Good morning to you ladies. It is a pretty day here. Not too cool. I was up really late not being able to sleep so I went back upstairs this morning and went back to bed then got up and cleaned what needed to be cleaned upstairs so my cleaning chores are done. I just have to unload the dishwasher and reload breakfast dishes then get clothes finished.

Good grief! The lady next door is cooking icky again. The day before yesterday she was doing the really stinky stuff and she must have been having company the next day because the smell went away in the afternoon then returned full strength around 8 pm. Our bedroom smelled like old chinese food all night!

Susan: Jack knows he will have to have these stress tests for the rest of his life about once a year, but that doesn't mean he likes them. I wouldn't, I know that. Of course, I would have to do the one that mimics because I can't do the treadmill fast with my knees. Hope you got an a-ok report on your thumb.

Jean: I have a large quantity of a deep purple yarn that I think I am going to find a sweater pattern for and make another sweater in a smaller size to spur me on to losing weight. I don't know. I am so used to having projects to do for other people or as gifts. I imagine folks are tired of getting knitting from me for birthday presents. I can't wait to finish and sew this sweater up. The pattern is so pretty on it. It has a flaw, but I wasn't about to rip it all out. The yarn I bought is what they call "no dye lot." So, I couldn't buy dye lots in the same number to make sure they matched. I knitted the back with a couple skeins I had, then went to the store to get more and the colors didn't match. I went to every place in town that sold this yarn and couldn't get it to match. So the back is a brighter peach than the front. That is ok, but then I knitted the one sleeve and finished it and discovered that the first half was knitted in the brighter peach and the second in the more muted, but I was darn sure not going to tear it all out. Since it is the sleeve and not as noticable, I am going to just keep it the way it is. If it were for someone else, I imagine I would have torn the whole sweater apart, but since it is for me, NOPE! I am thinking about making this sweater but don't know if I will make the matching hat or not. You can wear something like this as a jacket or alone, which I like.

Well gals, I need to finish my daily chores! Have a wonderful weekend! It is commissary weekend for us! yippeee!

Good afternoon, ladies. Cold today, down in the low 30s so I guess it'll be in the 20s tonight.

The brace came off this afternoon. My thumb is still sore and hurts when I put pressure on it so it's going to be a little while to get it back to full use again.

My quilting bee was a lot of fun as always. We were invited to put up a display of our quilts at Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest this year, the first bee they have asked in their 20 year history. They heard we do a lot of swaps and quilts that are exceptional. They have alotted us 60 feet for our display so we had to decide what we were going to hang and we decided to hang the quilt from one of our long time members who passed away 14 months ago as a tribute to her. Today was quilt quild, more fun and then we had lunch out. I ate 1 slice of an 8" cheese pizza, a small salad and a slice of bread and butter. They make the bread there and it is wonderful. Since I used to eat 3 slice of the pizza, I think I am doing better. Still within points for today. The fact that I have to weigh in tomorrow morning may have influenced me a tad.

Faye, I love that sweater. That lace pattern is so pretty. You are talented to be able to do that. Is Thomas all over his chicken pox? Maybe you need to take up quilting and that would keep you busy making gifts for everyone again. Quilters are very friendly, sharing people.

Maggie, do you have your records from your last doctor to take to the new one? My doctor has a nurse practioner in the office. She is very knowledgeable and the children love her.

Well, I have a tuna fillet, asparagus and cauliflower on the menu for tonight since I had lunch out.

Have a good evening!

Good morning to you all! It was beautiful here yesterday, near 70 degrees. We were able to drive around with the moon roof open, which was fun. It is 64 right now, but it is supposed to dip down to around 48 today and go back to the 40's. It did say we were supposed to have sun for several days so after running a couple errands last night, we went and got the car washed. Of course, it is raining now! Sheesh! I just looked at the forecast and it says sunny all weekend. I guess they consider this liquid sun.

Susan: I imagine I would be one stinky quilter. I can handsew pretty well, but have never been very good with a sewing machine. I do have to say that except for home ec in jr high, I haven't really used one though. I love color so much that I imagine my quilts would be colorful if nothing else. The pattern for this new sweater came from a yarn company so I looked at the yarn that they used and it sure comes in some pretty colors. I am thinking about buying one of these to make the sweater. I didn't think I would ever buy yarn that had elastic in it again, but this one does.

Jean: You seem to always be "pitching." I am amazed your house isn't completely bare by now! I do not envy you the snow. I know Jay and Alicia are getting a lot of snow and cold temperatures. I hope it improves in February, but I am sure not holding my breath. I don't even own a winter coat! When I finish the sweater, I will put it on and have Jack take a picture. I am still trudging along on the last sleeve. I didn't work on it at all yesterday but I think I will work on it this morning until breakfast.

Maggie: I can't imagine having to go so far to a dr. I hate our practice, but it is convenient. It is only about 3.5 miles from the house. I have to make an appt and get in and get new meds too. I just dread going. Not because of anything that is said to me, I just don't like the practice and there aren't any others any better. The only practices that take tricare seem to be those that handle a lot of medicaid and indigent cases so you go into the waiting room and it is overflowing with creepy people. You sit forever and then are rushed through. I wish I could just see my gastrointestinal surgeon all the time as a regular physician. I really like him. lol I am looking forward to trying this new lace pattern for the sweater. Since I now have the hang of it, I don't think it will be a problem. I just have to be patient, because I do make booboos and have to tear stuff out sometimes. Lace patterns are mostly keeping correct count so I put a lot on paper to keep things straight.

Today is commissary day. I don't have a very big list so it shouldn't take too long to get in and out I hope. It isn't any of the paydays so I am hoping it won't be too crowded. Jack is going to take Monday off so we can go and get the new tags for the car and go to the base and get a base sticker all in one shot. Millington has a county clerk's office (which is where you get tags in this town) so we can drive out there, get the tags, then just go to the base. I need to get online and pull up the bases website and find out the hours of the pass office though. It is pretty easy to get the base sticker as long as you have your id card, registration and insurance proof. Jack wants to buy specialty tags for the suv that say retired Navy on them, but the extra cost isn't that much, around $25 so I said that was ok.

Oh Jean, Jack and I were discussing the buying of the car last night on our way home. I told him that I knew him so well that I knew I was in for a struggle the minute he went out and test drove one of the cars. I told him he is very predictable when he wants something. When he wanted a new laptop, he would go to the website everyday and work up a prospectus on the the cost. Well, I began noticing in the morning while he was eating his breakfast at the computer that he would go to the Ford website everyday and put together a car. So, I knew it was hopeless that we would never wait until July. He told me last night he had no intention of waiting until July that he planned on buying a car in March or April! lol That's what happens when you have a man raised by permissive and spoiling parents like he had. Don't get me wrong, they made him behave but they sure spoiled those two kids. Anyway, I thought you would get a chuckle out of the fact he had no intention on waiting very long! Oh and I don't think I ever told any of you. After that first day, the Grand Marquis has worked perfectly since then. I think that maybe when he put it in reverse he somehow got the shift inbetween gears and that is why it wouldn't back up. I can honestly say, this was not in the plan. Jack is not sneaky. If he really wanted the car right then, he would have driven me crazy about it knowing I would give in and not pretended there was something wrong with the other car.

Well, gals, I need to go. I hope you all have a grand day!
Faye

Good afternoon, ladies. Nice day today, nearly 60 degrees - but snow is predicted for next week. Oh, well, snow doesn't last long here.

I weighed in at WW this morning - down 2.6 pounds for a total of 10.2 in 1 month. I feel great about that. I'll be glad to get back to Curves for exercise next week. I love it there and I usually been a tad more than 300 calories per workout.

I have a pot of zero point Veggie Soup on the stove and I'm making Chili from the "5 Ingredients, 15 Minutes" cookbook. I'll have a big salad with it and a few saltines.

Maggie, I don't mind the mammogram but I never schedule it until the doctor insists. I think I'd be more open to these tests if there was cancer in my family. There has only been one person in the last 4 generations has had it and he married in so not related by blood. I'm really concerned with heart disease and stroke prevention - boths sides of my family have had those probems. Funny but no doctor I've ever been to has asked me to have any kind of cadiac test or anything. I've outlived my father and 2 of his brothers who all died with their first heart attack before they were 60. But I've tried really hard to keep things like blood pressure and cholesterol in check while eating healthy.

Jeanne, we are overrun with deer around here - no preditors so they flourish. I quit trying to have a garden because they ate everything. What they didn't get to first, the racoons ate. They are so beautiful, though...

Faye, there are still a few diehards who do all the piecing and quilting by hand. I guess I'd have to say I'm about 80% hand piecing and quilting (including applique) and do about 20% of the piecing on the machine. I can sew quite well, I've made coats and suits in my time, but I prefer the handwork. That yarn is gorgeous.

Have a good evening, ladies!

Good morning to you all! I woke up with a darn backache and sneezing my head off so I decided to just come downstairs and post and knit for awhile or read. I just got the new Janet Evanovich book yesterday and have it almost done. She is so funny.

Danged if it didn't rain all over our clean car yesterday. In fact, it poured down rain on the trip out to the commissary. We always go in the back gate and this time they refused to let us go in and made us go around to the front and go to the pass office to get a pass. I sat in the car 25 minutes waiting for Jack. The pass office was never open on Saturday and all of a sudden it is. There was a total mess at the front gate. Cars lined up down Navy road to get it. They have all these road blocks you have to drive in and out of to get up to the gate for security now, which slows everything way down. I was pretty miffed about it actually. Not so much the security or having to get a pass but having to wait 25 minutes. I mean, think about it. You never open up on the weekend so everyone has to take off work to get their base stickers or temporary passes, etc. All of a sudden you have Saturday hours. Wouldn't you think they would put more than 2 people to wait on folks? Jack says it is because they use civilians now instead of military people and they have to pay them to work on Saturdays. Uh, no, not if they have them take off a weekday instead. Close the darn pass office on one weekday like they do the commissary. I think it is funny all this heavy security for a base that is basically now filled with paper. There aren't much in the way of military personnel out there anymore. There are no schools, they have been sent to Jacksonville Fla several years ago, there are no planes, they no longer do any training at the base, in fact, the base sold their airstrip to the town. They now basically do things with personnel, it is headquarters for Naval Recruiting, they have all the advancement teams or whatever they are called and that is about it. Half the buildings are empty. It isn't likely the base would be a target for terrorism, that's for sure.

Jean: I think it is funny about Bob deciding about buying a tractor like he is buying a cadillac. I guess for farming it is important to get a top notch tractor. Living in a farming community my whole life growing up I saw enough of them chugging down the country roads, let alone half the high school population were farm boys. The boy I walked down the aisle with at graduation was a farm boy big time. Big, silent, shy and dutch. His parents were dairy farmers from the old country and spoke mostly dutch. He married someone completely opposite of himself and I don't know if they are still married or not. He was a nice guy but I guess I went for bad boy sailor types! lol Actually, I usually attracted the older guys that were out of high school and I was so dumb I had no idea how to handle it. I don't imagine I will buy more than whatever color I decide on for that sweater. It is a pricier yarn and to make myself a sweater would put it near $100. I think I may make my dil a sweater for her birthday this year with the raisin colored yarn first. I have so much of it and it is lovely soft yarn and I have never made her anything but a scarf. I think she would wear this sweater as it is a simple cable. She is not one that dresses up and wears jeans for the most part with t-shirts and such. She has to wear a lab coat for work so no one sees what she wears anyway.

Susan: The soup sounds good and I love chili, but Jack hates tomatoes and won't eat beans in his chili so I have to make a goofy version. Don't get me wrong, it is really good chili, but it is really simple too. I have to put my beans in my bowl and put my chili on top of it, which is ok. I think I will stick with knitting. I finally got the hang of it! I used to cross stitch and have several pieces hanging in my house, but those days are gone. It is too hard for me to see those tiny squares anymore and sewing for a long time makes my hands hurt so I am sure the same thing would happen with quilting. I have trouble from time to time with knitting causing my hands to hurt and I end up having to put is aside for a couple days if I have been knitting for a long time.

I guess I will get in the chair and either knit or read for awhile. I am going to start the downstairs cleaning today since Jack is going to be off tomorrow and I will probably go with him to get tags and the base sticker. Wonder how long we will have to sit this time!

Have a good one everybody!
Faye

Good afternoon, ladies! Still raining. It's depressing.

I went to church this morning and that's the highlight of my day. I have a load of laundry washing and it's time to mop the kitchen and vacuum and then do the bathrooms. After that I'll get my meals planned for next week and then, finally, I'll be able to work on my quilt patterns a little more. Once I sketch out my quilt design, I make patterns out of freezer paper and then I can cut the fabrics. That's what I'm doing now. I'm anxious to start sewing.

Here's a little inspiration.

SUCCESS IS A CHOICE
Today I will make many choices, and each will have a consequence.
Today I will choose to tell myself that I am worth the effort, or I can tell myself it doesn't matter, I'll do it tomorrow.
Today I can choose to journal, or I can choose not to.
Today I can choose to drink my water, or I can choose to be dehydrated.
Today I can choose to stay in my points range, or I can choose to hinder my goals.
Today I can choose to be more active, or I can choose to take the easy way.
Today I can choose to be motivated, or I can choose to tell myself "I can't.
Today I can choose success.

Faye, You knit so beautifully, it's well worth what you spend for yarn. I'm sure you DIL would love a sweater from you. A lot of people don't put beans in their Chili. Ever had Cincinnati Chili? You get a bowl of meat and then can chose what you want - pasta, beans, onions, cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream. It's good stuff. Janet Evanovich is one of my favorite authors. I thing Stephanie Plum and her gang would make a great movie or even better a tv show.

Maggie and Jean, hi!

I just read your post and I can relate to what you are going through with your mother. I just wanted to say hello as I am also from Delaware
I started eating every 3 hours on Jan 1, 2009 and as of today I have lost 8.4 pounds.
Two years ago I lost a lot of weight by eating every 3 hours. It is a way of life and really works. My mother got cancer and started chemo in 2007 and eating every 3 hours wasn't an option for me..so I gain much of it back. My mother died 1 year ago and with the new year I am ready to regain my life (for my husband and son)
I tried to PM you but can't until I have 10 posts.

Just bringing #3 back to the top.

Good morning to you all! I hope yesterday was a fine day for you and today will be even better. I ended up in the chair most of the night with Fortchy as I had one of those tickles in my throat that kept me coughing. Sitting in the chair, I went right back to sleep and we slept all night except for the loud mouth neighbors making tons of noise around 1 am. I hope it didn't wake Jack as our bedroom window faces out the back. Rude people, goody, goody, great neighbors again. At least they haven't parked in front of our garage and blocked it yet, but it is early in the year.

Jean: I hope I didn't make you misunderstand. We got a pass good for a month, it is just you have to go to such lengths to get it now. You used to be able to get one at the back gate if you had ID cards. They just put some info on a sheet of paper and gave you a plastic card good for the day only. Ahh well, we will be getting the permanent sticker today so then it will be no more problems. At least I hope they aren't closed today. With our luck, they will be and Jack is taking a vacation day to do this. Sounds like you had a busy morning at church. I am not a huge baked potato fan, but at least I eat skin and all!

Susan: What kind of new quilt are you starting? Thanks for the encouragement. We all have to make a choice about what we are going to do with our lives that's for sure. This new book she called Plum Spooky and it is a "between the numbers book." It was pretty funny and not so much Ranger or Morelli, but Diesel is in the whole thing and just for a hint, a monkey named Carl. She has a grand sense of humor and sure can spin a tale. I agree a tv show would be hilarious if they could pull it off. Who should we cast as Stephanie? I will think on it and see if I can make a cast list. I have to say, good ole Grandma Mazur is my favorite. That lady is a real character and don't tell, buy my mother was a noodle head like her so it makes it doubly funny. My mom used to go to McDonalds for breakfast and clean them out of stir sticks, napkins, salt and pepper, etc. She would go around to customers asking if she could take their scraps, then pull out a big plastic bag and scoop it all in to "take home to her dogs." The ultimate doggy bag! She was a character. Everytime I take shampoos and stuff from a hotel room, my husband pipes up with, "Way to go Mary-Etta." (my mom's name)

Well, I am going to unload the dishwasher and such.

Have a good Monday all and keep warm!
Faye

Good morning. I am back from Va. Beach. I'll start off with an update about my Mom.

Where to begin in explaining about my Mom? Overall...in general...if one compares to where she has been right after surgery to this day, one would say she has improved. However, she still has cancer and chemo will not start for at least another two weeks or more depending on her health. She needs to become stronger. She entered the hospital in the beginning of December malnourished and that has not improved much. She has a feeding tube and she's getting "adequate nourishment" (doctor's quote) but she has not passed the test that will allow her to eat or drink normal food. Hopefully, they will administer another test for that today. Her bowels are not working properly yet. The doctor told us (Dad and me) last week that Mom will be on dialysis for the rest of her life. She still cannot speak because the tracheotomy is still healing. She gets extremely frustrated and agitated when she's not understood. (I don't blame her because I would feel frustrated also.) She's supposed to be receiving physical and respiratory therapy. The only physical therapy she's receiving is getting her out of bed twice a day to sit in a chair which she can do for about two minutes tops...which they did not do Saturday or yesterday according to Dad (who is angry). I have yet to see the respiratory therapist. She's also supposed to be receiving some kind of voice therapy which I have not seen. Dad and my brother will address these issues with the doctor this morning. When I arrived the beginning of last week she was no longer in ICU. She had been moved to a "step-down" room and then last Wednesday she was moved to a regular room. I left for Delaware late Friday afternoon. Yesterday, Dad told me that Mom will be moved out of the hospital into a rehab center (next door to the hospital) today or tomorrow. In my opinion, she's not ready for that but it's not the doctor or the hospital; it's the insurance company. She is being moved out of one system and into another. This is all so disheartening...because quite frankly, my Mom's mental state is not very good. Right when you think she's lucid and understands, the next instant she becomes confused and begins to act like a child. I'm scared to death. That's enough about my Mom because I can go on and on...

So...I returned to Delaware. Wayne was waiting for me by the door. I think I fell into his arms; I was so exhausted physically and mentally. I think I scared him...but gosh I was so glad to see this man! I don't have to explain any of my feelings to him--he knows me and he just plain understands--he went through similar issues when his Mom was sick and passed away twelve years ago. I apologized to him (which he said I didn't need to do) because when he went through this with his Mom I didn't fully appreciate what he (and his Dad) went through.

On the drive home, I made a decision to rejoin WW (for the 30th time) the next morning. This time, it's not so much to lose the weight (although I do); I need to get healthy. When I'm in Va. Beach I have a difficult time eating from the stress of being strong for Mom, Dad, and my brother...and trying to get to the root of issues of all things happening down there. After about two days back in Delaware I'm finally able to sleep and eat like a normal person. But whenever I do eat (in Va. Beach) or when I'm home (in Delaware), I'm not eating very healthy. So, I rejoined WW on Saturday morning at the lowest weight I've ever (re)joined. 215.2 pounds.

I have the new WW materials. For me, it's like core and flex have joined together which makes sense. I like the emphasis on whole grains which I have started doing anyway since I retired two years ago. Just eating as many whole grain foods as I can brought my total cholesterol level down 30 points in two years.

Because this post is getting long, I will take a break (I need to transfer clothes from the wash to the dryer), pour myself a cup of coffee, and come back and try to do catch up...