~GOLDEN GIRLS~

We are about Fitness and Quality of Life after 50...
We are about Fun and Friendship after 50...
We are the Golden Girls...

There is Value in us
There is Power in us
There is Wisdom in us
And Laughter....
We are a rainbow of unique wonders,
There is love in us.
(poem by Dorothy Holmes)

Tell us a little about your life, family and goals. What keeps you motivated? What is the best thing that's happened to you since you pasted the 50 mark?
Friends laugh, cry and stand by each other, we'll be that to you!

Good Morning Everyone,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I spent New Years Eve with my df - we did our traditional NY Eve jigsaw puzzle, had snacks, watched the ball drop in Times Square (didn't see you, Lyn), and went to bed.

I'm sending my best wishes to everyone for a Happy and Healthy 2008.

Lynn

Good Morning all, Hope this is the Happiest, Healthies year ever!!

Didn't do much last night, actually did nothing! I had to work and got home around 8. It had started snowing by then and got worse. We didn't get as much snow as we were expecting but still got several inches. That might explain why I didn't hear any noise last night. Usually we hear lots of nose and even some gun fire at midnight. I'm like Deb, it scares me that they might shoot the wrong way. By midnight most of them have had a bit too much partying!!!

We.come Debbie #2. Great group, i know you will be made welcome here. Jump in and post lots. It really does help. We have a Janurary Challenge too if you think you might want to join in. It's my first time for the challenge too, and I'm looking forward to it.

Cat, I have a brother named Beau too! The thing I said I didn't know anything about was agave nectar. What is that?

Lynn, Sounds exciting, being with that crazy croud, watching the ball drop. Something I will always just watch on TV. So,,,,how was it?

Debbie, I had to laugh when You said you had a gun permit and carried a gun. I'm from Ky. and my little old prim and proper aunts have their little guns in thier purses. Cute little pearl handled things.....you know, just in case!

I lost another pound. I am not that far from goal now. I know I should do it the "natural way" but these last few pounds are so hard to lose. I'm actually thinking about buying "Alie". I talked to a Dr. at work and he said that it was safe and it helps you lose twice as much as you regurally would. Not something you could take all the time. For one thing, it's expensive. Not sure I would pay 60 dollars for too many months for just a few extra pounds. (yes, I'm cheap). Has anyone else ever taken anything? How do you feel about it? Pros and cons?

Take care, Freda

Well...we almost made it to Times Square...got to 5th Ave and 43d street (even drove in and found a parking space), but they had all of the streets leading into Times Square blocked off with many many police officers at each intersection. They told us we had to hike up to 59th street and then we could head west...well, we walked with the crowd the 15 or so blockes and at 59th street we all tunned left and walked about a block and were stopped by the crowd. There was a huge tv screen and the best we could do was watch the ball drop on the screen. So we turned around and battled the crowd back to 5th ave and headed back to our car. Had a very expensive beer before we drove back to LI. So we had new years in the car. (Seems appropriate with all the time spent in the car over the past few days!) I guess if you really want to be in Times Square for New Years you have to go down there early in the afternoon and hang out. Well, we tried! I actually enjoyed the trip into the city despite the obstacles. Saw lots of happy joyful people in their funny hats and glasses and that was fun to be part of.

Happy New Year all my GG friends. Today my SIL is cooking us a big dinner and then we drive home tomorrow. Back to work on Thursday. I just checked the weather up in Rochester NY and it looks like snow, snow and more snow and temps in the teens. Back to reality. Back to eating sensibly too!

Lyn

Happy New Year everybody!! Here's to success in '08

Lyn - I saw people in Times Square as early as noon, and I did hear that you have to get there that early!! I can't imagine it...

Phyllis - I have a son the same age as yours who's also still looking. And he and I are very close as well. I can't imagine moving away from him. This must be very hard for you - and him.

Freda - so close to goal. How great is that?? Pearl handles, huh?? Hmmm, I think I like that!!

Here's a confession - 2 years ago I was actually at 200lbs. For me, that was a 96 lbs loss, and I just couldn't seem to push into onederland. And now, I've put 20 of those lbs back on. On the up side, I guess it's great that it's not the whole 96. But still!! I know how I have to eat to lose and it's just so frustrating when I don't do what I know I have to. Is it too late to acquire discipline when you're pushing 60???

Happy New Year Everyone,

We had a nice evening last night. Sara invited us over for supper ~ so we visited with them and Robert's mom and the kids for a while. Then we stayed with the kids while Sara and Robert went out for a while for new years. We watched movies and Corbin fixed pop corn, then watched the ball drop (looked for Lyn but didn't see her either). It is kind of weird being in the central time zone ~ when the ball drops in NYC it is only 11pm here. So when midnight comes here ~ there is nothing ~ it has already happened.

The 30th was my daughter Jen's birthday and she got engaged. Her boyfriend/fiance is a real nice guy ~ gentleman. He called and talked to my husband to ask permission to ask Jen to marry him. They haven't set a date yet.

Well, have to work tonight, so off to bed for a nap.

Take care everyone.

Morning everyone! Happy New Year!!!

I've been cooking up a storm since daybreak and just ducked in quickly to wave! The house smell all yummy and my youngest may also be having a friend over to add to the festivities.

Freda, agave necter is the "juice" from an agave cactus...tastes kind of like honey only kind of "lighter". It is very low on the glycemic index and can be used by people with diabetes. It's great stuff. If you can get it at your grocery store, it's by the syrups...if not, most health food stores carry it. Great stuff.

Happy New Year Everyone!

May this be our very best year yet! Just finished the black eye peas/greens/cornbread & my dh surprised me by going with me on the slowest run in history at the track.

Congratulations Gayle on Jen's engagement! I suspect you've been expecting that for a while. Nice to see there are still gentlemen avaliable for our daughters.

Didn't bother to ring in the new year. Crashed at ten & woke up to the dogs barking like crazy every time someone would set off a firecracker within a 7 mile radius. Couldn't calm them down for a while. Finally gave up to sit up until they could be quiet and long story short they fell asleep and I sat there with insomnia for the next two hours. Thanks dogs.

Freda congratulations on the loss! I really don't know enough about Alli to make any comments other than one side effect seems to affect bathroom habits. Perhaps it won't do that to you though. Good luck & let us know how that plays out for you.

I'm encouraged. After two short months of usually being almost good through the holidays, finishing a marathon, weight training under a sadist & currently training for another marathon I dropped three pounds! Perhaps I should goal to lose another three by Easter. That's realistic.

Everyone have a wonderful day & take care!

Marylynn

Hello Ladies, I hope everyone had a Happy New Year!! Tim and I celebrated both our anniversary and new years! We went to Cripple Creek and let the slots take $20 from us!! Then we had a nice dinner and was back home before it got dark. Figure that way we didn't have to worry about dodging any drinkers out on the road! We had our champagne at midnight and watched the fireworks off the top of Pikes Peak. So glad we can see them from inside our house-- the temperature was -15 degrees!!

Phyllis--- I'm so excited for you at getting the condo that you wanted. I'll send good thoughts your way that someone will be there soon to buy your place. I keep looking at homes on the internet in MO. but so far we haven't had anything definite here. I guess there are some people that are very interested in it but need to sell their place first. We got and email from our realtor that said they are having a meeting next week so hopefully something good will come of that.

Welcome Debbie! Pull up a chair and make yourself comfy... I think that you will like it here.

Freda-- congrats on another pound gone!! That is one less that you have to lose now. I'm going to have to get serious and get motivated again here too! I've heard lots of good things about the Alli. I haven't tried it but I did notice that at Wal-mart they have it for about $35. You might want to check that out.

Lyn, sounds like you had a good celebration too-- even if you didn't make it to Time Square. I like watching it on TV but don't know if I would like being there.

Debbie--- it's never too late!! I'm pushing myself this time too. I am planning to watch the Biggest Loser-Couples starting tonight and see if that motivates me more!! I'll take anything!

Gayle, glad that you had a good New Years too!! How neat to get engaged on your Birthday--- tell Jen I said Congrats!!

Cat-- I wish I loved cooking as much as you do!! Of course it wouldn't do much good since Tim is a basic meat and potatoe guy!! But somtimes I wish he were more willing to try different things.. Guess you can't teach and old dog new tricks!!

Marylynn, glad to hear from you! Both Ginger and Sissy were driving me crazy starting about 10:30 last night. We usually go to bed about 10:00 and they weren't happy to stay up later. They are so funny!! Have you been to myspace yet and looked at new pictures and videos of them? They are so spoiled!!

Well, guess I'd better get going and get the kitchen cleaned up so I can watch the Biggest Loser. Everybody take care and I'll chat more later.

Hello Golden Girls
It is so nice to see some of the old faces still posting. Lynn....you really have kicked butt since September.

Yes I am back, and naturally much heavier....but I am hoping to get back in the traces and doing my thing. I wish I had the magic answer to all the dieting problems, but everytime I think I know what is keeping me fat....I find that it isn't the fix that I had hoped. I am frustrated by the craving problems. Has anyone ever found a solution to that??? I can fight it for only so long before I totally go crazy....and doing so during the fall is about fatal.
If you are doing alli (sp) it would be interesting to hear about the results.

It has been so long since I posted, that I'm not sure what will show up when I log off...but the tracker is obviously wrong....maybe if I don't change it, it will give me some impetus to keep on keeping on.

On a brighter side....I do weigh less than I did last year on Jan. 1st. I am planning a cruise in November, and would like to get back down to my lowest weight before then. Also have a wedding to attend in July...so maybe I will get to that weight before then.

Happy New year all, and to all, wishing you a great weigh off!!!
Margaret

Good Morning Golden Girls, It's a lovely morning here, snow still on the ground and the trees dripping white, it looks like a winter wonder land. Reality is, it's COLD! Supposed to warm up later in the week, upper 30's. Heat wave comming through!

Lyn, Hope your drive back home went ok and you didn't hit too much snow.

Debbie, Of course it's not too late to disipline yourself when you're pushing 60. I hit that in December and it has given me more incentive. If not now, when?

Gayle, Tell you daughter "congratulations" for me. How wonderful, and you have plenty of time to lose the weight. Gotta look good in that mother of the bride dress.

Marylynn, You and your marathons are an inspiration to us all! And those 3 pounds you dropped!! Way to go girl!!! 2 more is doable and i'm sure you'll meet that goal too. And not only will you be thin, you will be buff!!!

Karen, I hope the new year brings in some new buyers and you sell your house soon. My dog does the same as yours. he gets scared and wants us with him. And I wasn't enough, he had to get Ron out of bed too. Talk about spoiled! But they all should be, it's not actually spoiled, just loved a lot.

Margaret, I'm one of the new people here and don't recognize your name. But i've done the same thing. Lost the weight and thought I could keep it off by self, only to find out that I couldn't. I'm not making that mistake this time. I'm admitting i can't do it alone and staying here for support.

No great plans today, but DH left me a todo list. I'm glad he went back to work before it got any longer. Everyone have a good day, and remember, we can't always controle what happens to us, but we can controle how we react to what happens. Freda

Hi Margaret - I'm new here, so we haven't met!! Howdy

Marylynn - I just don't know what to say. My goal is to be able to WALK, and here you are running!! It's just fantastic!!

Talk about fireworks upsetting animals...we had the most celebratory gunfire we've had in years. There were semi-automatics with 30-round clips going off. My cats were going nuts. We didn't have these kinds of problems 20 years ago!!

Hello all! Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy & healthy new year and let you know that I'm still alive and kicking (feebly).

It's been an incredible experience, this move of ours...not something I'd recommend to anybody anytime soon! My son flew in from L.A. on Dec. 20th, and spent a lot of his time refinishing the hardwood floors in the foyer, living room and dining room at the new place. They are downright gorgeous! The kids all pitched in and painted to my specifications, and we had a stackable washer & dryer installed in the kitchen broom closet so that we wouldn't have to run up and down to the basement to do laundry. All the appliances are new within the past couple of years, and the place looks wonderful.

That's the good part.

The not-so-good part was the actual moving, which was a genuine nightmare, and that's the truth! I had no idea that we owned so much stuff. Seriously. The movers came, packed all our furniture and about seventy-kazillion boxes into the truck, and we STILL had to make four or five trips over with stuff that didn't fit in the moving truck - and stuff that turned up after we thought we were finished packing! (Phyllis, trust me...you don't want to buy any furniture at all in Florida! Wait until you're in Ohio and the store can deliver it right to your condo!)

My DS's flight back to LA was at noon on Sunday - my DD3 and I drove him into Boston to Logan Airport. He made it out about eight hours ahead of a big old snowstorm. When we got back from Boston, DH & I went back to the old house to clean up - wanted to leave it nice for the new family coming in. We were there until 8PM, and when we walked out the front door (or, more accurately, LIMPED out the front door) it was a real blizzard outside.

We got back over to the new apartment, and spent New Year's eve with no TV, no internet, and no telephone (no landline; we had our cells). That's all being hooked up/installed tomorrow. Oh, No champagne, either. Oh, and no party hats or horns, either. In fact, we were both fast asleep by about 9:30. So the new year arrived without us. And we were glad of it.

Now LAST night, I had my first bubble bath in the great big, oversized clawfoot tub that's in MY bathroom (Dh's bathroom has a more conventional tub & shower...I guess you KNOW I claimed that clawfoot tub the minute we walked into the house!) I think that was the best bath I've ever had in my entire life! I had hot water up to my armpits, lounged back against a little tub pillow, and just LUXURIATED.

Well, we are officially moved in, and all the furniture is (more or less) in its designated spots, but it's pretty much obscured by boxes and bins of every size & shape, and the spare bedroom is filled with those great big wardorobe boxes. Sooner or later we'll get everything unpacked and put away, but at the moment, I'm betting on later rather than sooner.

I'm back at work today after five days off, and I swear those five days have just gone by in one big blur.

OH! I haven't eaten "on plan" since before Christmas. Just impossible what with all we've had to do. No time to cook whatsoever. So, I figured I must've gained back ten pounds, you know? Was even feeling bloated and puffy this morning, afraid to get dressed for work. But, I guess all the exercise I've been getting - bending, stretching, cleaning, etc. - has countered what I've been eating, because the suit I pulled out to wear, which I expected to fit snugly, had inches to spare! I was amazed! Talk about clouds with silver linings, eh?

Okay, can't say hello to everyone individually right now, but I will as soon as we get our computers online at home tomorrow.

Wishing you all the very best, and sending big hugs to all my wonderful Golden Girlies!

Z

Welcome back Zoe!! We missed you and I can hardly wait until I can be as tired as you!! Still waiting for something definte on our house but have had a couple nibbles. Anyway, Just wanted to say Happy New Year to you and we missed you!

HI GOLDEN GIRLS I have tried so many times to post and have run into computer problems - this is my third attempt today and I think I suceeded!!!

First a HUGE BIG HAPPY NEW YEAR to
Lynn -- thanks for starting us off and I love your signature line!!
Freda -- congrats on the pound and stay away from Alli -- anything that messes with us naturally can't be good -- my opinion lets just struggle along together.
Lyn -- guess I should change my desire to be in Time's Square to another big party -- unless you get there a day ahead it doesn't sound worth it. Well you tried good on you!!!!
Gayle -- sounds like a nice New Years -- congrats on your daughter's engagement. My mom is still waiting for my fiance to ask for permission -- she is going to wait a looooong time LOL.
Margaret Welcome back -- glad to see you again.
Cat-- HI
Marylynn -- congrats on losing three more I am still in awe of you doing the marathon -- YAY!!!
Karen - sounds like a lovely NYE -- although -15 YIKES!!!
Debbie -- Hi - I can't even imagine hearing gun shots -- very very rare here in Vancouver (ok except for the stupid and I mean stupid gangwars)
Zoe -- so glad to see you post I was sure you were busy like crazy with the move. I so know about just when you think its done you uncover something else. My son and I finished up the move from our house and it seemed like it took forever and had way more cupboards than I knew about when we lived there LOL. OMG loved the description of the bath - YUMMY!!!
Phyllis -- miss you!!!!!!

So I survived the holiday season pretty much unscathed. I even tried on my test top today. I had trouble buttoning it this fall and today it went on well enough I almost wore it -- but decided against it. Just revelled in the fact I could do it up easily. I must try on my test jeans tonight. I won't weigh myself until I get back from my Maui trip (Jan 20) I figure why bother if I have lost I will figure I can eat silly through out the trip and still lose (silly mindset that I suffer from). If I am up too much I will be even more upset with myself -- so I will go get lots of exercise try not to eat too silly and hope for the best. I got into the habit of doing an exercise video in the mornings while I was off - I forgot how good it feels. My classes here on campus start next week and I am even going to pay for a Friday afternoon class -- it looks good and of course if I pay for it I won't miss it -- that is for sure!!!

Well my darling GG's back to work for me - I just hope this posts!!!