I love church dinners, especially pot lucks, everyone brings what they want and the dinners are always amazing.

I had an upsetting day, I had to fire my house cleaner of 5 years. She had been coasting on our friendship doing the work more and more sloppy. I pay her $20 an hour too and its not like I can easily afford it anymore since DH is retired, it used to be ok but I kept her on her on because she needed the job. Anyway I have to try and save the day by not eating off...so far I haven't.

Oh so sorry to hear that. I know you will do good and not eat.. yes know what you mean about retirement a person has to be careful. and where she was not doing the job you did the right thing i think. but know it was hard for you... I just rode exercise bike 3 miles. and when beau gets u p will have a walk. my scales are up. i do not want to go back to atkins but seems i cannot get to losing. so may just go for this goal and say thats it. seems to be where i am staying. ha ha Yes our church dinners are like that to. is why i never went. ha ha have a good day now. be good. LaDean

Three miles on your bike wow! good for you? Do you have the type of bike that you can set the pedal tension on? How hard do you make it. I have a bike but if it isn't set on the easiest tension I find that it hurts my knees like crazy to pedal. I am mostly sticking to my treadmill.

I did ok calorie wise...I just didn't drink all my water. I have to get started early in the day on the water.

Yeah, it was disappointing with my friend doing my cleaning, mostly it turned out to be she just wanted her money and to talk to me and do the least amout of work and I was starting to feel just used. Mostly I feel bad about the friendship but I can't afford a friend if it is going to cost me $20/hr. I will get over it...I just have to make myself not think about it too much.

It is nice that Beau goes for a walk. Marley is getting kind of old now and can't walk too far (just like me). He also can't jump up on my bed anymore. He tried once and fell off and it wrecked his confidence and he just sits and whimpers until I pick him up. Poor old thing, he is so sweet and is such a wonderful dog.

Have a good rest of the day.

Hey ladies - I'm home. Judi, it is so good to see you back!!! I missed you! Alice, I am getting worried about you! I hope you'll hop on just to say hi at least~

So I am home from my traveling and feel a little let down as now it is time to get in gear to go back to work. I had such a good time on this trip. I love the southwest this time of year. The workshop I took was the best one I was involved in. I met some nice people and just had a great time in general.

Anyway, back to the routine. I really missed my workouts and my usual food. I was able to hold eating together for the most part though I don't think I'll weigh for a few days. Gotta get Thanksgiving out of the way - oh how I wish it didn't have to be such a big deal. I am cooking and plan to make it as low key and low cal as possible, but it is never easy to make it that way.

judi, that is great that you paid off your debts. That is my project now. There aren't many places that I can cut back it seems, but I am excessive when it comes to buying books and magazines and diet coke so I guess I'll start there. Got to pay off my travels of the last few months.

Hang in there LaDean. Your exercise sounds great and that goes a long way to meeting your goals.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Hi, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU. so glad your trip was so good and fun. that always helps.. its so neat you have all these workshops you attend and able to attend them that is so neat. You will get back with your plan yes. you always do good doing that. i am hanging in there . yes i try so that is all i can do. what is meant to be is the way i figure it. just have quit fretting so over it and taking it as it is.. ha I am fixing dinner but yes its hard. i just try and fill up on turkey mostly. course when i cook i am not hungry for it when ready. usually later i eat more of mine and all.

Yes judi my bike i can fix the tension and i keep it on medium.. so not to bad peddling. i feel a good work out on it. that is all i got yesterday is the 3 miles. like to go 5 miles of day on it.. Oh my tuffy was like that for last 2 years loss his site and would not get up on things anymore. beau is 8 and i got him on a diet. ha ha hes more frisky and all to. cut down on his food is all. he had gained since we got him.ha ha so figured hey he can do it with me. ha ha yes its sad when they get where they cannot do what they use to and all. yes its not any use paying someone to do that if there not doing it. gee think of what you can do with the money. ha ha

Aleka, where o where are you. my hope you have a good thanksgiving to. hope all is ok your way and your back with us soon..

HAPPY THANKSGIVING... LaDean

I hope you are having a glorious day filled with family and good food (not to much though ), we had our Canadian thanksgiving last month.

Glad you are back Ledom! And it sounds like you had a great time but it always nice to be home.

Had a good day ...calorie wise, so far. I just have to get out of the eating while I watch tv habit...I know it is just a habit that can be broken because most of the time I am not even hungry when I do it. When I did Atkin's I gave up Boston pizza my absolute favourite pizza because the type I liked was made consistently the same from one Boston pizza to the next and I never thought I could ever live without pizza but even though I went back eating carbs I never once even thought about pizza.

Yes, I know what you mean about Diet Cokes...they are expensive if you get them one at a time. I always try buy them when they are $3.33 at Safeway for 12 or at London Drugs then it is not so much. I know what you mean about looking at where to cut and not seeing it. We took a big dip in wages when my DH quit consulting and went on disability. Do you know for an entire year I didn't buy shampoo, soap, lotion etc. I had bought so much stuff before. I know Suzie Orman says you have to resist buying something you would sort of like for something you really want. I spent a lot of money on buying multiples of things and that she says is a big waste. I don't do that anymore and at least I can watch Suzie and not feel guilty. It's ok...I have found a lot of satisfaction trying to get the most bang for my buck. But now we never go out eat...I mean never...we went to a steakhouse (I was on Atkins) to celebrate paying our bills and that was the last time. But at the same time it is so nice not to have bills coming and paying out huge chunks a month on them. I have thought a lot about and I think over spending and over eating are somehow tied together.

It has turned out my former house cleaner and I are still going to be friends so that is good.

Hmmm, LaDean maybe I will give my bike a try again.

Are you still on your Sabbatical Ledom?

I would like to hear from Alice too.

Well, enjoy the pumpkin pie
-Judi

Morning, judi yes I am still on sabbatical but it is dwindling. I go back mid-January. Good ideas on budgeting. My strategy is to stay out of the stores. I can spend a lot more than I need to on "bargains".

Thanksgiving was nice, but I am glad it is over. I did eat too much and want to get back down to business now. I did do my workout yesterday morning so one point for me.

LaDean, hope your celebration went well.

I shot lots of film on my last trip so will be working in the darkroom getting it all developed today. DD and I are going to see "Pride and Prejudice" tonight. I have watched the A&E production at least twice a year since it came out a few years ago. One of my all time favorites. Also on my list of movies to see this holiday is "Walk the Line." I recently saw "Shop Girl", that is already 3 more movies than I went to see last year I think.

Which reminds me judi, congrats on your DD's marriage. I know that made you happy. Things are going much better for my DD lately. She is moving out in a few days, I am so happy, and she just got cast in a play that is being produced during Christmas break so it shouldn't intefere with school. Just trying to get this girl out of school and gainfully employed!

Hi, so glad all is going well both your ways. yes when we retired had to cut down alot. but you know get use to it and its ok. then same with eating. i was on atkins to and so much i did without. then starting adding those carbs and bingo right back there eating them. so today girls its back to being good. leaving my SUGAR alone and taking it out of my life and all. i have to do this. did it before and was just fine. so its happening again.. I had a great thanksgiving. i was not hungry at all. never am when i fix the meal. so it was a bite of things to just see how they tasted. i did it myself for stuffing and pumpkin pies this year a first really. has been awhile anyhow. i got the boxed corn bread crumbs. to it i added some onions, celery, rasins, apples and carrots all cut up small and so yummy it went over so good. then my grandaughter i said hey i made your pumpkin pies so special for you. its not bought oh crust was.ha ha oh she was so happy she ate alot of it. ha ha so our day was a great one. glad yours was to. oh that is right canada has it before but glad yours was good. also Judi so happy that you and your housekeeper use to be can be friends. that is so neat. Ok girls its the christmas Holiday time. i have 12 lbs i have to lose. so join me and set a goal what ever you want it and lets all go for it.. we can and we will do this for our great christmas gift to us. if its just doing without a certain carb or what ever it be. lets do it... Oh alice i miss you lots.. hope all is going good yours and lacees way... come in sometime... Hey have a great day to all. LaDean

LaDean, I am with you. I'd like to lose 10 more lbs. before I go back to work. Yesterday was the holiday. Today it is back to business. On my workout plan this is rest day but back on my eating plan 100%, I'll be weighing in in a couple more days. I was on a roll before the trip and I plan to keep on as before. Glad your meal turned out well!

LaDean your cornbread stuffing sounds so YUMMY!

Yes, Ledom I was SOOO glad they got married. Even though it was very small, it was so nice. It seemed to give their relationship a boost too. My little grandson was over here for the night yesterday. He will be 2 in Jan. He had a new haircut and looked like such a little man. Even though my DD is 27 now she is still as demanding as she was when she was 12...I dunno it might be the way with only D's. She is SUCH a good mother though, always putting the little guy first and kind and extremely patient so I am not going to complain about anything else.

Well, I would like to join LaDean & Ledom in the pre-Christmas challenge but mine has to be more modest. I will try to lose lose 2 pounds before Christmas. But next year!! I have my plan all figured out to do way (weigh) better but it has to start on Jan. 1st. That marvelous day of NEW beginnings It makes me jazzed just thinking about it.

Where did you girls get that weight loss "thingy" on the bottom of your posts? I will put one on.

Yes, I too am bitten by the "its a bargain bug". I also love stores like Costco or anything sold in case lots.

So were either of you out shopping on "black Friday"??

I took out the Christmas lights and soon as it stops raining we are going to go out and put them on. It was kind of an exciting morning I found a lot of Christmas things I forgot I bought...mainly because I bought them at 75% off after Christmas.

Another project of mine is ....clean out every nook and cranny of my house, go thru the filing cabinets and get rid of all stuff not needed (I have done quite a bit of that one). This summer I organized all my mom's photos into albums. She had taken photos all her life but never had time to organize them. She worked. So this summer I did that. My darkroom/studio/project room is filled with one big set of shelves loaded with photo albums and huge plastic boxes of photos from her life and mine. I have one massive album I especially like of my mom's life since she was a girl right up to her death five years ago...included cards she saved etc. It was really wonderful to do but in a sad way.

Are you doing any digital at all Ledom? For printing I mean? Not that I think that you should...I think the true artist is still in the darkroom. I have printed all my stuff digitally this year...just too lazy to do the other way. But none of my photos were "art/images" just "pictures" so that is ok. What do you feel about your sabbatical...happy it is ended or like it still to go on?

I can't believe tomorrow is Sat. already.

judi - if you will click on one of the ticker's it will take you to the page where you creater your own. Then down at the bottom of the page where it says Forum Jump, go the user control panel, chose edit signature from the menu on the left. More later.

Hey girls, day after thanksgiving was rough. DD moved out, but not as or when planned - somehow it turned into high drama that left me exhausted. I was more than ready for her to go, but not the way it went down. Ah well, I'll recover eventually.

I went to see Pride and Prejudice, alone, it was pretty but not as good as the A&E version. I had read a review that said not to expect that and it was right of course. The 2 hour version felt more like previews for the 8 hr version. And then Colin Firth will be forever Mr. Darcy in my eyes.

Anyway, I came home and weighed. Trip and thanksgiving only resulted in a 2 lb. gain at this point and for that I am thankful, hopefully by next Friday it will be gone w/ a little more so I can send the ticker on down closer to my first goal.

Didn't go shopping yesterday though from the looks of this mornings paper it was record crowds at the local mall.

judi, I have mixed feelings about the end of my sabbatical. For one thing I feel I still have a lot to accomplish before it is over. Also I know how wearing my job is. I think that if I didn't have the commute it wouldn't be so bad. Especially with early morning workouts, which are essential, I will probably be dragging before the first month is out so I don't look forward in that respect. On the other hand, I do like structure in my life and it will be good to be around people again. I do enjoy most of my students a lot.

The workshop I just attended was all about digital printing. We had state of the art printers and endless supplies of every kind of paper and teaching assistants to help us. That was a lot of fun. I worked from scanned negatives and came home with some really large prints, in the 23" x 23" category so that was fun. I am sure I'll be doing more and more digital printing. Photography is in such a flux right now.

Hope you are all well and have a great weekend.

HI, yes stuffing was good. hey girls glad all is going good and your joining me in the christmas goals. that is fine judi. a goal that is sensibly and all. good for you. i said each of us just set a goal we want.. so lets go for it. i am starting today. got to.. i would go less but i have to get under this one goal set before i start for my new one in tops see. the dr. said more has to go.. so its going. ha i am so concerned about my health. talk about cleaning i got rid of 2 small bags of things. but each one adds up. got more to do. so good luck. glad your thanksgiving was good. yes sometimes its best when kids are out and on own. now my d still is here but it works out so good. just a case where it does. lucky there for sure.. today is going good scales were down a bit. i only was un 1/2 after thanksgiving. so now this am got to get them down more. ha so lets do it girls. our gifts to us for christmas. i am here in anyway i can help.. good luck LaDean Oh my aleka where are you. i miss you so very much. just pop in someday and say hi...

Falling into patience....I am going to need it.

Ledom: I am sorry to hear about the "high drama"...I know it is exhausting from personal experience but believe it or not in a few days she will be around again and it will be just like nothing happened. Maybe the seperation is easy for her when it is fueled by drama because really in her heart it is probably painful to leave her mom (no matter what she says or is acting like) especially for a long time there was just the two of you. I often say to my D. "Look if you want to go home early just 'GO' you don't have to work up a state so you can leave". It is way better than it use to be...maybe because she is older or maybe I don't take it so personally anymore. Honestly, things will be back to 'good' normal you won't even remember the dramatic exit (until the next time).

23" by 23" ...that is amazing!! How nice!!! Do they have big printers like that at your school? The best I can do with my printer is 8" by 10"...so that is why I am kind of nostalgic about the darkroom. To print really big I have to rent time in a darkroom in the city....and most of the darkrooms for rent are disappearing since digital. No kidding, photography is changing. I wish I could sell my old Hasselblad and by a good digital Nikon. I won't use the Hasselblad very much anymore but I know I will never get what it is worth. It was a 2nd hand when I bought it...but I am loathe to give the camera away for a few hundred bucks.

LaDean, half a pound after thanksgiving! That is so good As always you are an inspiration!! Does your doggie get turkey leftovers? My guy, Marley thinks he has died and gone to heaven ever since we started eating meat ... he was raised in the vegetarian years. Sometimes though when he is feeling "peckish" he will go into the pantry and get out a potato and start eating it...mr. carbo loader... I always take it away because raw potato can't be good for dogs Lot of good potatoes get wasted that way. lol

Ledom do you still have your cats? Who are they? Is Bea still with you?

Oh are potatoes bad for dogs. my tuffy loved them.. and beau likes them cooked but not to many does he get. as i lay off them to. ha ha not fair.. oh yes he loves this turkey. i do not know what will happen when its gone. yes hes in heaven to.. he loved the liver to. my tuffy did also. this is first thanksgiving with us for beau. he is so good. miised my tuffy to.. Oh thanks judi. you help me so much and encouragement and inthusium to. i just got out of shower.set hair for church in am. and oh my i am getting rest of this wt off first of year. ha ha i also cannot see that i have loss hafe of my wt. till i really reliaze it. so what i did i took my before picture and my after and i put it in a frame and sit it up in this room. so when i get down in dumps and all. i just come in here take a look and be happy with what i have done. start there and feel better. but dr. says more got to go. so going to get it done. i do not want a heart attack or stroke. or anything wrong. Yes ledom things do get better with daughters and all. we have gone through it to. this time around things are just great. lucky for us all. well got laundry to put in dryer. so better call it a nite.. take care and to all have a great week now.. we will reach our christmas goals for sure....Oh my how i miss aleka... LaDean