Thanksgiving is done with, next up X-mas! Xmas isn't a big eating day for me so I should be fine from here on out! I'm looking to get down to 286lbs by 12/31.

Good morning Okie


I'm glad Xmas isn't the hard one for you. You're doing great


I am in the way to work. I made some quinoa chickpea pilaf, it is P2 and yummy, if anyone wants the recipe, it is vegan (from Veganomicon) I'm taking it for lunch. I need to get back with it now that I am feeling better (but still coughing a lot) I am working today, thankfully.

Have a wonderful OP day peeps

Good Morning

Hi, Okie, and thanks for getting us started! Keep on truckin', girl!

BelovedK, your recipe sounds yummy! Post it in our recipe section. I'm wondering if you ended up having a quiet day, yesterday....Have a great day!

Ruth, sorry to hear about your friend and her husband.

Me, trying to get my shelter paperwork caught up-it requires the internet and it was just too slow yesterday. Otherwise I think I'll just stay home and play holiday weekend.

P90X - Kenpo. Strange, sorta fun, but most importantly DONE. That makes week one down, 12 weeks to go. To recap: The strength days were totally doable at 300+ pounds, with modifications that are pretty easy to manage. The cardio days (Kenpo and Plyometrics) both required significant modification for me as I don't jump, but again totally doable. Oddly (at least to me) the one that I simply couldn't do was ... YogaX. I've ordered HeavyWeight Yoga 2 to do in it's place as I couldn't even figure out how to modify the basic stances that YogaX required of me. But that means next week, I'm ready to kick Yoga's butt.

Today is a manicure, then wrapping gifts, and relaxing.

Hope you all have a super, on-plan day!

Thanks for starting us up, Okie. I'm glad you feel confident about the next big event.

Beloved, glad to hear you are feeling better. It's never fun having a cold but is always worse this time of year.

Ah yes ... Christmas! It's not hard foodwise for me although there seems to be a lot of liquid cheer. I have several parties in the next week so will have to be careful. I find completely avoiding sweets is key. This month the police are enforcing zero tolerance for driving after alcohol so I will be designated driver for my friends which keeps me pure. Losing your licence for 90 days is a good incentive!

We are still reeling over Wade's suicide attempt yesterday and the Village is reacting as usual. My fridge is now full of potato salad, chicken, ham and other things that folks took to Joanne's house last night. Liz and I are going over there around eight to be with Joanne until her family arrives from out west later today.

Tonight is another Celebrate The Season night here in Delta; spaghetti supper, Nativity Pageant, wagon rides through the park to see the light displays, visits to Santa's workshop and tours of the Mill. I'm doing the Mill tours from 4 until after 8 and will NOT be in period costume. It's very, very cold in an old stone mill with water running through it. No heating of course but we do have electricity so I may be able to have a heater to warm me up between tours.

Time for another coffee and some breakfast before I march into my day.

Good morning everyone. Jake and I both slept in this morning and we have to drop his car off at the shop at 7:30, so this will be a quickie!

Ruth, I hope everyone in your village is starting to come to terms with the tragic suicide attempt, and that Joanne and her children are doing OK. It's wonderful that all of you are rallying around her to give her comfort and companionship. How is Wade doing, do you think he'll pull through and be able to get some counseling? to you today, and always.

I'll be back later, as we're rushing around right now!

Good morning Once again the cats have declared that 7 is absolutely the latest I am allowed to sleep in, little monsters.

Ah, I hear my favorite sound. Back after I pour a large mug.

that's better -

Okie - How was your weigh-in the other day? I think I missed an update.

Beloved - I just added that cookbook. I"ll have to check that recipe out. thanks for the tip

Debbie - Happy holiday weekend

Annie - You've got me rethinking P90X now. I've got limitations around jumping, running etc but it sounds like it can be modified and still be a good workout. thanks

Ruth - Hope you can find a way to stay warm DW is always the designated driver though I rarely have more than one glass of wine.

Cottage - Hope the rest of the day slows down

It's a normal Saturday for me (the last one for a month!). I'm off to the discount grocery store then back home for cooking, cleaning, and maybe a little reading. I'm back on track with exercise and hope I can stick with it during the upcoming month. December is going to be busy with work and family stuff, enough to keep us going every single weekend.

How is your last weekend of November shaping up?

Okie - Lucky you. I have multiple gatherings for both Hanukkah and Christmas still to come. Sigh.

Beloved - Glad to hear you are feeling better. I made a quinoa dish for Thanksgiving and many didn't even try it!

Debbie - Holiday weekend sounds lovely. It has felt like Saturday here for days already.

Annie - I have been wondering about P90X as a possible idea for my kids to get me for the holidays. But I don't jump either or do high impact stuff. Hmm. I hear a lot of great results from people doing it.

Ruth -

Linda - I'll think of you later when my son flies back to your neck of the woods.

Cyndi - December is a hard month for healthy living all around, isn't it. Sigh.

Okay - I need to confess. My eating was horrible this week. HORRIBLE. I guess I just gave up in anticipation of Thanksgiving and I feel like crap now. And I feel guilty even being here... since there has been pretty much no attempt to stay on plan this week. I really, really, need to find the motivation to get back on track now. Not tomorrow, not after the holidays. Now. Sigh. Sorry, just had to say it. I am pretty darn disappointed with myself right now.

As for my weekend: DS1 flies back to campus this afternoon; DS2 is ringing bells for community service and hopefully finishing two more college applications due this week. I am going to be sitting with my mom and brother to train them on some software... the almost blind leading the blind and not a patient one in the bunch. That's about it for me.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Good morning!

I didn't get to any Black Friday sales yesterday after all, the snow hung around a little longer than we'd expected so we didn't head south til 1 p.m. it was a slow drive so there was no time to hit the big sales, but the company was great. Beth and I got home around 10:40 p.m., had a cup of tea and headed to bed shortly after.

My mission today is to do some more research on gout and figure out what I need to be feeding Fergie. I've been focusing on the "what to avoid" list for these first days because he hasn't felt like eating anyway but now that he's starting to feel better I need to plan meals that we can both enjoy.

My daughter is going to fix lunch today, she's got a sweet potato recipe that she's sure I'll love and it's Ph 2 friendly, too. If it's as good as she says it is I'll post it this afternoon.

Ruth, you, Joanne and her family and the rest of your community are in my prayers today. I understand your anger, there's a lot of that in our family right now. *hug* Try to stay warm at the mill!

Beloved, I'm so glad you're feeling well enough to go back to work today! I hope your day goes smoothly!

Oh, Beth is out of bed! This is our last full day together so I'm going to log off without finishing personals, but I am sending good thoughts to each of you today. Have a great Sunday!

Thanks for the hugs and understanding, Chickies. I am going to put on a happy face and go over to Joanne's now.

As to weightloss, I slipped badly during the past three months but have re-established a ticker. I actually saw 199 a few weeks ago with 200 leering at me from just a pound away!

It's snowing big Christmassy flakes. I guess it's time to put the pumpkins into the compost and hang my holly wreaths. Outdoor lights will go up this week no matter the weather! I intend to Christmas-up and have all my Christmas earrings ready to roll.

Here's our latest family photo, taken this week.

Good morning, ladies!!! Just waiting on my mom to finish getting ready before I head out the door for Athens. Gotta set the recorder for ESPN so I can watch the game on TV later, LOL

Glad I got out of work when I did last night...as I was walking out the door we got a call on an 11 y/o that had been shot. I got out of there before I could find out how bad it was...don't want that hanging over me today. I hope it was something minor.

Off to Athens for the GA/GA Tech game...you ladies have a good day!!!

Good morning

Okie - good for you in setting a goal. You will make it.

Beloved - glad to see you are better.

Debbie - enjoy your relaxing weekend. The son must make everything pretty in Colorado.

Annie - watch that manicure when you are wrapping gifts.

Ruth - what a sad thing to come home to. You always have to think that its not a visible illness. I'm sure you are a comfort to your friend and her family. Delta's celebrations sound wonderful.

Cottage - hope your running around isn't too long.

Cyndi - you are one busy lady so try to enjoy your weekend a bit.

Karen - what a lovely picture. Wish my family would agree to taking photos more often.

Natasha - enjoy your trip. You work so hard and see so many painful things.

me - I got two pairs of shoes yesterday, one is a german made boiled wool slip on which I have to return on Monday because there is some stitching unravelling, just don't want to drive downtown today and another is a New Balance shoe to wear in the house during the day. Salesman told me that alot of people who have to stand on their feet for long period of time buy these. Will be great for cooking during the holidays. I am so glad that I found this store because the staff is very knowledgeable and not some teenager working part time. Have a good one everyone.
take care
Sophie

Karen, What a great photo! Thanks for sharing it.

Natasha, have a great time at the game!

Sophie, I'm so glad you were able to find shoes that feel good. I hope you'll be able to exchange the felt pair. I have bunions on both feet, though one is worse than the other. I teach school and am on my feet all day long, so I've had to invest in really good shoes. I love Finn Comfort. They've got some very ugly styles, but some cute ones too if you persevere! They feel wonderful and wear beautifully. They're a big investment but last for years, and you can replace the footbeds and/or send them in for repair work if needed.

We had a delicious lunch, my daughter fixed the sweet potato mash she's been telling me about. It was delicious, almost like a dessert.

I gained three pounds from my last check in at the Doctor's. Karen, great photo of you and your beautiful family!