Hi, Everyone,

Here's my "official" version of the fable:

The Hare and the Tortoise

A hare met a tortoise one day and made fun of him for the slow and clumsy way in which he walked.

The tortoise laughed and said, "I will run a race with you any time that you choose."

"Very well," replied the hare, "we will start at once."

The tortoise immediately set off in his slow and steady way without waiting a moment or looking back. The hare, on the other hand, treated the matter as a joke and decided to take a little nap before starting, for she thought that it would be an easy matter to overtake her rival.

The tortoise plodded on, and meanwhile the hare overslept herself, with the result that she arrived at the winning-post only to see that the tortoise had got in before her.

Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

This comes from a book handed down from my grandmother to my mother to me. The book is so old it doesn't have a copyright date or an author/editor's credit.

That fable has been the motivation for us turtles for about two years. Someone on the ancient WW forum mentioned the fable and I discovered it was very motivational for me. I talked about it in posts and other people said that the tortoise philosophy worked for them, too. So, I started a thread for us turtle types.

We work toward accepting that our bodies have a natural speed of weight loss when we choose to live a healthy life, instead of "going on a diet". Many of us have experienced "the diets" as go on/lose weight-- go off/ gain the weight plus more back.

We choose to perservere with each choice we make throughout the day. We believe that choosing to be slow, steady turtles helps us to learn the skills we need to learn in order to not only lose the weight, but keep it off and become the healthiest people we can be.

So, welcome to all who realize that losing and maintaining a weight loss is a lifestyle change. And who want support as we all learn the skills we need to successfully make the changes that will allow us to reach our goals.

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren, when I think about it, the men aren't overweight. I'm talking about blood relations. The ones related to me by marriage seem to be mixed with regard to weight. But what's interesting is that none of the kids are overweight. The only one who's at all heavy is still toting around that bit of pudge we all get right before that adolescent growth spurt.

However, my family seems to have longevity genes. Even those in poorer health seem to hang in for a long life span. My grandfather lived to be 89, despite having diabetes most of his adult life. Something to be said for the foods grown in the Mediterranean region of the world, I guess.

That's a good question--What ARE you doing in Michigan? Despite the high cost of living, I do appreciate the climate here. After a couple of weeks of mostly gray skies, we're finally reaching the time of year when the morning overcast goes away and we get afternoon sun.

I've had cats most of my life, but none of them ever exhibited the behavior you mentioned. It's interesting that they would sort of copy the behavior of the cats outside the house.

Here's a {{hug}}. I hope your problems aren't serious and they get taken care of easily. I'll say some prayers for you.

Erin, I'm glad your professor is so willing to work with you re: your prereqs. One of the schools I went to had the prereqs on the computer and it matched them with your record. If you didn't have the prereqs, you couldn't register for the class. You're lucky you don't have to go through that bureaucratic hassle to get in!!
Congrats on your test scores.

It's so good to hear that you're getting back to normal with regard to your food and exercise.

I'm sort of in "I don't care" mode today. It's the grief, I know. It's going to take some time to get through this. So, I'm writing it all down. Walking. I'm actually not going nuts with food. But some of my choices could be better. So, I'll continue to do the best I can. My goal is to gradually get back OP.

This morning I did some reading for research on my book. This afternoon I plan to do some writing. Even if I only do a little bit, that little bit will help me to move back into my regular life.

Have a great day! Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Thanks for the new thread, Lin. And for the hugs. I'm hoping that this current batch of personal problems will ultimately be good for DH and me. God has a way of bringing good out of even difficult and painful things.

Interesting that the men in your family aren't heavy. That's pretty much true in my family, as well (although my brother is heavy). My dad and my uncles on both sides are thin. My mom is heavy, and so are many of my aunts. The heavy ones actually have mostly died off, though they did so in their 70s. (The thinner aunt on my dad's side made it into her 90s.) Also, the heavy aunts all died of various types of cancer (colon, uterine), while the thin aunts and uncles have had no cancer. They do say that overweight can be linked to cancers -- another reason for me to get it off and keep it off.

I can imagine that it would be hard to devote much energy to weight loss right now. You're wise to write it down and just do what you can. Maybe if you think of it as nurturing and taking care of yourself, it'll be less of a burden for you right now.

Erin, love the "don't ask, don't tell" proposition. Thanks for the cat info. I've been asking around; it appears that displaced aggression is common in cats. (Interesting that your cats have never done this, Lin.) I have a friend who throws a blanket over her cat Felix when he "decides to kick some cat butt" and then carries her other cat into another room to keep him safe until Felix gets over it. She has had to take the other cat to the vet in the past due to these fights, and she herself got bitten when she tried to pick up Felix when he was in the throes of being Kitty Terminator. I find it unsettling behavior, probably because I came to cat ownership (ha!) late in life. I find dogs much easier in comparison.

Judy, how's it going?

I'm working from home today, then leaving for St. Louis tomorrow. I don't know if any of you read Dotti's Weight Loss Zone's web site (except Mama Rose ), but I read it regularly in addition to the turtles, and we're having a convention this weekend. I'm finally going to meet a bunch of these folks. Among the agenda items: I'm going to be making an exhibition of myself by singing "You'll Have Thin Thighs" with a bunch of other folks to the tune of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." Oy. How do I get into these things? But it'll be fun.

Have a great day and weekend, and be good to yourselves.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/189.5/174 by Labor Day

Oh Lauren, I'm going to be giggling all day, thinking of you singing that song! Have fun on your trip.

I liked your comment about good things coming with the bad. My DH has suggested that I write at least one nice thing that has happened that day in my food journal (even if the rest of the day sucked). So even if I have to go to class and take two tests, at least I can sit in the sun and be warm to review beforehand (btw--why are you in Michigan? ).

Lin, right now your life needs to settle and get back to normal. I'm glad you're being patient and gentle with yourself. I'm sure that once you get back into the routine of writing and journalling, things will fall into place.

Judy, how's your week going?

My week is looking much, much better. I'm at 145 points for 5 days. I peeked and my weight is where it was before I got sick--the 10 pound loss, not the starting weight!--and I've been seriously dropping water the last couple of days, so I think I'm just about all healed. I really like this method of counting points--I had a high weekend, so I figured out how many points I had left and divided it over the remaining days, and set that* number as my daily max. And it's working! I was actually back on track after two days of eating lightly, and now I have 65 points for 2 days. How cool is that?

I finished another Spinning class yesterday morning (that makes 3 this week). My best friend, whom you have all heard about (she's the one who occasionally sabotages me), has finally asked if I would help her with exercise. Her problem is that she rode horses competitively (hunter/jumpers) for 18 years, and now she does not ride. Any other physical activity just bores her, but she's accepted that she needs to do something. So we're going out to the Bay this afternoon to ride our bikes. Should be an easy workout for me, I'm not intending to push her at all, just get her out and show her it can be fun. Then this evening I'll go to Spinning, if I can make it to this side of the county in time for class.

My Physiology prof, gotta love him, gave some of us more points on the test. So I have 88%, now, instead of 83%. My Philosophy prof moved the test to next tuesday, so I'm done with tests for the week. Just have to go to class, and any dumb bunny can do that.

Speaking of going to class, I must be off. Have a good day, Turtles!

Hi, Turtles,

Lauren, have a great time at the convention. I haven't been to Dotti's in a while. I decided to devote my weight loss support forum time mainly to the Turtles. The other time I have is now going to research for my book and a couple of writing forums I found. Your song sounds hilarious! Enjoy!

Erin, it's good to see your efforts to get back on track pay off. Enjoy your exercise sessions today. Must be wonderful to get to postpone a test. Too bad your prof didn't tell you sooner so you could have focused more time on your other exams. Oh, well. That's the way life goes, sometimes.

Judy, I hope things are well with you. Write when you can. 'K?

Well, I had an interesting experience last night. I did some eating in response to emotions and it did absulutely nothing for me. It didn't do whatever it used to do when I ate out of emotional reasons. So, I decided to give up that behavior.

I've counted points for two meals in a row. And I'm going to the store to get some beans to make soup for lunch. I guess it is possible to change even habits as entrenched as that one was for me, but it takes tons of patience and lots of time. I will remember this lesson well. I'm sure it will help me to be more consistently successful in the future.

I need to go to the store before I can make lunch. So I'd better get going. Then I'm going to work on my book this afternoon.

Have a great day!! Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Lin,
Glad you've counted points for two meals in a row. Isn't emotional eating the pits? I agree with you that now that I know more, the act of emotional eating doesn't even give me a brief respite from the anxiety, etc. You keep on learning more about yourself. Do you ever feel like I do? I know enough, already. Now let's lose weight! LOL I am determined this week. You've had a huge amount of stress in your life for a very long time. Be easy on yourself and do the right things when you can. Here's some more hugs!

Mousie,
Good break on postponing the test! Also glad you benefitted from a curve. An 88% is a mighty nice score. I am also thrilled to see that you've reached a weight that you associate with good feelings--before you got sick. Good luck with your spinning and all the fun things you do.

Lauren,
Hey--belt out that number for the turtles! It should be so much fun. Have a wonderful time and enjoy yourself. I think immersing yourself into Dotti's and Turtles is a great thing to do. It helps keep you focused on what's really important to you right now.

Yesterday was WW. I was up .6# for the week. I had hoped to stay the same because I knew I was eating high range and one or two days were endless points and I stopped counting. Another thing I said I'd never do again. Anyway--on the way home from WW, I planned a nice simple dinner that wasn't high points. That's an accomplishment because I like to pick up something on the way home from WW because I'm usually very hungry.
At WW she emphasized a triangle of words that we can pay attention to to do better with our eating plan. The words are
in a triangle going from the base to the apex:
environment, behaviors, capability, beliefs, identity.
The leader said to improve your eating environment. What needs to change to make this easier? Your behaviors--do you always do the same thing in a crisis or in response to stimulents other than hunger? What is your capability? What do you believe you can do? Do you believe that you can lose weight? What myths have you told yourself? What do you believe? Do you believe you can do this? Will you just try? (Yoda) Will you do it? And then get to the hard part--identity. How do you see yourself? Do you deserve this? Do you deserve to get thin?
I thought these were valuable ideas. It sparked an interest in me to sit down and journal ideas--not just points. I am going to concentrate on what I need to do to make WW a priority in my life. Then I am going to write down the details that will allow me to have that happen.
I was disappointed that I *failed * so soon in my new WW attempt and then I read Suzanne's journal entry and realized many of us don't start and lose weight smoothly. Yes, I want this weight off. Yes, I am disappointed that I put weight on this year.
Well, you know what? It's been a heck of a year and I'm working on it. Yesterday was good. Today is good and I have all my food in the house and planned for tonight. I can do this day by day and meal by meal if need be.
I'm offering you all my support at all times. And I am very happy for the support you give me. Take care. Be well. Be happy.

Judy
219.2/218.2/lower

Hi again, everyone.

I forgot to mention -- the Turtles will be symbolically at the convention this weekend. Two reasons:

1. I'm brining my little Turtle talisman (he fits in the palm of my hand, so I take him around with me these days).

2. We're all bringing mugs that represent the area where we're from, and we're supposed to tuck a regional edible item (preferably low-point) into them and an inspirational saying. Well, the mug has lighthouses from the Great Lakes on it, the edible item is Michigan cherry tea (we're the largest cherry producer in the country, I believe), and -- here's the Turtle part -- my inspirational quotation is Lin's signature quote. I figured it was perfect, because it's from Henry Ford, a Detroit hero if ever there was one. Besides, it's just a great quote.

So the Turtles will be represented.

One additional note to what Judy said about that triangle -- my WW leader talked about that, too. I really like that triangle. She said that WW has traditionally just focused on the bottom two levels -- environment and behavior. But unless you change the top three tiers -- capabilities, beliefs, and ultimately identity -- you won't keep the weight off. So we talked a lot about those last night, and I found it very helpful. Thanks for sharing all that, Judy.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/189.5/174 by Labor Day

Hi, Turtles,

Judy, it's great to hear from you. You know, if you keep starting over and never give up, you will get to where you want to be. I don't know if you've noticed, but the times between your going off and starting over are getting closer and closer together. Pretty soon, they'll run together completely and you won't be going off. So, you're making more progress than you give yourself credit for. And you have a good plan in place. Great going!

Lauren, I know we've all said it before, but have a great time at the convention. We're looking forward to a full report when you get back.

Your reports from your WW meetings are really interesting. The top three tiers of the triangle are all about what's going on inside of our heads. We've talked about that a lot here in the Turtle threads. We've all experienced the phenomenon of having our heads, more than our environment, affect our behavior. This is a really good tool to help with that aspect of weight loss. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I was thinking about emotional eating again today. Having a series of major stresses in your life can do that to you. I realized that since I've been so much more diligent about my morning journal, I've been relying less and less on food to get me through stressed times. I also noticed that I tend to turn to food more when I cannot figure out how to solve a problem than in any other stressful situation. Since my journal allows me to brainstorm solutions, I feel better about those situations and don't overeat as often.

I'm still somewhat off and on with my food. I do well when I have the energy to do the food preparation I'm used to doing. But when the grief saps my energy and all I want to do is eat something, well, the burritos go in the microwave. I am getting back on track. I have three mini-meals that are just the right amount and good food choices today. Tonight's dinner will be a great lead-in to a totally back OP day tomorrow. We're having broiled salmon steaks. YUM!

This afternoon I'm getting back to my book. I worked on it yesterday. Two days in a row is a major accomplishment right now, so I'm happy about that.

I think we're going to get my youngest son's education paid for, but he'll have mucho money to pay back when he's done. But, the days of getting jobs in his field just because you've taught yourself some computer graphics skills are over. He needs that BS degree. But his starting salary will probably be more than his dad is making after 30 years of work. What a weird education/economic system we have in this country!!

Have a great day!! Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Judy, good to see you! I can understand that "I messed up so early!" frustration, but try to be easy on yourself. You've got a lot to deal with right now, and you picked yourself up and got going again. So what was lost? Was ANYTHING really lost? One week in the realm of a lifetime...drop in the bucket, really. You're never going to look back and lament, "Oh, if only I hadn't lost that week, life would be so much better now!" Good for you for shaking yourself out of it and getting back on the path you want to follow.

Lin, I'm glad to hear that life is getting back to some semblance of normality. You sound very sane and level headed (as always) and I have every faith that you'll be on your way again soon.

Lauren, sing it loud, sing it proud! Glad to hear the Turtles are so thoroughly represented!

My total points for the week were 202 out of 210. So, an average of 29 points per day and $8 for the boot fund. I made my goal of veggies every day and at least 2 liters of water a day (yesterday I had 5 liters and 5 the day before, I was sooooooooooo thirsty), as well as made my exercise goal. My weight, sadly, is up 1.5 pounds. But, considering what time of the month it is and considering that I can't even get my rings off, I'm thinking I'm probably holding water. So I'm not stressing about it.

My goals for the week are: 210 points for the week; 3 Spinning classes/hours of exercise; veggies every day; protein every day. The week of TOM I tend to go heavily toward carbs, and I need to pay attention this week to getting my protein in.

DH and I are staking out a claim early at the kite field, going to fly today. I got up early (as usual) and was at loose ends, so I decided to go to the store and get picnic stuff. So we're having a picnic, too (he doesn't know this yet ). Cheese and veggie sandwich for me, cheese and meat and veggies for him. Too much fun.

Gotta go make sandwiches, Turtles, have a wonderful day.

Hi, Turtles,

Erin, way to go on that boot fund. How much more before you get the boots?

It must be the way our hormones work because I tend to go for the carbs during PMS, too. I try to focus on complex carbs, which seems to keep me from going quite so crazy.

We saw the most wonderful kite at Costco yesterday. It was really beautiful. My dh was saying that one of the good things about Salinas is it's windy enough to fly kites. He joked that in SJ you can only fly about two days a year. I think it's so cool that you and your dh share such a fun, outdoor activity.

I'm slowly getting myself back together. That seems to be my post for the week. I started by just continuing to write down what I was eating. Now, I'm writing down the points. My next step is to gradually cut back the number of points until I'm back within my range. I suspect that since PMS is looming, it will be a couple of weeks before I get back into my range. That's OK with me. I just don't want to get totally out of control while I move through my grief.

My book is going OK. I had to totally reorganize my notes because I realized that I needed to take a different approach as I developed more of the world and its stories. We're getting my son's college funding in place. So, things are getting back to their routine, which is comforting right now. That's a thought I never thought I'd have because I really fight against too much routine. It saps my creativity to be stuck to one, never-varying schedule.

Have a great weekend! Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Lin and Mousie,
You both sound like you're on the right track. Good to hear from you.
I'm doing well. Yesterday was a very high point day, but I knew it would be. I'm making up for it today and that works for me.
We had our delayed Easter yesterday at our friends' house and our girls were able to go with us. It was a lot of fun.
Take care
Judy
219/?/lower

Hi Turtles.

Lin, you have such a great attitude toward getting back on track. I personally love routine, I get anxious and afraid (literally) when I don't have a routine, don't know what to do next. Brain injury, isn't it fun.

Yesterday at the kite field a small boy approached my husband and asked to fly the kite. Since DH had the small parafoil up (the easiest kite to fly) he said sure, and handed over the controls and taught the boy to fly. The boy was a natural, I swear, he just understood it and was off in 5 minutes flat. Two women approached me and asked if that was my kite, and if it was really okay for him to be flying it. I said sure, we're happy to play, we come out to the field each weekend just to play ourselves. One of the women explained that they're with a church group that works with a group called Hope Worldwide. Hope Worldwide is a group that helps children who are being cared for by their grandparents for whatever reason. Each weekend the kids go out with the group both to get a chance to play themselves and to give the grandparents a bit of respite.

Anyway, we had 5 kites laid out, and soon 4 were in the air (the 4 line was being wonky and DH didn't want to put it up). I was running around like a maniac trying to help the kids, and DH was helping a guy who was on the big parafoil (you can't learn that one without someone right there to help you). So we had 4 hours of playing yesterday. It was lovely. DH has suggested that we buy a couple of parafoils (the easy ones) and contact Hope Worldwide and make arrangements to be at the field regularly to teach these kids to fly. And I'd like to be able to give the first little boy his own kite--he seriously was so natural with it, it was amazing--he really should have his own kite.

Up late last night and so late this morning, got DH a haircut and then had a yummy lunch (veggie sandwich from Oscar's). I went into See's Candies and got a pineapple truffle for me and a lemon truffle for DH, and we were perfectly content. Amazing. A single piece of quality chocolate IS more satisfying than a bag of the cheap stuff!

Now I have reading and physics to do. See you later, Turtles.

Hi, tortoises.

Well, the weekend was a blast. And very motivating, too. I especially admired the people who were struggling, who had gained weight recently but came to the conference anyway. That's heroic in my eyes.

There was a Lifetimers & Maintenance group "fashion show" that was also inspirational. They projected a "before" photo up on the wall of each person; we had to guess who it was. Then they came out wearing a great outfit and did a little "runway" walk. Some of the differences were very striking. I had only seen these people thin, and I had a hard time imagining them fat. I was glad to see kudos for folks on maintenance, too, since they don't get much support from WW.

I didn't know anyone before I went, except through the boards, but everyone was very friendly and meeting people turned out to be easy. I did think of you turtles often, though, since this really feels like my "home" group. Wish you could've been there.

My weight is up again. I ate lightly last week but overate during the weekend. It's also TOM. I'm not looking forward to weighing in this week and seeing yet another gain. This will be three weeks in a row. The main difference: more carbs (due to Lent) and less exercise. Well, Lent is over in a week and a half.

Oh, one person who really inspired me from the conference -- a woman who lost 72 pounds and has kept it off for 24 YEARS. She's now a WW leader and has a lot of pearls of wisdom. She can also maintain on 39 points now, but she's careful about what she eats. She observes the "right choice" mix that WW suggests and is particularly careful to get in enough protein and limit the carbs. I tried to sit near her often.

Well, best get to work.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/191/174 by Labor Day

Hi, Turtles,

Judy, balancing a high point with a lower point day is one of the best ways to handle celebrations. I know that's a difficult thing for you because your family loves to celebrate. Great going.

Erin, I love the way you just get in there and help out other people. The world would be a much better place if more people would seize opportunities to help others.

I agree with you 100% about a little of the best being more satisfying than a lot of the mediocre. That's why I go out of my way to find the best ingredients I can when I cook. Using the best is one of the simplest ways to improve the quality of the food we eat.

But most people assume that it doesn't make much of a difference, at least they do until someone makes a favorite dish with high quality ingredients. Example: my mother has this cookie recipe that "no one else" (meaning her three sisters) could make as well. Well, I made the same recipe but used super high quality chocolate and everyone, including her, said that they were better.

The conference sounds like it was a blast, Lauren. Thanks for the report. I'm sure the weight issues will get taken care of. They do every year after you get past the douible whammy of TOM and Lenten fasting because you persist through the whole time.

I am just writing down my food. Trying to make the best choices, but really fighting PMS. I think I'm having a difficult month because I haven't been as faithful with taking my supplements during the week when my brother died. So, I plan to do my best and get back on track after TOM.

I'm working on my book. The book is going well. I need to get another notebook to put ideas for other stories I've come up with that take place in this world. I can easily forsee that I could end up with a long series of books that take place in this setting.

But I have to rant because I need someone to talk to about this. I'm working on trying to figure out how I'm going to keep writing, do all of the stuff a family requires, and get a job because we need more income if our youngest son is going to get through college. Also if I have to add a job to my schedule, where will I find time to exercise, plan meals, etc.? Will this dilemma negatively affect my weight loss efforts, too?

Being faced with this situation makes me wish those two male writers, whose books about writing I've read over the years, were here so I could punch them in the nose. (and I'm not a violent person) What they said was that writers should not let anything interfere with their writing time. When asked about family crises, they both said (in essence), "Well, my wife takes care of that stuff." I wanted to scream at them, "What if the writer IS the wife?"

I read in a book about creative women that many creative women never realize their creative dreams because of the expectations on them from the people in their lives to take care of all of the "stuff" women are expected to do. They put their creative ideas aside and let them go because they love their families and freinds and don't want to lose those relationships. But why should women have to choose between their dreams and thier families? The idea that because I'm female the household stuff is my responsibility and the guys only have to do it if they agree to "help" is the only thing I hate about being female.

My guys agree that they cause their share of the work and that they "should" do their share of the cleaning, etc. But they all have "reasons" why their unique situation prevents them from having to actually following through on those ideals. The main excuse is that they have to go to work/school and they have various specific details of their lives that they use to individualize the excuse. Then they follow the blather about their busy lives with, "Besides, you're home all day and you have nothing better to do." I might consider their perspective reasonable, except that when I worked outside the home, they came up with other "reasons" why they shouldn't have to do the work and I still was stuck with all of it. That's why I'm in this dilemma. I know that I cannot count on their help if I end up having to get a job.

I've tried everything, including "going on strike", so to speak. But they just ignore the mess and the dirt until I can't stand it and clean it up myself. I've made job charts. I've thrown the great Italian hissy fit. I've withered them with "the Look". I've tried to negotiate, but they refuse to come up with a workable plan because if they contribute to a plan, they will actually have to do chores. But if they force me to make a plan on my own, they can get out of following it because it "wasn't their idea." No matter what the discussion, I end up with the responsibility for all of the chores. Even if they agree to do some, they only follow through for a week or two. Then they start with the excuses about why they can't do it this time and gradually they're not doing it at all.

I keep trying to make time schedules that don't depend on my family's help to fit in all of the activities I want and need to do. But every time I put it in black and white, I end up really discouraged because there just aren't enough hours in the day for everything (unless I give up sleeping).

My family doesn't understand. And when I try to tell them, they think I'm trying to get out of doing chores I don't want to do by calling my writing hobby "work", thereby giving me the same excuse they use to get out of doing them. They project their perspective on my words. I know that you cannot really help me because the only people who can make a difference are my dh and my sons. They've made it clear that they won't change in this area. So, I guess I just needed to sound off. Thanks for listening.

Have a great day! Happy turtlin'!

Lin

Lin,
Boy, do I hear you loud and clear! In all areas! First, thanks for pointing out that my family likes celebrations, because we sure do and they often revolve around eating. I don't think I ever realized just how much we like to have happy times. I just weighed myself and I'm getting nowhere fast. Ugh

Lin,
Again, boy does your family have you in a stranglehold. How about a list of 10 things that must be done and everything else can slide or glide until you want to do them? How about the toilets have to be scrubbed, dishes washed, living room picked up either late at night or immediately in the morning, etc. I don't know what bugs you the most. But get those 10 things written down and threaten to yell, scream, and throw pots until your dh and ds each volunteer to do 3-4 of them daily or weekly depending on the chore.
In defense of people other than us in a household, I know in my family I've had dear ones step over folded laundry on the steps waiting to go upstairs. Duh! How much genius does it take to carry laundry upstairs? I'm not even saying to put it away. Just get it upstairs. Etc., etc. I feel it's not important to them. They honestly don't see it. It doesn't bother them. etc. etc.
I don't feel that they mean to trap us, but they sure don't want to help either.
As far as job and writing, maybe this is naive, but depending on the job you get, you may be able to imagine events in your plot as you work. If you kept your notebook handy, I bet a lot of phrases and sentences could be recorded quickly without impinging on the workplace setting.
I know you're talented in writing. I know you want more income.
I know you want to help your son get through college. I know you'll figure out a way.
As far as better eating and staying in control. Make a grocery list.
Let one of the males go food shopping. Let another wash up.
You are a great cook and seem to enjoy it, so you can continue to cook. I know I sound bossy about this, but I believe everyone needs to pull his weight, and it's just impossible for them to really believe that your needs and wants are less important than theirs.
Well, forgive me for going on and on, but I want you to be successful and I know you can be.
Lin--you can do this!

Mousie,
How wonderful and generous of you to let the kids fly the kites.
What great people you guys are. I've heard of so many grandparents raising their grandkids, and I give these people all the credit in the world. If you can help out in this way, way to go!
I loved hearing about this.

Lauren,
Hey, I feel like we're a little family here and we're all pitching in to help each other. I love that you got to meet the Dotti gals and I'm glad people were welcoming and nice. The fashion show must have been very encouraging. Hey, I hear you getting a little disappointed in the scale, etc. Hang in there and turn it around.
I know you can do this.

I'm having a tough time. I'm supposed to weigh in tomorrow and I don't think I will . I thought I had been doing well and the scale is not budging. It is not budging one bit! This is not a good thing.
So, I'll weigh in on Saturday and work even harder. I'll grocery shop tomorrow and get in more good food supplies.
Good luck to us all. You guys are the best.

Judy
219/lower