Hey gals, how's it going? We are back to cooler temps, but only in the 40's so not too bad. I will be glad when spring gets here though.

I have to admit I am having a rough time of it. I am a bit blue with all this medication causing weight gain and other symptoms. I just have to look ahead knowing the weight will come off once they take me off the darn stuff and figure out why I am still having spotting issues and such. My dear sweet hubby is taking the day off on Thursday to go with me for the tests. I know he is very anxious, but I just don't have anything to tell him at the moment. They haven't figured out why I am still doing this. I just hope these tests will get to the bottom of it so no matter what it is, we can fix it.

Maggie: I expected little pamphlets and I got two beautiful books. Thank you so much for the cookbooks. I picked them up yesterday and looked through them. They have some great recipes I want to try on Jack I think he will like. The chocolate recipes are to die for and can't wait to try some of them to help our sweet tooth. No one should ever say they have to deny themselves good tasting food that is healthy and weight friendly. How sweet that the two dogs play together nicely. Fortchy is getting a bath and some trimming tomorrow. I will be glad when I can get him back into the groomers for her to work her magic though.

Jean: Ooooh, less than two weeks and you can wing your way to sunny Hawaii. I know you have to be looking forward to getting out of the nasty weather you guys continue to have. My bil called last night and he said Flagstaff got another big snowstorm (his dd goes to college there) He said Phoenix was getting a lot of rain, which is unusual. He was on his way to Ca to see his wife. I don't know why she hasn't quit her job and moved yet. I know she was not happy about leaving her grandkids, but I sure couldn't live without Jack for 2 months and just be on visiting terms if I didn't have to.

Susan: How interesting about how you got started in quilting. My knitting is none to exciting. I learned to knit when I was 13. My best friend and I joined 4H together when a 4h leader came to the school. She taught me how to knit and taught me how to knit left handed. I didn't do a whole lot with it, but when I had my emergency surgery, I picked it back up so I would have something to do while recuperating. I have since really learned a lot about a lot of knitting techniques, tools and such and really do love it. It keeps me busy, I can make things for family and friends and of course, you can't eat and knit! lol

Today is commissary day. I am not feeling that great this morning, but it has to be done. I have also got to get a walking routine started. It isn't that I am dreading it, just have felt so crummy that it isn't something I even want to think about, but I know I have to get moving that in the long run it will make me feel better and give me more stamina.

Thank you all for being so supportive. I really need my friends that understand being an older woman. I don't want my youth back, I just want back what I had before they started trying to make me better! You know the adage sometimes the cure is worse than the sickness, I am beginning to believe it in this case.

I think Jack and I are going to plan a little weekend trip over presidents' day and get away just by ourselves. I may ask Kelly if Thomas would like to go with us. We are thinking of driving over to Chatanooga and going through their aquarium and a couple other things. Thomas likes fish so I thought he might like to come.

Have a wonderful weekend all! Faye

Good afternoon, ladies! 41 degrees today but the sun is shining and I am happy.

As expected, I gained this week. My own fault but I'm back on track so plan to have it back off by next week. Went to the grocery store today and have everything I need, so no excuses.

Faye, I can certainly sympathize with you on meds causing weight gain. I wish I could get on one that caused me to lose weight for a change. It's very discouraging to try so hard and not have the scale cooperate, but it will catch up eventually. Did you get the newsletter about exercise at you WW meeting this week? It has a nice way to start a walking program. You need a pedometer and you should wear it all day. The first week, aim for 3,500 steps a day. Doesn't have to be all at once, just daily activity and maybe a short walk. Each week thereafter increase 500 steps a day until you are walking 10,000 steps a day (about 3 miles). It doesn't seem so much like exercise when you can count daily steps, too.

Hi, Maggie and Jean!

Have a great day!

Good morning to all my gal friends. It rained all night, thunderstorms mostly so like Jean, it is sloppy here, but not with snow and rain combo.

Susan: I watched a quilting show on PBS yesterday and the quilt they made was neat looking. The two hosts seem a little inept doing tv though. lol The show is something and porter's quilting I think. It must be the two ladies' last names. The quilt center pieces looked like a Japanese tri fold screen and the blocks around it making it look like a huge picture frame were put in such a way they made the "frame" curved on each side. It really was beautiful and the colors were neat too. I imagine I will get myself up and going and get a walking routine going. I have just been having a pity party because I felt better before they tried to find out what is wrong with me and put me on all these darn meds!

Jean: I have to get my behind going and get the weight off so I can buy new summer clothes for the cruise. We decided to move it to next February instead of this December so I have time at least. The fashion experts are always saying how older women shouldn't wear capris, heavier women shouldn't wear capris, blah, blah, blah. Capris are my favorite thing to wear in summer. They cover most of my leg but yet are cooler than slacks over all. I live in the darn things in summer. I am not short, 5'7", but have really short legs and a long torso. I bought 4 pair of these expensive jeans about 3 years ago, normal price was $70 and they clearanced them for $10 because they only had the largest sizes left and they were all petites. I ordered them to see if I could wear them and the length fit perfectly, though the stride is too short. So, I tend to hike them up a lot when I wear them unless I wear a belt with them.

We are going to Chattanooga over Presidents' Day and taking the T boy with us. We are looking forward to it and I think it will be fun. Jack's supervisor said something to him about how much there was to do there and it is only 5 hours from Memphis. We are leaving right after T gets off school on that Friday (too bad I am not on his emergency list or I could check him out a bit early from school since I work clinic that Friday) Anyhow, we are going to do Rock City Gardens and ride a rail trolley up the side of Lookout Mountain and then we are going to a dairy about an hour away and got through their tour showing how they make ice cream and milk and such, get some ice cream before we leave then back to the hotel to swim and relax until evening. I am buying tickets to a murder mystery theater dinner on Saturday night called, "Mystery at the Redneck's and Italian's Wedding." It is an all you can eat Italian meal with drinks and dessert and you get to help solve the murder. I thought Thomas and his brilliant mind would love it! Sunday we are going to the Aquarium, doing an Imax movie about Africa and riding a speed boat catamaran through the Tennessee River Gorge. At night we plan on going to one of their fairly popular restaurants. The hotel is a Residence Inn and we get free breakfast and this one is only 6 months old. It has an indoor pool, an excercise facility and a 6 hole mini golf you can play. It also has free washer and dryers to use, which is unheard of. Tripadvisor gives it 4 1/2 stars out of 5 and all 14 reviews raved about the place so it should be good. I think Monday we will go across the freeway to the mall and look around for awhile then head home. I bought Thomas a Mille Borne card game so I am going to have him bring it with and we can play it. It is a fun game to play.

Well I guess I talked your ears off so best go. Have a wonderful Sunday. We are going to shampoo a couple carpets and do an area rug Fortune urped on yesterday and I am going to give him a much needed bath.
Faye

Good evening, ladies! A day in the high 60s with sunshine!

I went to Church this morning, then stopped at Walmart for a few things. Nothing else but paying bills online and cleaning house.

Faye, Fons and Porter have been on tv since 2003. When I was first starting to quilt, I took a class from Fons in drawing feathered quilting designs. We get no quilting programs on our PBS anymore . Your weekend with Thomas sounds like it will be a lot of fun. My dad took me to Rock City when I was about 10 years old. We also rode the incline railway up lookout mountain.

Jean, did you have a bone scan when you lost inches? I'll be having one soon. My doctor put me back on 50,000 units of Vitamin D once a week and told me to take Calcium 1000 mg + D 400 mg twice a day. I'm glad you found your capris. I like them, too. The stores around here are advertising summer clothes...and I am freezing!

I need to take myself upstairs to my bathroom and attack my hair, the roots are showing.

Have a good night!

Good morning ladies! It is back to cloudy ugliness this morning. I would love lots of sunshine. You always feel so much more cheerful when it is sunny.

My poor Jackson is having major tonsil and ear issues. He goes to the ENT this week and I hope they decide to take them out. With his daddy, the Navy wouldn't do it and by the time I could do private, he already had hearing loss that was permanent. I think Jackson's may be genetic as his problems are exactly like Jay's. Alicia said poor thing is choking when he eats they are so swollen.

Susan: I am on calcium with vitamin d also along with a regular vitamin and acidophilous, which seems to keep my intestines balanced a bit more. Top that off with the 5 medications they have me on and I have run out of room in my little weekly box I put my meds in for each day. Hopefully when they get this test over with on Thursday then go back to the dr, I will be off both hormone meds.
I did a bleach job on my hair last week so now I am blond again. On Friday one of the little girls that comes in and talks to me from time to time said, "you don't have purple hair anymore!" I laughed and told her no that you never know what color my hair will be that it might be green next time. I was joking with Jack last night after a commercial was talking about aging and told him I looked 70. He said he always liked older women.... than said I did not. I told him I guess I don't because when I went into the cafeteria on Friday to get ice in the cooler for the clinic and was coming out, a girl turned around and asked whose mother I was. So, I guess if I look young enough to be an elementary school mother I am not too bad!

Jean: I have capris in all colors and even some designs. Of course, some of them are too tight right now, but should be ok by summer. I have a white pair that is jean material that are made to look like sailor's pants and I just love them. I have a red, white and blue short sleeved sweater I wear with them, very nautical! Yes, I used a great site Chattanooga has Tennessee's visitor's bureau and it has everything you could possibly need to look up for Chattanooga. This murder mystery theater is an actual theater that runs year round with different murder mysteries. I have always wanted to do one so am looking forward to it and I think it will be fun for Thomas. Sort of like living Clue and he loves Clue.

They added another test to the one I have to do Thursday. Now I have an ultrasound on the ovary, a needle aspiration on it and they added a saline injection into my uterus to check for polyps. UGH! I will sure be glad when they figure out what is going on. I am tired of all these darn tests.

Did I tell you that one of my step cousins son's was killed last week in a car accident with his girlfriend and two of their friends? They think alcohol was involved but the boy was driving and he and his girlfriend have a new baby. Now my step cousin is trying to get custody and there is a big battle between them and the girl's parents. It is going to get ugly I guess. I got to see her when we went to Arkansas at Christmas, but only her dd came with her not her son. She is such a sweet woman and has really serious type 1 diabetes so I worry how all this stress is affecting her. My aunt has some big health issues too so I imagine this will be doubly hard on her as well.

Well gals, I need to get my day going. Have a great start to the week! Faye

Good afternoon, ladies! It was pouring all night and this morning but the sun is out now and it's 59 degrees.

I got up to a leaking pipe this morning. I called my plumber and luckily he was able to come in about 15 minutes and get it fixed and I was only 15 minutes late to work.

Tonight is bible study - Matthew 14 and 15. We are more than half way through already. I love this group.

It sounds like we are typical ladies of AARP age - more D, more calcium, shrinking, thining bones. Now I know why they say getting old is not for sissies.

Faye, I hope they get Jackson's tonsils out soon. Poor little guy. I know you'll be glad to have the tests done and a treatment plan that will work.

Jean, you poor thing! I hope you can get to the airport when you leave for Maui.

Maggie, I use the very lightest blonde shade. My gray blends in better and I don't have to do it but every 2 months.

Well, I have to get busy cleaning up the mess from the pipe. Have a good evening.

Good morning to you all! It is pretty chilly this morning but supposed to warm up into the 40's.

I talked to the agent for our condo and she said they have looked at my gate but have to notify my neighbor because she has a dog. I said, what dog? So, she was going to call and get it on the schedule to get it fixed. I sure hope it is soon. The wind kept blowing it open yesterday even with it being tied up. I almost let Fortune out before looking.

Jean: Glad you have electricity again. I sure know how it feels without it for any time. You don't realize how much you miss it until it is off for nearly 3 days. I think about folks in hurricanes, earthquakes and such who don't have it for weeks. I guess we are spoiled, but life has changed so much we can't do the pioneer thing, we don't have wood burning stoves, oil lamps and such if we live in the city. Well, my hair wasn't totally purple, but I did do a red that had purple colored highlights! I liked the color a lot, but when it washed out, my gray started showing a huge amount. So, I am now a bleach blond again. They are not even sure what they saw was a cyst or that the slighly enlarged ovarie is anything to worry about so who knows. I was not in pain until I started taking the hormones then the cramping began. I will just be glad to get it all over with no matter what.

Susan: Glad you got your pipe fixed. Ruthie's dad called here yesterday about something and said the Chicago area is totally ice. He has fallen twice, Ruthie twice and their youth group leader fell and broke her leg in two places and her arm. He said he retires in 13 years and they are moving!!!

Maggie: I could never get a taste for coffee but I love these coffee cookies my grandma used to make. They were called coffee hermits and were this soft spice cookie with walnuts in them. I have a similar recipe in one of my cookbooks, but since I don't even have a coffee maker, I would imagine I would have to make instant coffee if I made them.

I am hoping to get some downstairs cleaning today. I pulled a muscle in under my back ribcage in what way I know not, but is was really sore yesterday and I had to sit with a heating pad so I feel somewhat better today so I want to get the downstairs cleaned if I can.

Tonight is "fried" chicken, taters and ff gravy and green beans. Jack loves this and it low pts.

Have a great Tuesday all! Faye

Good morning, ladies! The sun is shinning but it's only 33 degrees today.

Nothing much going on but I do have one of my quilting bees tonight with dinner before hand. That will be fun.

Faye, I'd be housebound for sure if I were in Chicago. I'm really afraid of falling and breaking something. Your "fried" chicken sounded good so I did a chicken breast that was oven-gried, too. I mixed up 1 T panko bread crumbs and 1 T of parmesan cheese, dipped the chicken in FF ranch dressing then dredged in crumbs and baked. It made a nice change.

Jean, my pulmonary doctor told me not to go anywhere there was a burning fireplace or wood stove. Just as bad as cigarette smoke on the lungs. We had a coal furnace when I was young. Stan's aunt had a wood burning stove in the basement rec room and she would put a stew or soup or pot roast on it and let it cook all day. You've had snow and we've had rain. I can deal with rain a lot better than snow and cold temperatures.

Good morning all. Of course one day before these tests and I am cramping up a storm. Brother! It is like a never ending circle of something all the time.

Tom goes and gets his saliva gland sorted out tomorrow morning. At least it is outpatient surgery and he won't have to stay. I just hope this puts him back on track.

Jackson goes to the ent today to find out what they can do for him. I hope they decide to do surgery now so he won't have problems ongoing all the time. It is hard on him and hard on his parents having ear infections and tonsilitis every couple months or so.

Jean: We are supposed to get winter weather starting tomorrow sometime. I just hope it bypasses us and all we get is rain, but not bloody likely. We are supposed to get icy rain tomorrow night and snow on Friday so I figure I might not be working the clinic on Friday that school might be out. If so, I just hope it doesn't mess up Thomas going with us to Chattanooga by telling them they have to makeup the day on Monday.

Susan: I wasn't feeling up to par but Jack said the chicken was great. I take boneless skinless breasts and dredge them in a flour, garlic powder, salt and paprika mixture then brown them using a bit of Pam and then mix up low sodium, powdered chicken gravy with ff chicken broth and pour over them and cook them. I gave him some leftover mashed potatoes warmed up and green beans for dinner. It is one of his favorites.

I guess I should get a move on and get some chores done. I know nothing else is going to get done today but I can at least keep things on a even keel house wise.

Have a good day today all! Faye