Yes, I forgot to comment on the pics, Wildfire----nothing as cute as a fresh new baby! Speaking of which, I wonder how Frogger's doing.

Punkin, I'm really digging my reduced sugar experiment. It's been 10 days and I swear that I'm thinking clearer, and I definitely am handling stress beautifully. Found out today that I have to make dinner for 50 people this Friday and instead of freaking out, I just started making all the necessary lists. Ain't no big thing! Thankfully it's a casual thing. We're having our first pow wow at work, and I get to make dinner for all the drummers and dancers.

Kaylets, don't sweat the .5 pound. I know how frustrating it is, I also have a body that loves to hang onto weight---slow but sure. What kind of peanut butter do you buy? I buy only the all-natural stuff now; I really like it, but it doesn't have the same "eat-it-up" allure that the Skippy/Jif kind has.

wsw, how are you?

Amarantha, so good to see you here! I'm still counting calories so I'll be cipherin' along with you!

Hello!

Kaylets, that is my daughter in the third picture with Jase. Don't sweat the .5lb. Good, though, that you've had a chance to take a step back and re-evaluate. That is always good for renewed motivation. Hope you are enjoying your time off!

Eydie...a pow-wow? How fun!

Punkin, I'm tired just reading your post! You've been busy. Congrats to BoBeena! Yes, we had a little smash-up derby on Aug 4. Not my fault, so at least my insurance won't go through the roof. I'm left with this nagging neck injury, though.

Anagram, hope you've had a peaceful day and are feeling better now.

Arabella, how goes the EOM battles? I'm in the middle of those myself, but they are welcome....I'm so bored in this new job.

wsw, hope all is well!

Have to drive DD to work...she got a new job in a Naturalizer shoe store...I'm thrilled! (25% discount...wonderful shoes!) Then off to the YMCA for a swim.

Toodles!

Hello all!

Really wild evening here in Delaware... DH was just feet away from a tornado touchdown
but didnt realize it.. He just thought he was in a horrific thunderstorm... Roads were flooded, roofs torn off, B-53's slid into each other at the airport... Cars were lifted up and then dropped from 25 feet up...
Sure puts things back in perspective !!!

We got so much rain, I have a couple empty 5 gallon buckets on the patio that are nearly full of rain water!!!

So... I feel more cheerful than the past few days... Things could be lots worse and I just need to remember that....

****Today's thought:


"Never mind what's behind us: What's important is what is in front of us."

--Unknown

Question of the day :

"Tornado or earthquake?"

******


so, how was your day yesterday?


Wildfire-- I am glad that the photo is your daughter because I was really wondering how your sister could look so trim after just having a baby! I was amazed!! Your daughter is a CUTIE! Bet the boys at school agree!!

Naturlizer is my longtime favorite shoe!! I have a pair 2 yrs old I've worn nearly every day that I have to replace... would rather not but the heels are getting worn and shabby looking... SO COMFORTABLE!!


Anagram-- How goes the yard sale prep?? My favorite hint is to price everything as soon as its dusted off .... that way, no matter how what, its priced .... And don't forget, if you can't decide to price it ... go w/ the higher price and bargain later... You can always come down, you can never go up once the customer has seen what you've marked.

Eydie-- This question is long overdue... What exactly is the Homestead??
Is it a famous person's home? Like a President's home?

Empress--Any news on the career move??

Arabella-- Dh is searching and searching for Tai Chi / Chi Gung class...
Down here, its either outrageously expensive or just impossible to find a night class....Can you recommend a really good video?? He is especially interested in the breathing techniques....

oh well....
I am now off to check the basement for water damage... am afraid of what I might find....


KETTLE IS ON!

Yo! Another me-me postie ... to be honest, I'm in a very me-me mode these days, just hanging out on my private mental island. Really apologize for coming here and not responding to anyone ... noting everything, though ... great pics, Wildfire!!!!

Still having trouble posting here ... thanks for the link, Arabella. I'm going to look at that, but suspect it's the ad blocking software ... even on DT, I have to disable it to change my user data ... then I just turn it back on because I hate looking at ads, even though I know they pay the bills.

No news on the career change thing ... but it'll take time (and more school) ...

Resting today, though I have paying work to do but will do it later in the week as I need time off sometimes ... there was another bomb scare in the neighborhood ... a pipe bomb blew up at 2 a.m. ... very loud, very unnerving ... no suspects ... sigh.

Noted on a car license frame today (car driven by very large man): The Goddess lives. There's magick afoot.

Was like an omen for me.

Yup.

Details of my Hallowe'en challenge relevant to weight loss journey are on the DT journal. I will succeed.

Kaylets, I heartily recommend Living Arts A.M./ P.M. Chi for Beginners: http://video.barnesandnoble.com/sear...zx&frm=0&itm=3 I've got them on two tapes, which might be more practical. There are links on the same page to the separate tapes.

T'ai chi, at least the form I'm familiar with, is too complicated to learn very well from a tape. I didn't even find the tape to be much help when I was also taking classes. On the other hand, I found that practicing these two had a wonderful effect, and really didn't take long. Good luck!

Kaylets, "The Homestead" as we locals refer to it, is R.J. [Richard Joshua] Reynolds birthplace. Yep, the tobacco king. God knows I'd rather it be the birthplace of the tofu king but you can't have everything. It's owned by Virginia Tech and is a great place to work---well, mostly! The historic home is still there and we give tours. And there's a continuing education center there where we have lots of programs and classes. and folks can rent the space for weddings, parties, etc. I'll have to send you a calendar! I've been meaning to put everyone on the Xmas card list here on the mailing list anyway.

Arabella, 11 days of drastically reducing my sugar intake. I baked cookies at work today and I was afraid that they might be burned so I tasted one-these were like double chocolate brownie cookies---and I only had one bite and I swear it's as if all those serotonin receptors that I've read about flew open and screamed "MORE!" I mean that one bite was just intense---words fail me, truly! I stayed on top of it, stayed aware and resisted, but all day the little devil on my shoulder has been saying things like, 'wouldn't you like a little caramel syrup in your coffee?' or 'how about the tiniest little drizzle of chocolate syrup on that banana?' So far I've been able to resist. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people that thinks sugar is evil, I just don't want to be controlled by it, and dependent on it.

Amarantha, magick is afoot indeed! Never doubt it!

Ah, Queens, 'tis such a happy, cozy little thread when so many are reporting in. Glad to hear from you, Empress, Punkin, Ceara (and, of course, all royals). The new princess referred to Frogger's expected arrival who hopefully must be here by now.

Empress, I too am having problems. Computer running SO slowly. Thought it was my machine but DS checked stuff when he was here so I am now forced to assume the site and my computer don't get along. Been slow to the point of discouragement.

Kaylets, I've already asked "self" whose idea this garage sale is. DH assures me it's not his but he was a big help today. I could go on forever picking things to put out but think I'm going to add very little more. We're only going to be able to do it one day and then heading off to DDs the next and what's not sold will have to sit in the garage until I get around to removing it. Overall this will have a net good effect on my garage but will make it look messy again and I just finished getting it together.

Did pool again today and plan to tomorrow as well. This later time works well for me. It will be continued for at least the next two weeks so I'll take advantage of it while I can.

Kaylet, I was so sympatico w/your statement on "perspective" (and glad your dh is ok after that close call). Yesterday I went to a rehab/nursing home to see a lifelong acquaintance of mine. So sad and I left feeling like I ruled the world. She had called me last week to let me know she was there after a week in another hospital. It's right next to the place I go to the pool and she knows I go there. We're not enemies but not what I'd really call "friends" because we don't see each other in person often (usually when she's hospitalized). I've never met her dh or her children nor has she mine. A few years ago, she heard I had knee problems and began calling me sometimes a few times a year, sometimes a few times a month.

Anyway at the point she had called me last week, her d(and in this case it's not dear)h had only been in to see her twice, nobody had brought her clothing she needed, etc. I tried to find something in store she could wear but could not as even a 4x (had I been able to find one) would not have fit. Most of her clothes are special made or at least special ordered and then adjusted to fit. She is 300 pounds and about five feet tall or less. Her health problems are numerous and her family/social ones are too.
She's got a somewhat negative attitude but is a good soul at heart. Life is very painful for her but I knew her as a child and know some of the reasons behind some of her attitudes.

When I got there yesterday, they had just told her the doctor is taking away her drivers license as he thinks she gets "confused". Well, yes, but she sort of always has been that way. But it's a good idea anyway as she's had many accidents. But life as she's known it will be over. She eats out every night even though she may sometimes cook for her husband. She can tell you the menu and good points/bad points of almost every restaurant in the region. She's a good cook but her physical limitations have made it tremendously difficult. Her other "outings" are usually to grocery store, farmers markes, etc. Food has been the center (or close to it) of her life.

The whole point is I was so distressed to see how bad she looked and how much heavier she seemed to be than when I had last seen her (she made a great physical effort to get to my mother's funeral which I tremendously appreciated). I also felt distressed that there is almost nothing I can do for her. But above all, I felt my aches and pains and problems were nothing compared to hers. We're the same age and I couldn't help but compare my life and hers and feel grateful that mine seems to have worked out so much better. By last night her dh had been in and one daughter and someone had brought her clothes. One of his comments had been that if he knew she was going to be in the hospital so long, he could have gone away on a trip he's been wanting to take. So achy though I started yesterday morning, by last evening I felt really like a - that perspective is marvelous magicke. (Stolen from Empress)

Me, too. I'm tired for you, Ceara! You are so active and busy. Fun, I hope. I'm feeling lazy but will shortly get into gear. dh golfing today - sort of an all day thing. And we got lots done last night for garage sale so may be able to pop in a bit of shopping today. After the pool, that is. Looks like another nice day here.

I'll probably not sell a thing tomorrow but whatever, it's been a good exercise in "decision making". I think I'm asking too much for everything but decided to go higher and of course go down. Have enough .50/1.00 items as well so maybe I'll make a dollar or so there. Then all's looking busy after that. Daughter's Sat/Sun. Our anniverary Monday and no special plans yet. Then appointment after appointment the rest of the week.

And it's getting to be Foliage Season. I am a real fruitcake about the changing leaves and I'm telling me that this year I will not chase after them but will wait until they come to me. So I'm saying, but I'll probably get caught up in the beauty of it all and make a trip or two to some of our fave peeping places.

So, up-and-at -t time.

Hello all!

Took a Best Girl Friend to breakfast and then bought myself a small CD/cassette player on sale and 200 lbs of potting soil too. Got rained on and had to put on a sweatshirt and drink 3 cups of tea to warm up....

So its Thursday and I can't believe how fast the week flew by...
Ah well...
Did read lots and lots of Herb Companion... bought a box of them at a yardsale ... turned out to be nearly 10 yrs accumulation.... amazing how much I've learned ... for instance, dandelions have more nutrient value than spincach, oranges, and a whole bunch more .... Trouble is finding clean dandelions...

I'll stop back after I take a quick nap....

Fly-by -- Day before yesterday I realized I've got a urinary tract infection. And lo, when I read up on them, I find that sugar is one of the major culprits. So I'm taking cranberry extract, acidopholus, extra vitamin C, echinacea and goldenseal. Drinking gallons of water , avoiding sugar and alcohol (even more than I had been) and limiting caffeine and carbs. Hoping to avoid antibiotics. I feel kind of cruddy, but I had mostly for a while now, and I think this may be something systemic. All of which should be addressed by the changes.

Well, that's my thrilling news I'll be back! Aw, let's take this day and do the best we can with it. Love to all!