Good morning, ladies...getting the thread started bright and early (or dark and early as the case may be, LOL).

Bad news on my end...I got a call from my mom earlier tonight telling me that my Aunt Gwen had suffered a stroke today due to an aneurysm that burst. Thankfully there was a retired trauma nurse on scene who recognized her symptoms right away and summoned medical help. They were able to get her into surgery and get the artery clamped off. We won't know until they wake her in the morning just how much damage was done to her brain, though. Right now I'm just thankful she survived. Had she been home alone, she likely would have laid there and died.

Here's to hoping that my week gets better, LOL Just gotta keep my chin up and keep moving on, right???

What's everybody up to today???

Oh Natasha, what horrible news. I will say a prayer for her, hope you get good news when she wakes up today.

I was going to say day 4...but it's day 5 of no grains! Going well so far, just trying to rein in my nibbling/snacking, etc. Probably a good (or not so good) thing when I'm going away with a friend (WOO HOO!!) tomorrow night...but I know she wants to eat better too. Her boot camp coach got her to try gluten free, and she said she feels SO MUCH better when she does that.

Today I meet a friend for breakfast, then have my long day of work, and leave a bit early to go to back-to-school night...so I probably won't be home until 8 pm (oh - guess that means I need to get home over lunch to let the dog pee!!). Then pack for my mini trip, which I leave tomorrow after work. SO EXCITED!!

I made the coffee a little stronger today (YAY!), what's on your plate?

Good morning!

Natasha, that's the kind of news none of us ever want to get, and thank goodness she wasn't alone when it happened! I hope the news is much more encouraging when she wakes up this morning. Please keep us posted.

Twynn, have fun on your mini trip this weekend! PM me if you need any more info on the best places to shop and where to eat.

Today's my Friday and it's looking to be a pretty good day so far. This time next week I'll be getting ready to board the plane for my mini vacation, and I'm really looking forward to it. In the meanwhile, I've been working hard trying to stay OP, hoping 10 lbs will magically disappear overnight. I still can't figure out why it's so easy to put on but takes so long to take off.

Good Morning

Natasha, I am so sorry to hear about your Aunt. I will pray your family has good news when she is woken this morning.

Twynn, have fun w/your GF!

Linda, happy Friday!

Me, working on a closet before I leave for Denver early this morning. I had coffee....worked...now it's time for coffee again! Yippee!

Have a great day everyone!

Well, I got in here this morning and know I posted but my Net connection went down and nada! I thought it was saved but it's gone.

Natasha, so sorry to hear about your Aunt and hope there is some better news today. What a week you've had!

Twynn, mini trips are such fun and are almost as good as a two week official vacation. Enjoy!

Linda, yes! This time next week, I'll be in the air somewhere between Ottawa and Chicago and just a few hours from seeing you ... God willin' and the crick don't rise! We've sure had a good summer of visiting.

Lexxis, I see that your declutter continues. I am picking away at mine but need to really push it by month end. My daughter has already started her Christmas shopping!

Took my car in to the service station his morning for a "minor" replacement of the shield 0ver my tail-light. I suspect some kid bopped it and it broke. $425 later but I did get $45 of gas. Not going to ruin my day though!

On the way home, I stopped and did a complete fence-line check and cannot find where Jazz is escaping, if he is. So far he's not been out of the yard as far as I know. However, he disappears behind the hedge and doesn't show up for a while so I suspect something - maybe work in progress.

After this coffee I plan to tackle what I hope is the last load of tomatoes. My freezer is getting pretty full so I may have to make chili sauce or salsa and do the boiling water bath thing.

On with the day and I hope to heck this posts.

Natasha keeping you and your family in my prayers too. How fortunate she was not alone

Tywnnb I have been gluten free (almost) for a few months. I notice a HUGE difference. Especially when I do chose to eat something that has gluten

Linda where are you going on your trip?

Debbie you are very motivated, hope your energy is contagious as I have been avoiding projects

Where is Ruth today??

Working today then home to play with my new bike yippee

Good afternoon,

Haven't posted in a few days so wanted to atleast drop in and read everyone's post, been crazy busy both at work and home. I filled all of my positions and now just waiting for all of them to start.

Praying for you and your family Natasha.

Hello Chicks I am never without a beverage of some kind.

Natasha - So sorry

Twynn- I am mostly wheat free and feel so much better when I stick to it. For me it's an inflammation thing, my arthritis is much crankier when I have wheat, though just awful when I eat sugar.

Another long day, I know this job and it will be like this until the election. I did get approved for next Friday off, so one last camping trip before summer is gone.

Tomorrow is Friday :

Natasha, I'm so sorry to hear about your aunt- I will keep you and your family in my thoughts/prayers!

I'm on phase 1.5 at the moment- adding only fruit back, no wheat, as I think I'm gluten intolerant. At least it seems that way. Although the fruit is bothering my stomach too, so I guess I'll have to tweak it some more. I hope I'm not sensitive to fruit too- I love mandarin oranges!

Thanks, everybody. It has been one heck of a week for sure. In addition to our firefighter who passed and my aunt's aneurysm I've also got a neighbor who had a biopsy on her breast and the doctor wants to give her the results in person AND a co-worker who was just diagnosed w/ Stage 2 cancer (not sure if it's Ovarian or what, I don't have all the info). So, yeah, shouldn't be anywhere but UP for this week to go, that's for sure!!!

Thank you so much for all the thoughts and prayers. I'm hoping to have an update waiting for me on my cellphone when I get home in a few minutes, but last I heard was that my aunt was still sedated and on a ventilator. She had been taken in for another scan to make sure they had all the bleeding stopped and the family was still waiting for the doctor to come speak to them. Still no idea on how much damage was done to her brain.

Gotta run...sorry to be so one-sided in my convo, LOL

hello eveyone. i am back but my diet days are off the window for now. due to working like a dog and eating at work with no time to bring cooked food from home to eat my diet is off for now. i still dont eat most of the things the diet says NO to, but i have to eat mashed potatoes or things that are " forbiden"(so i can survive to the 11 hour shift).

dunno what to do casur till now i loved cooking sbd recipes but now i dont have energy or time to do.