! altho I am the last speaker in the group so probably not until til after 9:30 or so? Hope I am awake and alert by then! ha ha ha

Then it's candy time for the kiddies! (just got little ds his ninja costume last night!). Note to self - still need to get pumpkins for carving and the outside decorations located - supposed to rain all weekend so won't put anything out til Monday I guess?

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Later,

Frouf

There's Froufy!

Ok, you can't just not write because you aren't eating well. Understood? We're here to help

The description of the event sounds wonderful. I love that smoked salmon also....and bagpipes...which museum was it?

I'm very likely going to be in Ottawa the first weekend in December. If you'd like to meet, send me an email to this address: [email protected]

I know that we're warned not to put email addresses on the boards, but since the University puts them on the web, I can't see what harm it does. They have a good filter.

I've got those capes now...and the fake blood and long fake red and black eyelashes...if I'm gonna be a vampire
I might as well be a vamp! Of course, we don't have the black hair to top the look but I think I'll use gel and fashion our top knots into pointy things down onto our foreheads. This is silly beyond belief but I love Halloween

Rhonda

My weigh in was today, I am down 2.6#. I guess all of the walking is having an impact. I walked 95 minutes today, walked to the meeting and back home. This is week # 5 for walking everyday usually between 45-55 minutes. So I am happy to be losing again.
vivian

Good golly, Vivian, you're doing GREAT!! That walking is very impressive!!

Rhonda, I hear you on that email issue and am not going to remove your address for that reason. Anyone else, though, who thinks you're going to post your email address here, think again! You don't want every perv on earth emailing you!

I was able to get home at a mostly decent hour but wasn't interested in cooking, so Judd ordered pizza. It was nearly 90 today and it's really starting to wear me out. Where is my WINTER!!??!!??

I'm going to finish my computer time and take my new book upstairs to my yellow room. I have Fannie Flagg's book "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven". I have loved all her other books so far and have high hopes for this one. I also liked "The Devil Wears Prada" a whole lot, so I ordered another book by her today. It is "Everyone Worth Knowing."

See you in the morning!

Vivian! Good for you. It's too late for me to take off walking tonight but your pace is inspirational. I've been managing 1/2 hour everyday. I'll see if I can rise to your challenge. With my new orthotics there might just be no stopping me now.

Thanks Froufy for putting Linda Lundstrom's URL up there. My dress is from last Spring so it's not there but at least people can look at her stuff. She's really good and very special to us here in Canuckland.

Rhonda

thanks Kathy. I don't want to make your moderator job too tough...but, the university spreads our contact information everywhere so it's not easy to be cloaked.

No problem. You guys are the most well-behaved group on the entire board!! Seriously!

hi, chickies. we're leaving in the morning right after we call the ranch. glitch alert!!!! we called the ranch today and were told there may be no room for us to park. bummer! we're to call and talk with the manager today. we know the folks there and have known them for years. i think the friend who answered the phone today just didn't want to be the one to say--"absolutely no room." she told curtis to call and talk with dorothy tomorrow. hmmmmmmm sure hope dorothy can pull some strings. she told us years ago that they would always have room for us even if they had to park us in a field. but--that was years ago.

i won't be online again till we get to texas. i want to wish all of you a grand weekend.

congratulations to vivian. encouraging words to frouf--we need for you to post here. you're important to all of us. see you soons to rhonda and kathy. vickie, i'm with you about retirement. it's awesome! melissa, podna, keep on what you're doing. you're doing great.

can ya'll tell i'm excited? gotta go now. i'll be back next week.

Bye Sandra...Bon Voyage...Vaya con Dios!!!!

Good Morning All:

Have a great Core day...I'm running late...off to Pilates for an hour then back to the grind.

Rhonda

Good morning! Sandra, have a safe trip!

I don't feel well today but am determined not to spend the day complaining about it! I promised my coworker yesterday that I would change my tune and stop being such a whiner. Of course, I didn't say WHEN.

Good Morning Chicks! Another grey and rainy day here. That's ok though. My eternal house cleaning continues. I only cleaned one room yesterday. I keep getting distracted by drawers and other silly but necessary stuff. I've always been that way. I leave a room to go get something and then don't get back to what I originally started until hours later. Sigh. I guess there are worse bad habits to have.

Jim just left for a Doctor appointment for his hearing. I'm supposed to be catching up with you guys and eating breakfast. Then back upstairs to clean some more. I'm doing the really heavy duty cleaning for Fall/Holidays. I'll be at it for a while.

I can't work too long though because I have to get showered and ready to go out for dinner to my favorite Core Italian restaurant. I'm not sure what I'm having yet; it might be steak or salmon.

I'm going to go make a menu thread and catch up with you all from last night.

Froufie, Froufie, Froufie......when you aren't eating well is exactly when you should come here. I have been struggling for months....well nearly a year. Last fall is when I started to get those horrible cramps 24/7 and couldn't exercise. I haven't lost really any new weight since then. I just keep coming here and hoping to hang onto what I've already lost until I can get losing again. You've had a bad week and you'll get back on the wagon. Don't beat yourself up over eating at a special occasion. Jim has already informed me that our 15th anniversary is a big deal and he wants to have some food celebrations that he wants me to participate in. He told me now so that I can try to plan for it. I'm going to celebrate and then get back on the wagon. You have your gym membership and you have some help at work. Now is the time to refocus on yourself and make yourself a priority instead of everyone else in your life. I'm sorry you didn't win any work awards. You are a winner in my book! The whole event sounded really spectacular. I would love to hear your presentation. I'm guessing you are quite the entertaining Frouf. Good Luck getting back on the wagon. Don't let your struggles keep you away. We really do want to help.

Vivian, you go Girl! You are awesome and inspiring. I hope to be able to walk just 15 minutes again soon. Keep up the great work.

Kathy, I'd love to make more time to read but I never seem to manage. I have two menopause books from the library that I need to try to extend since I haven't even cracked the covers. I hope you start to feel better soon. There is nothing worse than feeling sick for an extended period of time. It just affects everything.

Sandra, I hope you find some room at the Ranch! Do you have a Plan B? I'm really, really, going to miss you. I hope you can check in periodically. Have a very safe trip. I know you are going to have a ball.

Rhonda, I like your house philosophy. I might have to adopt that in my own home. I threw away some really silly stuff yesterday but have to admit that I kept some silly stuff too. Here's a laugh for you. I kept three Pez dispensers with feet. Apparently those are worth more money than the new ones. I used to love orange pez. What a crackpot! I thought maybe the Great Nieces and Nephews could sell them and get a few bucks after I'm gone. They weren't in my way. Have a great time at the party tonight. Make sure you only nibble on Doyle's neck!

Melissa....oh Melissa....

Angela, how's the plan going? I've been thinking about you a lot.

Now for a menu.

I forgot to tell you all the great news about my friend, Cindy. She goes into the hospital on November 13 for her pre bone marrow transplant preparations. This, of course, will be a horrible week for her but on November 21st she will have her bone marrow transplant. She and her husband are quite excited for a million reasons. We should know by Thanksgiving if the marrow is rejecting her body or not. All prayers are gratefully accepted for her. She has strong faith and believes she will be cured but extra prayers never hurt.

Vickie, that's great news about Cindy.

I'm holding my own against the Halloween candy. I'm not being perfect, but doing way better than I could be. So I count that as a success.

I still really need to get serious...I think I'm just enjoying eating freely too much...need to get back on the program, and I'm sure I'll be fine. I always seem to let something derail me, which tells me that I'm just not serious enough yet. At least I'm not gaining now, so while I'm sitting here trying to make up my mind, I'm not losing ground.

Later,
Angela

Angela, my friend, you hang in there! I'm so glad to hear that you are holding your own. Life can derail us, can't it?!

Here's the cake that Jim ordered for us to celebrate our 15th anniversary. I'll only be having the tiniest of slices! We've been drooling over it on QVC for over a year now and could never justify the expense. It's the first one in the list. For some reason, I couldn't get a link for the individual item. It's call Special Celebration Cake.

http://tinyurl.com/ydonle