Hello GGs

Another good eating day for me - pat myself on the back for having lunch and dinner already prepared so I didn't stray. I went in to work early to meet some friends for breakfast before work. I was very virtuous and had my usual breakfast before I left home and just had a coffee with the others. Catching up with friends is more about the company and the chat and less about yummy food - right? Maybe if I repeat that to myself often enough, I will start to believe it No wii for me today - early to work and late home has meant no time or energy for play. My poor kittens didn't even have their daily walkies as it was bitterly cold, pitch black and raining by the time I arrived home. Very disappointed babeez ... I will try to post some photos of them in their harnesses and leads out and about on our daily walk. We are very well known in the neighbourhood!

Freda - 115? - that heat would give me nosebleeds! Hope you had a good holiday, and sorry to hear that you had a four asterisk day at work

Gayle - I hear you on the exercise, I'm also working on the something is better than nothing approach. I guess it will get easier with practice.

Bobbi - we get heaps of US TV programmes here! Also lots of British ones, as far as Aussie programmes go we seem to be getting more reality shows like Masterchef and The Amazing Race, and less dramas etc. We are having re-runs of "The Golden Girls" at the moment - those ladies are feisty and funny, pretty much like this group You must be very relieved DH didn't suffer too severe an injury on the ladder.

Donna - I like your FB idea, especially for photos. Thanks for the info on the birthday list, phone list and recipes - will check them out. I'm always on the lookout for new recipes - especially tasty easy ones. Your SamCat looks in very good knick for 18 years - obviously he's had a lifetime of devoted care. I've got a little boy and girl - they are brother and sister - about 18months old. Both my teenager cats are complete comedians and every day they do something that gives me an absolute belly laugh!

Rie - sorry to hear that your outing had to be abandoned. Here's hoping for better weather over the weekend.

Lynard - your chorale sounds beautiful - there's something really special about hearing wonderful music in the open air. Nice to hear you had a good visit to Aus. I guess the same as anywhere we have good and bad, but I think we genuinely welcome visitors from other parts - so many of us travel and have been in a similar situation. I've driven on the other side of the road in Europe and Canada - scary stuff, especially at night! I remember opening the car door when I meant to change gears and turning on the windscreen wipers instead of the flickers

Karen31 - great photos - you look very much in holiday mode!

Marie - I'm sure you are giving your grandie all sorts of wonderful experiences and memories The wii is waaaay to opiniated on all manner of things, if you ask me. I'll tackle it again tomorrow and try to have the little mii look a bit more cheerful. I think you're a little harsh on your countrymen - when I travelled in the US, I found people were very friendly, but I didn't go to the really big cities - I just went to Las Vegas, Portland Oregon (for my friend's wedding) and San Francisco. I must say, though, the security at the airport was pretty strict.

NCNancy - interesting to see you have been a serial dieter! I feel like I have tried every diet going. This time I'm trying for low carb because I've worked out that although I like carbs they don't like me. I feel really bloated and bleah if I overdo the carbs, and I have less reflux problems when I limit carbs.

Karen3 - scallops - yum -they would have to be my most favourite seafood. Dash sounds like a character!

Rosey - looks like your family had a great day out at the parade.

Mary - hopefully you have found a solution to your DH suddenly becoming a fussy eater. It's a difficult situation as I think we are hardwired to be nurturing, and we invest so much emotionally into caring for our loved ones it hits at our very core when we feel we aren't doing it right.

Tea Granny - happy Canada Day! My Canadian friend turned up at book club on Friday night wearing a Canadian ice hockey top! We all shouted loudly "Oh Canaydia" (we always say "Canaydia" to annoy her!)

Cindy Gail - nice to see another GG who battles with the wii! Good to see you are starting to see a difference on your waistline.

Cheers!

Well, I hope that a Happy 4th of July was had by all! We ended up down at the lake with both dd’s, ds, dd3’s dh, and dd3’s bff from high school and college and her family – picnicking and swimming. The (young) men played basketball and dh & I hung about with the twinnies, who are learning to swim quite nicely. No pics – I was too busy to get out the camera. It was, thank goodness, a BEAUTIFUL day – hot, sunny, but with a pleasant breeze off the lake. We got there @ 10:30 in the morning with every intention of heading home in the early afternoon, but ended up staying there until 6:30. The time just flew by. I. Did. Not. Think. About. Work. I was pretty beat when we got home, and took a nice warm bath with a seabreeze candle lit in my bathroom/spa, as dh calls it, and then read about 3 pages of my most recent book before falling asleep. There were a few hotshots in the neighborhood setting off their own private fireworks, but even that didn’t keep me from sleeping.
Bobbi, trust me…retirement around the corner is about the only thing that enables me to tolerate the foolishness at my job from one day to the next. I truly look forward to the day when I can say, in the words of that old familiar song, “Take this job and shove it…!” (That shouldn’t get edited out, right? Perfectly acceptable word, so far as I know. It’s the sentiment that’s kinda nasty… ) Oh! I sure hope your hubby hasn’t broken anything. I imagine he’ll be sore for awhile, anyway. Might keep him from climbing ladders in the future, you think? I suppose none of us really likes to think that there are things we shouldn’t do anymore…
Good for you, Cindy Gail….feeling small around the waist, I mean. That usually motivates me, as well…until I get feeling cocky about it, and think it means I can eat more than I should. But that’s just ole’ yo-yo me. I’m sure you’ll be at goal in no time – and undoubtedly stay there.
Mary, my DH is pretty easy to please, and helps with preparation and does all the cleaning up. Of course he’s retired, as you know, and I am not. I can’t really say how I’d feel if he were complaining about what and how I cooked. I guess I’d be thinking along the lines you were first going when you were saying maybe he should cook for himself. Of course I guess we have to keep in mind that this is my second dh, and I have trained him pretty carefully. I think with our first (and for many, only, of course…) marriages, we’re young and easily molded ourselves into believing that certain things are our responsibility, come h*** or high water. Once you’ve been there and done that, I think you tend to be less eager to please and more eager to BE pleased. BUT, I’m glad that you and he talked about it; that’s certainly a sign of a good marriage – when you can talk out your concerns. Plus, I think we sometimes make these things bigger than they really are just thinking, rather than talking about them with each other. So, good for you! You handled it nicely!
Oh, my gosh. SO sorry about your son’s misfortune, Tea! Let’s hope this recovery period goes by quickly for him, and he doesn’t get too frustrated, as I know I probably would.
Oh, Rie! You had a small dessert cookie? One small cookie??? Oh, Lordie, I just wish I knew how you do that! (Glad you had a good time!)
KarenMo, I can’t imagine your ever wanting to leave that house! Looks to me like you have everything there that you could possibly want. But, whatever. If you decide to move on, maybe you could send that one to me?
Happy 4th to you, too, Rosey!
So very good to see you back posting a bit, Karen3. Glad you’re getting a little better each day.
Nancy, your kitchen is an original – just like you! Love it!!!!
Um, Marie…overboard, you say? Hah! Poor gs & his tired little legs, and grandma trying to get the poor little fella up to dance! No, they sure won’t remember you in any chair, girlfriend! (I think I’m just a little in awe of the amount of exercise you get – the MILES you ride and all. Are you SURE you’re a golden girl, and not a 25 year-old just pretending to be old?)
Lyn! You must’ve had a nice day on the Cape yesterday! After Sunday’s doom & gloom, I wasn’t counting on much for yesterday, but we had absolutely beautiful weather! And next summer, when I am retired and not having to fit everything into 25 vacation days, I may just take you up on that invitation to visit you! You’re easily close enough for a day trip. I’ve just used up a lot of my time this year between No. Carolina and the beach in Rhode Island – I have a week off over labor Day for my son’s wedding up in the Berkshires, and I’m keeping 6 days in abeyance for when dd2 has her baby the second week in August.
Gayle, I LOVE your house! We know some folks who moved to the Houston area, and they bought a veritable McMansion for what we’d pay around here for a little two-bedroom, one bath cottage! I just don’t GET how prices can be so different in different parts of the country! Grrrrr!!!!!! (Glad you have such a nice place, though, and the landscaping is to die for!)
Welcome, Koala! Oh, my goodness! Your kitties are wonderful!
A Facebook page really would be fun, wouldn’t it, PT? So what would I have to do? Would I need my own facebook account?
Hah, Freda! I LOVED that you got bleeped! You just don’t seem the type to use profanity. You are a really nice person, and when I think of you, bleepable language just doesn’t come to mind. But now that you have (bleeped), I am delighted and giggling. Do it again…..! Oh, maybe not. There might be a limit, and you’d get thrown off 3fc or something! Use a substitute word, but tell us in advance so we know that you’re really cussing!!!
Hope you’re enjoying yourself, Lynn….of course you are!
Okay, I’ve probably missed someone whom I would never want to miss, but I’ve run out of time.
Have a good day, y’all..
Z

Hey GGs,
SO’s being lazy right now & watching TV, so I decided to stop by here before he “cracks the whip” & insists on getting started on our projects. Yesterday it started storming before we got ready to leave the house, so we didn’t go to any of the festivals. Instead we went & parked across the river from the local baseball stadium, to watch their fireworks after the game. It was the only place, less than 20 miles away, doing fireworks last night. Lots of other people were parked there too, & my nephew & his SO & her 4 yr. old son came & joined us, so it was fun.

Zoe, so glad you had a fun, relaxing day, finally! And glad to see another long, delightfully entertaining post from you. Yay!

Mary, you sound so sad about your DH not liking your cooking. That makes me feel sad for you. And I’m sure he didn’t mean to make you feel like that! I’ll bet you’re being way too hard on yourself, & reading too much into what he said & then agonizing about it (I know, I do that too!). I’m SURE he really does like most of what you cook for him, & the fact that you DO cook for him. And I think it’s wonderful that you two still love each other so much after being together for so long! So, please cheer up!

Wow Bobbi, what a great buy on those desert rose dishes! I did want to find some old ones to replenish my set (only 5 dinner plates, & I’ve never really counted the rest, guess I should), but after seeing the prices…..! I decided it was for the best, because the ones I have, have been in my family all this time, so they have “sentimental value” to me. So I just buy look-alikes, & solid color pink & green dishes to coordinate with them.

Hi Koala. Nice to meet you. I think it’s great to have someone here from Australia. What beautiful cats! And they actually walk on leashes (or as you say, leads)?! I never could get any of my cats to do that. And, yes, I’ve been on & off diets all my life (lost lots, but always gained it back!). Usually did calorie counting. Still do, but finally realized this has to be a lifetime change, of my way of eating (WOE), not a “diet”.

SO just went & changed clothes, & headed outside - guess that’s my “call to duty”. Before I go here are a few pics of my house that I took yesterday. Living room, dining room (KarenMO & I have identical china cabinets!), & front view outside (can you see the log deer SO made for me?).
NCNancy

Good Morning Everyone,

My July-Aug course got cancelled and my Fall course got scheduled for Nov-Dec (my LEAST favorite time to teach - students [mostly teachers] are generally VERY stressed over the holidays).

Oh well - worse things have happened to nicer people.

Yesterday, my DD was helping me set up my fund-raising page for the LLS half marathon in Philly. We called my email provider help line for some technical assistance and ended up an hour later with tons of stuff deleted from my laptop, but still unable to export my email address book. ARGHHH!

Today is one of my rare unscheduled days - tomorrow is an ultrasound on my thyroid and Thursday is another visit from my AC folks - I feel like I am getting to know them MUCH more than I ever wanted to. Saturday, my DD and I are sitting outside of the local grocery store collecting money for LLS and Sunday, my DF and I are going to the Shakespeare Festival (last Sunday it got rained out).

Have a GREAT Tuesday,

Lynn

Howdy...Had a long hard night and not an easy morning with heavy chest. Visiting nurse was here and tried to get me an appt with cardiologist sooner than the 27th. Was told if I had a problem to go to the ER! I need more coumadin to thin my blood and potassium for cramps from lasix doses. With the fluid pills I have lost 20lbs in 10 days.........later k3

OK-- this is what I found so far about a page or a group...what do you all think and if we create a group--what name would you like it to be? Let me know and I can probably set it up or if anyone has any better ideas throw them out here too. This is Info. for the Facebook.

How are Pages different from groups? Which one should I create?




Pages allow real organizations, businesses, celebrities and brands to communicate broadly with people who like them. Pages may only be created and managed by official representatives.

Groups provide a closed space for small groups of people to communicate about shared interests. Groups can be created by anyone.

Other differences include:

Pages■
Privacy: Page information and posts are public and generally available to everyone on Facebook.

■
Audience: Anyone can like a Page to become connected with it and get News Feed updates. There is no limit to how many people can like a Page.

■
Communication: Page admins can share posts under the Page’s name. Page posts appear in the News Feed of people who like the Page. Page admins can also create customized tabs for their Pages and check Page Insights to track the Page’s growth and activity.


Groups■
Privacy: In addition to an open setting, more privacy settings are available for groups. In secret and closed groups, posts are only visible to group members.

■
Audience: Group members must be approved or added by other members. When a group reaches a certain size, some features are limited. The most useful groups tend to be the ones you create with small groups of people you know.

■
Communication: In groups, members receive notifications by default when any member posts in the group. Group members can participate in chats, upload photos to shared albums, collaborate on group docs, and invite all members to group events.



Depending on your needs, you can create a Page or select "Create Group" on the left side of your home page.

Hi Karen,

I don't use Facebook anymore. Had a bunch of security problems and gave up on it.

Lynn

Morning everyone..nothing going on here except chasing after sadie.good exercise. and yes Bobbie im getting around better. i dont take the wheel chair anymore.just the walker and im able to use it for longer periods.im still trying for those 3 #. they are sticking like glue its sunny today and plan to sit outsde on the deck. my grs moved a lawn bench onto the deck for me so i can use my walker and go out by myself. lifes little victories hope you all have a great day..im posting more pics, the mess sadie made this am and her and daisy playing. for all rosey :wave;

Hey Y'all,
We're inside taking a break (which might just last for the rest of today - I hope!). KarenMO, I really like the sound of the "group" Facebook page. So, if we're voting - I'm for that!

KarenFL!!!!! Maybe you need to make that trip to the ER? You take care of yourself. We need you to get better!!!

Donna, I'm really enjoying hearing more from you. Sorry you were kept up so late. Hope you're napping now.

Lynn, glad to know you take a day off sometimes. You are one busy, energetic lady. Hope your ultrasound goes ok tomorrow, & that your AC problems get resolved on Thurs. (Maybe those AC folks just really like you & keep messing up so they have an excuse to come back & see you!)

Rie, I really agree that eating "normally" & real food (just less of it) is the way to go. Seems to be working for me. And I think this is something I'll be able to continue for life, unlike those "extreme" diets. You just keep on doing as you're doing - you know what works for you!

Here is a pic of my 2 tomato plants ( I had to buy them because they were only 50 cents each). There are actually tomatoes on them, in spite of my "black thumb"! I'm pretty excited! And a pic of some flowers that have actually managed to survive here for several years now.

Gotta go, SO wants us to go to the store. Later!
NCNancy

Hello GGs! It's a beautiful day in the PNW! We got up late and missed our yoga stretch class. I woke up with my leg hurting though and I think I read that if you have sciatica (which I think is what it is) you should not do yoga, so maybe it's for the best for me anyway.

Karen3 - I can only imagine what this must be like for you! I hope you begin to feel better and sleep better soon. That is frustrating to have to wait so long for an appt and be told to go to ER if you have a problem. But please don't hesitate to go if you are concerned. At least with your condition you should be at or near the top of the triage I would think.

Jess - They finally stopped setting off the fireworks about midnight here, thank God! I was getting pretty tired of it. Guess I'm definitely getting old, this is the first year I did not even see one fireworks! I kept inside with curtains closed! I could sure hear them though. My dh has always been really into fireworks even as he has gotten older but he only poked his head out once and then decided to watch the display on TV. Yes it does hurt to know I am not pleasing him with my cooking most of the time! Maybe it's silly but cooking for him is an important part of how I show my love for him. That's how I was raised I guess. Things are different for the younger people to day and they tend to share it all more but we are very traditional except I do handle the finances. Jess, you brought up a good point about possibly his medications changing his tastes. I hadn't thought of that. This is not a new complaint...he's been complaining more and more for at least a few years now...not sure exactly how long though..but then he's been on most of his meds for a long time too. I'll tell him to ask the doctor about that. I'm not sure I'd want him to change what is working for him, however, as so many cause adverse reactions, but it would be good to know that's it. The thing is my cooking tastes pretty good to me most times!

Lynn - Hope you enjoy your unscheduled day...seems that is a rarity for you!

Nancy - I am sad about it but I do know he doesn't mean to hurt me. It's just that it's like he doesn't understand why I can't do it right. I don't want to give up cooking for him but I've been getting discouraged and feel like giving up sometimes. It isn't fair to him to have to eat stuff he doesn't like and not being able to please him makes me lose confidence in my cooking abilities. I'm still not sure that he didn't just "give in" to my continuing to cook because he knows how much it means to me. I don't want him to do that. Just a few minutes ago he came in and ask me if he can fix beef and broccoli stir-fry tonight with some leftover beef that I forgot to use and broccoli from the garden. Of course, I told him that's fine. He knew I wasn't yet sure what I was fixing tonight and at those times, he sometimes does cook.

Rie - I admire your diligence at exercising! I recently won a ProTrainer exercise mat and received it on Sat. It is a nice length and has exercises printed on it. So you can do the exercises without having to get up and consult something else. The exercises are divided into three fitness levels. I started with level one last night and did all of them without much difficulty. It tells you to do each one for a period of time and then you go to the next level. I plan on taking it to my stretch class and also use at home.

Sorry about the migraine! Those things are horrible! I rarely have headaches but a few times when I was younger I had them. I think birth control pills caused them sometimes and later on stress at work and I will never forget how awful they were! Hope you feel better today.

Koala - You put it so well...that's how I feel. It's probably silly but we can't always be rational about these things I guess.

Well, time to get more done around here...it is too pretty a day to waste inside at the computer. Hope you all have a great day!

Wow Rosey,
Just saw your post & pics. Looks like Sadie & Daisy are keeping you busy (but aren't they cute together!). You just continue to get better & better, & you're looking great! Those 3 lbs. will soon be gone. You go girl!!! (Now I really better go!) Whoops, Mary, just saw your post. Don't have time to say more than Hi!, SO is waiting. Bye for now.

NCNancy

Weigh in day today, and no weight lost again this week. My ticker is going to rust from the lack of movement Better luck next week- just stay on plan, just stay on plan ( my new mantra) Have a good evening ladies