Good morning! We're half-way through the week already, the weekend is right on the horizon!

Foggy morning here, although it's supposed to burn off when the sun comes up, and we're going to get up to the 70s today!!!!! I'm going to work in my gardens a little before getting Maggie at noon. I have some plants that I want to move around before they get any bigger. The girls and I were starting to make plans for their "victory garden" yesterday and thinking about what they want to plant this year. Audrey wants corn and tomatoes and Maggie wants carrots and watermelon. I think I'm going to pick up some packets of seeds for lettuce and radishes today so we can get them started now.

I have to work late again this evening - 3rd day in a row - and Jake is grumbling. Cindy told me to take the girls out for supper after their dance lessons, so I'm considering where we should go to eat. Maybe Chinese................

Morning Cottage and all who follow!

Have fun working on the garden! I finally got out and got a few shots of mine yesterday. Can't wait till all of the roses start blooming, but got some pics of the ones that are.

Nothing exiting going on here today. Speaking of exiting, what did you Biggest Loser fans think about those 2 girls??? I was soooo proud of them!

Morning Linda, have fun with that garden!

Femme, I was amazed at the girls! I thought for sure they were done! And personally, I'm hoping Kelly steps up to the plate and wins this thing. I know Jillian thinks Ali can do it, but Kelly has more weight to lose, and I actually like her better, she's more "down to earth" than her rival! Don't get me wrong, Ali's done and AWESOME job, and looks fabulous! And as for the guys, I voted for Mark. I've grown to love him. Not because he' cries, but because he was selfless more than once, even asking to go home to save a team mate! Awesome guy! And he's looking great!

Me, crazy crazy day today. Work is so crazy, I have a million things to do, especially with fiscal year end, not sure if I can do it all in the time they want me too. And no, they wont pay me to stay late.

the Floor comes tomorrow, which means tonight not only do I have to clean house, but I have to tear up the vinyl in the kitchen and bathroom! I can't wait for this floor to be put down!

I jumped off the band wagon and gained a pound. I'm upset a little, but I think it was due to "cravings." So this morning I took Jade for a jog, only 20 mins today, but enough to get the juices flowing! Every little bit helps!

OK, off to work, have a wonderful day.

Cat, your garden looks just lovely. I especially like the rose bower!

Loriann, you are going to be busy after work today with that floor, but it will all be worth it when you can admire your brand new one! Good for you, getting in a nice jog already today! I'm off to Curves in a few!

Re - The Biggest Loser, was I thrilled that the girls had such huge losses!!!! After seeing the numbers the guys were bringing in, I wasn't holding out much hope for them, but, OMG!!!! I really hope Kelly wins, I like her a lot. I like Ali, too, and she looks amazing, but I think Kelly deserves this. As for the guys, it's a hard call. They both look great, but I can't take Mark's boo-hooing all the time, and Roger is getting so cocky. I don't know if Mark can bring in such large numbers any more, he'll look awful if he loses any more weight. Same with Ali.

Morning Chicks!

Linda - Gardening with kids is one of my passions. I used what little voice I had yesterday (allergies) recruiting new child care programs for a gardening support & training program we offer. Then I get to spend part of my summer visiting the gardens and taking newsletter photos. Not a bad deal If you are looking for more activities there are lots online. UNH has a really great curriculum with lots of good ideas. We borrow from them liberally (since I work with UVM we figure that's okay

Cat - love the pictures. I miss green!

Loriann- I've been in the losing & regaining the same 1.5 lbs mode for almost two weeks now. Used to worry me, now it just annoys me.

Luna made it through her surgery yesterday. Poor little thing, some of the stones they removed were spiny. That had to hurt We should get to pick her up this morning but will know when I call at 9. I'm working a late day & hope to see her before I have to go to work.

I'm thinking about changing up my work outs a bit again. My knees are getting really annoyed with the treadmill so it may be time for some variety. I should have my bike tomorrow so will make that my cardio whenever the weather allows. I'm also adding a yoga class starting Friday. Any other knee friendly suggestions? I do have an elliptical but find it rather dull. We decided to wait until fall to buy a new one because I'll be outside more than in with the nicer weather.

The weather here will be lovely today and tomorrow. Guess which days won't be so nice??!!

Cottage-I totally agree with you. I think Kelly should get it. She still has some to lose and if Mark and Ali lose anymore, they are gonna look anorexic. They already are looking that way. They need to stop. They look fine the way they are and Kelly is so to herself. She doesn't want trouble, she very quiet now. I didn't really like her when her ex was there with her but I really like her now. I didn't watch last night but have it DVR'd and now I've got to go watch it and see what happened. Can't wait.

Everyone else-good morning.

Cat, thanks for sharing your lovely garden. I could almost smell those yellow roses. One of these "springs", I'm coming to visit. Never been to NO and it's been on my list since I read Dinner at Antoine's when I was a teen.

Cottage, the weather is nuts and I'm starting to ignore the forecast. Yesterday was supposed to be cold and rainy and it was a great day! I hope they are wrong about the weekend as Hersh and I am going to visit my friend in Ottawa who has two dogs.

Loriann, Jogging With Jade. Sounds like a book like Travels with Charley. I hope everything goes well tonight with the rip and tear. Do you really need to clean house too? "More better clean later" is what my cleaning woman used to say.

My neighbour came and cut down one of my trees yesterday. This morning I'll help him with the branch and debris clean-up. We were smart to do this before the leaves came out and cut down some of the mess. He even trimmed some broken branches from the 75 year old white pine that I just love because my Dad planted it when this house was built.

Most of Lake Ruthie drained away overnight but will fill up again as more snow melts. I'm glad it drained as it proves the culvert is open under the huge drift at the road. So far Hershey has stuck to the snow covered areas of her yard. I may shovel off part of the patio today so she has a dry place to loaf in the sun. We go to do pet therapy at the Clinic at mid-day and she deserves consideration. (Did I ever mention I have a wonderful dog?)

I made the Baked Oatmeal from the Recipe section yesterday and had some of it for breakfast. It was pretty yummy - sort of like a cookie because I cooked it a bit too long. I figured out calories, etc., and will update the recipe and bump it. I've not made Nessa's Bars yet but will do that next week. I need to get quick and healthy breakfasts organized because I love to be outside first thing in the morning. ** Sigh ** Breakfast on the deck!

Whoosh through Wednesday.

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CyndiM, you are a garden nut too! Hmmm - I'm envious of your warmer zone. So glad Luna did OK with the operation. Poor furry will need extra cuddles when she gets home - if she's that type of cat. My Marigold used to give me the "finger" when she felt poorly.

TK, no comments on the biggest loser from here. I am not a fan of the programme for many reasons as I think it makes people think extreme weightloss is the norm. Scary!

Now that I've given my little lecture, I'm off for more coffee. Don't get me started on processed foods!

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Post from Weezle that I goofed on and moved into my moved posts. Sorry!
Hi Weezle. Glad to hear you are potless! I need a celebration. (I love that term and think of you every morning - nearly.)

Good morning, gals! I'm back from running, showered, and contemplating what to have for breakfast. Actually, I've pretty much decided on an egg-white omelet with peppers and a dash of cheese, topped with salsa. I believe I will eat up that last kiwi in the fridge, too.

Linda, what's a victory garden? Have fun planning with the girls!

Cat, your pictures are wonderful! I love the ones with the pup. Are you still taking that photography class?

Loriann, I vote for putting Joe to work on that floor! If he's going to be staying with you, make that boy earn his keep! Good luck!

Cyndi, I adore the elliptical! It's the only machine I can read while using. Get thyself a good book (that will prop open) and hang out on it for awhile. If you do it "right" (standing up straight and pushing with your heels instead of your toes), it shouldn't bother your knees. Did you know the University of Vermont was my dream school? I was accepted, but it was too expensive, so I ended up at the University of New Hampshire instead. Until Tom got transferred to Washington, and then I moved to Seattle...

Tawnya! How are things in your world?

Ruth, you'll just love the Nessa bars! There are so many options! Thanks for the update on the baked oatmeal. I should try that one.

Lisa, good luck with the travels today. Glad to hear the jeans are fitting! I'm having the same issues...

Alright, the belly is grumbling so I'd better go feed it. Have a lovely Wednesday, and whooshes to all!

Kara

I'd like to see Roger out so Kelly has a better chance. I really don't think Alli and Mark will lose much more. Either Alli or Kelly winning would be great with me.

Kara, we were posting at the same time!! You have a great day, ok??? And, no the class was only for 6 weeks and I missed the last couple. I really didn't like it that much anyway.

Cyndi, I had back surgery years ago and my Dad had his knees replaced twice, so I really shy away from anything that "shakes up" my knees or back. No machines for me. I do Callenetics, Fluidity Fitness and yogilates. All of them are working VERY WELL and I am really getting tighter all over...even my stomach now..none of them is "straining" on the back or knees, so perfect for me.

I remember "Survivor" taking priority! Looks like you got out of it what you needed, though. Your perspective is really interesting and makes your photos fun to look through!

Kara

Kara-everything is ok. Baby fell asleep on the floor. He was rolling around and fell asleep. But other then that, everything is calm for now.

hahah, Joe is going to help with the floor.. my cleaning is to get the bookshelf out of the kitchen, and straighten up the laundry area and bathroom. Both are still a mess from the pain job a couple weeks ago!

And Jade is my puppy, not a tape! LOL... Jade loves her walks... I live in the country so I usually let her run in the fields as we go along, she's great at "come" when I call her! If she were not I wouldn't attempt it. Luckily I can see when cars are coming and grab hold of her leash in time. She makes an excellent jogging partner!

good morning my friends... doing well.. still dreary here

official BECK weekly weigh in shows me down 1.8 pounds.

i'm tired.

busy week today I see the ortho about the boot.. maybe it comes off...
DH is sick needs his gall bladder out, needs his legs fixed, needs to get his dentures in. I need a new husband I think.

oh well... hugs to all.

my post just got swallowedwhere did it go? and i don't have time to rewrite. sorry ladies!! so happy hump day and i will check in later.

Mornin', darling Cottage! I'm up to my ears in seed catalogs meself! Our garden will be quite a bit different this year as we've joined a CSA (I'm going to start a thread on that and will explain what they are for those who don't know)--we're not going to do zucchini or tomatoes (which is a good thing, since my nursery person told me we should rest them for a bit in hopes of getting rid of the early blight in our soil... ). So we get to try some new things, like acorn squash and melons! How fun! I'm just trying to pick the ones we want and then I'll be online ordering faster than fire! Your garden sounds wonderful!!! Do they have a big plot? Hope DH stops grumbling--I understand that he must miss you, but it's not like you're out galivanting around, eating bon-bons!

Cat, your garden is just luscious and lovely and amazing!!! I absolutely love the pics of the pansies, St. Francis peeking above the plants, and the one of your puppy running in the garden! I just drooled over your Spanish moss and your blooming hydrangeas and calla lillies! I can't get the latter to grow in my yard, sadly, and my hydrangea had very poor performance in terms of blooms last year. I'm praying it'll be better this year. My hellebore didn't bloom at all last year, so I'm hoping for a change there, too. So, I didn't even know you had a pup! What's his/her name? Is he/she a Shih-tzu? Looks so much like the dog I had growing up who was a Shih-tzu. BTW, your house is gorgeous too! Where do you learn your callenetics workouts? Are there DVDs?

Loriann, good luck with the floor! I bet it'll look fantastic! Do you think some sugar got back into your diet and caused the cravings? You might want to hit P1 for 3-5 days to get rid of the cravings. It's SO much easier than trying to deal with them.

Cyndi, bless you for doing all that volunteer work! Water aerobics is really easy on the knee and SO much fun! You might try posting in the exercise and lifting forums about exercises for knee issues--there are several very knowledgeable people in there that have/had knee problems and can give you awesome guidance! I'm so glad Luna's okay! I hope you get to see each other before you go to work!

TK! (I think I might be the only Beachie that doesn't watch the Biggest Loser! I have no idea what y'all are talking about...)

Ruth, glad to hear that Lake Ruthie is a'drainin'...and that you continue to have help in the yard with big tasks. I hope you're taking it EASY, missy!!! Don't overdo and damage all the hard work you've done for the last couple months, ok? You do have a fabulous dog--and I bet she thinks she has a fabulous "slave!" Have fun at therapy--it must be wonderful to see other people enjoy Hersh as much as you do!

Hey, Weezle! If you're going to do bars, you might try the SBD high protein ones. 10g of protein, 5g of fiber, and low, low sugar. They have all sorts of other things in them, but at least you know they aren't likely to cause cravings. I've also been experimenting with Kind Fruit + Nut bars...many of them are way too high in sugar for me, but one or two get most of their sugar from dried fruits, and seem to leave me without cravings. Anyways, if you're looking for something more natural, those are worth looking at. Have a safe trip today!

Kara, back during WWII, people created backyard and neighborhood vegetable gardens to help supplement the food coupons they received. There wasn't a lot of food available because of the war and the more people could grow, the more other food could be sent to the troops, so they called them "Victory Gardens." I think some people still call backyard veggie gardens that. My grandpa, who had some physical ailment and wasn't accepted into the military, did part of his service at home by organizing victory gardens in his hometown. I think it's cool that you can read on the elliptical, Kara! I have trouble--too much bouncing up and down. But a friend of mine said she gets large-print books at the library and can read those on the elliptical. I tried it and she's right! So if you have trouble, Cyndi, try large-print books!

Me:
I'm still feeling tired, woozy, and my stomach isn't happy yet, but at least I'm keeping food down. I slept through the alarm yesterday and missed my appointment at the nutrition clinic...a shame because I bet it would have been a great weigh-in!

I did my strength training at the gym yesterday, which felt good. I'm off to the gym after work for elliptical and then home for a walk with the pup before showering and making dinner. I'm hoping to doctor a tempeh and veggie stir fry I made a couple months ago. I tried a sauce from the store, but it didn't do anything, so I froze the whole thing. Now I have a couple of super-yummy sauces in jars that I bought at Trader Joe's around Christmas, and I'm going to try one of them. I think it'll work well!

Hope everyone has a great day!