Once again, the coffee is excellent....same brand, same method. Maybe my taste buds have perked up from all the raspberries and fresh veggies I've been eating!

I got the doggie slippers finished yesterday and will try to get a picture and post it. I tried last night but the flash is not working on my camera so will do it as soon as we get some daylight. (I guess it's time to read the manual!) I hope Ross gets a kick out of his gift - I know the rest of us will!

Off to Ottawa after lunch today and am taking along my fan! Shirleyanne has AC but refuses to use it and her guest room is hot even in winter. This morning I have to make a potato salad as my contribution to the birthday feast. I was "voluntold" what to bring but am also taking along 3-bean salad. I fear the meal will not be OP - pasta salad, potato salad and corn followed by birthday cake. Sometimes we just have to do our best.

I won't be in tomorrow morning but will be back in the afternoon. Have a great weekend with minimal wobblings, OK?

Good Morning

Great alliteration, Ruth! It managed to capture my first smile of the morning. No Wobbling for me today! Enjoy your trip. Three bean salad sounds so much better than PS's today.

I managed to make it through yesterday...though hard on 3 hrs of sleep. I got 8 hours last night so will hopefully feel a bit more energetic today. I didn't wobble into any bad foods, but didn't eat my vegies. I'll find improvement there today. It's Mothers BD so I'll head over early with her flowers and a plate of brownies (sb friendly) if I get to baking soon. Then we'll meet her "political" friends for breakfast. She's on SB, too. The other night at Country Buffet she stayed away from sticky buns but topped off dinner with 2 bowls of ice cream w/chocolate. (she doesn't need to lose weight at all but seems to need to do what I do??) Mother/Daughter relationships-gotta love em!

We're heading over the mountains either Sun night or Mon early and back again Wed. I need to get caught up here (pick cherries) and work on a project for our dog group. Might head to Denver later. I had asked about classes at a beading store. The lady said that if I came down while she was working she'd help me.

Although I hate to say it, fall is in the air. I pondered my garden yesterday and hope we get a couple really good months harvesting tomatoes. Can you freeze tomatoes for soups/etc whole? Mine are all different varieties of cherry. Just thinking......

Have a great day everyone!

morning greetings from hazymuggy mideurope!

we weeble and wobble-but we don't fall

ruth-hope u have a great trip despite lack of AC (i have had to learn to cope with that as well) and good luck with your potato salad--will it be of the mayonnaise or oil&vinegar variety? my omama made a fantastic "warm" potato salad. mmhhhhhh. but, hey, 3beansalad is awesome, too!

having my second lo-fat cappuccino trying to jumpstart my day. construction sites surrounding our building persist. ugh. my man is outta town&i need to clean house&prepare and freeze p1 meals- so it's domesticity for me today!!

hope you all have awesome weekends


janet

"voluntold". That's a new one, Ruth. I like it! Ugh, I don't like making potato salad at all. Have fun making it!

We're hosting a double-birthday celebration this afternoon. My grandson Tyler turned 2 July 25, and his big sister Amber is turning 9 on August 14, so we're combining their birthdays into one big party here. It seems that because we have a pool, all summer birthdays and other celebrations are here, LOL! My DS and DIL are doing everything, all I have to do is clean the house and make 3 Bean salad, which I made last night, and make some baked beans.

We're off for our usual breakfast out, and some grocery shopping, and Jake hopes to get the lawn mowed before everyone shows up. I woke up with a splitting headache, and I'm hoping coffee will ease it before I have to take an Advil.

The sun is shining and the skies are clear, so it looks like it will be a beautiful day for a pool party!

ETA:
Good morning Debbie and good afternoon to you, Janet!
Debbie, you can freeze whole tomatoes. I just freeze them on a baking sheet, then pop them into a freezer bag. They're wonderful for soups and casseroles that way.

hey debbie!! looks like we simulposted-send some of those cherry tomatoes over? freezing fresh tomatoes-
http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciqtomatoes.shtml

toodle pip!

Good morning

Ruth - Good luck at the party The party last night was one of those events. Not a thing I could eat other than the beans I brought and the salad someone else brought with dressings on the side. Even the veggie burgers were cooked on the grill with the hamburgers. Ewww, nothing worse than getting a chunk of meat gristle with your veggie burger.
Can't wait to see the slippers. We will miss you in the morning.

Debbie - What kind of beading do you do? Years ago I was a beading fiend and actually did craft fairs on weekends. Never made any money but had a lot of fun trading with other vendors
I've never had the space to freeze tomatoes but I know people who swear by it. They just take the stems off and throw the whole thing in a bag. Apparently they taste fresh. I usually just freeze a few quarts for winter treats.
Hope you have another good day

Cottage - Have a wonderful day with the family

Hello Janet

I'm off to the mechanics at 8 I really hope this is a bolt tighteining and not another big repair. We are going to go for a walk while they have my car. This afternoon I'm getting the fall garden in and doing some house chores. Then tonight we're off to Old Home Days. DP loves taking fireworks pics so we will be there early to get a good spot. That will give me a chance to wander around a little. I always like to pass through just to see what's there, then retreat from all the people.

We have sunshine today. I hope you do too!

Morning all!

Ruth, can't wait to see those doggie slippers! That is such a clever idea! Have fun at the party!

Lex, glad you got some sleep last night! It is impossible to function without it!
You have fall? I'm green. It's still so hot and humid here and will be till around October!

Janda, have fun being a domestic goddess! Crank up the music and dance the day away!

Cottage, your day sounds like mine. Need to hit the grass hard since we've had so much rain. Of course we are out of gas. That's my husband's job to go get gas. I do everything but put out the garbage and go get gas.

Cyndi, sounds like a busy day! Have fun. I have a setting on my camera for fireworks that I've never tried out. Tell DP to post those pics so we can see!

Me, nothing much, just hanging around the house and doing a bit of cleaning and cooking some tuna I got at the Fresh Market yesterday. Also got some WG orzo that I think I'm going to make a salad with. Went out to our usual haunt last night, just had a couple of screwdrivers then came home and watched the stand ups on Comedy Central.

I spent a good bit of yesterday afternoon reading that Gabriel Method book. One page referred to videos on his site and I spent a while looking at the videos. That book is like the SB book. It just makes sense. It's more of the mental aspect of losing weight, but the site also has a few really good recipes, many of which are SB friendly. I thought one thing was very interesting. He basically says that most people who are overweight are that way because they are starving. Their bodies are not getting the nutrition they need, so they HAVE to keep eating and eating, but are eating the wrong things, their bodies scream for nutrition, continues to be starved, so the cycle goes on and on. He also has a section on scales that says the same thing I always say, that scales are evil. I just love it when I get an "aha" moment the way I did when I read the SB book.

The brownies are baked. Not gooey but an acceptable birthday cake. It's the thought that counts-right? Not a postable recipe-I tweaked in some strange ways to get rid of the sugar and oil. I'm hoping to ride my bike to breakfast. It rained last night but I think I have a window.

Cat. I'm going to search out that book at the library in Denver today. I am really interested in what the experts say regarding things I already "know." Yes, fall comes early here. At 7800 ft it was 48 degrees yesterday morn. At our other house, its still much warmer which is why I have my garden there. Have a nice day "hanging out".

Chelby, napping on the couch while getting paid is my kind of job. Enjoy your seafood dinner. It's my fav dinner out right now because it is Soooo easy to stay OP.

Cyndi, hope the car guy doesn't have a cleaning business as well. My beading is very basic. I'm great about putting stuff on the string but need help in all the attaching. Too bad I don't live closer to you and Sophie. Have fun tonight!!

Janet, I always enjoy hearing from you on the "other side". Enjoy your domesticity. Stocking up is great. I posted a few questions on your Moong-dal recipe.

Cottage, I hope your headache is already a thing of the past. Have a great pool party. I'm glad you have the weather for it!

I'll check in later. I'm hoping to have a more energetic day today!

Lex, I finished listening to the videos on his site, and am now listening to a very long interview that covers a lot of stuff in the book if you can't find it at the library. Really enjoying it because it really goes hand in hand with SB.

Good morning -

Ruth - enjoy your drive. Eh, maybe August will be a good month weatherwise here. Sure is lovely this morning.
Debbie - enjoy your mother's birthday. Sound like you have a perfect plan. Maybe some day (the three of us) we can have a show and tell of our beading. When I took up beading I would sit for six hours straight doing it and wound up having tendinitis. Have to really space myself now. I remember visiting some great bead shops in Denver. Did I tell you that my loom and spinning wheel come from Loveland, Co. a company called Schact.
Janet, enjoy being domestic today.
Cyndi - why are you taking fall already. Enjoy your day and hope the repair bill doesn't hurt too much.
Cottage - Enjoy your day. Must be wonderful to see the little kids playing around in the pool. Thanks for the tomato hint, I know I will have lots of tomatoes waiting for me when I get back.
Femme - that book you are reading sounds so informative. How is your son making out.

me - had breakfast on the deck this morning and it was so nice with the orioles flying around until my neighbour put on his radio. It starts early in the morning and goes all day, even when he isn't there, but he is a nice person always helping everyone in the neighbourhood so I don't want to say anything. (he is a GE repairman, good person to know) Don't know what today will bring.
take care
Sophie

Good Morning Everyone!

I got to sleep till 7 this morning (woohoo!!!), then got dressed and went to yard sales with the family. I hit a great sale of shoes in my size. I got three pair, two are Bandolino and one Keds, for 50 cents a pair. The Keds had never been worn. Yay! We also found an almost new stainless dishwasher for $50. The one we have now is 15 years old and iffy about getting the dishes clean. We found several DVDs for Auston. I love yard sales.

I see a nap coming on this afternoon. Is there anything better than an afternoon nap?

It's a stormy Sunday morning here. I had to wait for a big storm to pass before I dared to get online. Storms are in the forecast for all day, so it's looking to be a day for catching up on the laundry and curling up with a book. The birthday/pool party was a lot of fun yesterday, and I even managed to stay OP, despite all the tempting dishes everyone brought. I did share a small piece of ice cream cake with Tyler, but he ate most of it.

Chelby, you really scored at the yard sales! I haven't been to too many sales this year, but I love them.

Good morning Cottage! Care for a cup ?
Sounds like a fun day yesterday I guess half a good weekend is still an improvement.

Chelby - I love bargains. I've never done that well at yard sales and too often end up with things I don't actually need. I do almost all my clothes shopping at thrift stores though (and still end up with things I don't need but they're cheap!).

Sophie - sorry for the fall talk. I planted my greens for fall yesterday but am not in any hurry to get there.

Cat - My old camera took great fireworks pics but my new one requires more tweaking than I'm willing to do. DP takes all manual pics at night so pretty cool. http://juliesmagiclightshow.com/?key...ireworks&smy=s

Debbie - Did you pick cherries? I would love to find a source of reasonably prices cherries. I buy so many dried in the winter for hot cereal. Hope yesterday was a good day. I sure wish you were closer so I had someone to ride with!

So yesterday's car repairs were only $24! I was so excited because last time it was well over $1000.

I'm getting breakfast made so I can get out for a walk or ride before those storms hit here. After that it will probably be inside chores because it looks like it will be a rainy day.

We didn't go to the fireworks last night because DP seems to have an icky stomach thing. I hope the rest helps.

How is your Sunday shaping up?

Cyndi, those firworks pics are fantastic! I especially love the black and white ones!

Just puttering around here today. Need to go run out to the grocery and get some olive oil and coffee later. Plan on going back to school tomorrow for a couple of hours. Plan on doing this every day this week, so today is my last "vacation" day. sigh. Need to start moving my stuff into my "new" classroom and figure out what to do with all the stuff that is already in the room. agggghh! Going to grill some salmon burgers and make some stuffed eggs later and that's about it for my day.

Hi All

Chelby, I love yard sales! I'm able to resist most things now but I am so pleased when I find something good. Your shoes sound great!

Cottage, it's great the weather held for your party yesterday. A cousin got married in Alaska yesterday. I think it was actually nice there, too.

Cyndi, you would love the birding in Alaska. I thought last night if our renter ever moved out that we could have a summer where everyone could go. We always have a small cabin that is little more than glorified camping but it's better than tenting in the rain. Kirk gets a month pass at the Bay Club. He showers there every morning and lifts weights. The bug is now in your ear. Didn't pick the cherries yet. Today. I think next year we should do a trade. I live in fruit country. Chelby can attest to that. The cherries I dried are so incredible, but even I didn't get that many. We need a better dehydrator.

Cat, I checked the Denver library for Jon Gabriels book. All are checked out but I'm putting one on hold. I'll check the links you posted today.

Me, I just have to tell you all what a great day I had yesterday. By myself, no cravings, OP and lots of friends! You are all great and I am amazed how well everything is going. On the 1st of May I couldn't comprehend that there was any option for me other than more of the constant struggle I had been in to get to a healthy weight. At that point, I probably wouldn't have gotten to the library to read SB and say "wow" this is it. I didn't know what plan I was going to follow, but I knew I needed a plan. I also knew I needed a support group. I was one who found 3FC searching for something else. But once here, I signed up. . I was able to shop around and find a plan for me. All of your energy in sharing your stories and daily life has helped me so much. This site wouldn't be anything without all of you. Thanks!

Today is another great day. I can feel it in the air... NPR Morning Edition to keep me company. I'm going to do a sweep through the house, laundry, etc. 9:30 Mom is picking me up for Seafood Brunch My favorite cause it's easy to stay OP. Tie up loose ends this afternoon and get the car packed for tomorrows exit. Only 3 days because we have too many raspberries here right now but I'm going to double up on my pool workouts.