If you have 50 or more pounds to lose, or are losing, this is the group for you. So jump on in and join; you'll be sure to get a warm welcome!

Hi Bandit, sounds like the Niagara Falls trip was fun! Is it far from where you live? I've only been there once, in the 1960's, but it made quite an impression on me.

JOYce, any results on your test yet?

Got a call from my sister in FL yesterday, from the hospital; she broke her ankle in 3 places, stepping off a stool. Poor thing had a pin and a plate put in, and stayed 2 nights in the hosp; she's home now. Am putting together a goodie bag of movies, art supplies, and such to send her; anyone have any good recommendations for a few paperbacks or something else? She likes mysteries best...

I remember when Linda broke her ankle so badly last summer; hope it's doing much better now. Heck of a way to start off the summer, huh?

Trying to get stuff done around the house today. Took a 2-mile walk with DH this morning at dawn; he's getting much faster lately! We'll probably go to a WW mtg on Thurs. in SA, and I think I'll make my June weigh-in okay.

Anyway, please send good thoughts my DS's way for a fast recovery .. thanks!
Regards,
Jan

Hi everyone:

Niagara Falls is under 2 hours from home. It has quite abit of new hotels there lately - which is great. Also they have a Casino now & are building another one.

We didn't have any luck at the casino, but it was still fun. Something different.

Bye for now.

Happy Monday!
bandit, We had a great time in Niagara when we were there a few yrs ago. AMAZING how much POWER there is in that water! We did all the touristy things, even went down thru that elevator to get really close.

JAN, So sorry to read about your dear sister! OUCH! Linda is doing very well. Her ankle healed remarkably quickly! I think she and her doctor were both surprised. I hope your sister has a like experience.

I go Thursday to get the echo results.
We had a FANTASTIC weekend! Our team raised $8,205 for Cancer research. It was an exhausting 27 hrs for me, I just took an hour off to come care for the dog. I think I got 2 hrs sleep in my fold up chair and blanket. It was lots cooler after the sun went down!
We ended up with 45 people walking or running for our team, most had no idea what the relay was all about, so lots of eye-opening experiences! Especially when 1,000 luminaria were lit at dusk, each representing a person stricken with Cancer. It will definitely be an annual event for our church group!

OH! we had those butterfly shrimp from TJ last night, DELISH!!!
I was totally bushed at dinner time, so told dgd to pop them in the oven, soooo good! Them with a nice green salad made a wonderful dinner. a garlicky delite!

JOYce, congrats on the huge success of yoru Cancer Walk for Life!! That is just wonderful. (With you organizing it, though, how could it not be a success?) I know what you mean about the luminarias; that is such a moving ceremony. WTG on the OP dinner; sounds yummy! Wish we had a TJ's here.

Hi Bandit! Glad you enjoyed the holiday. I'm like you re: casinos, never have any luck (but I don't play much, so only lose a little!). Hope you're having a great week!

DH is still working, but I'm off now. Taking Dad up to SA for some errands, and we'll probably go out to lunch somewhere nice. Guess I'd better get busy and get dressed! DH and I did our 2-mile walk again this morning; he's really getting into that, and now he's the one who wakes ME up and gets me going! It's great ...

ttyl,
Jan

JOYce, we are having our American Cancer Society Relay for Life on June 20. I've signed up to walk on the team that my office is sponsoring. We will take shifts walking from 7:00pm to 7:00am. I think that 80 or 90 teams have already been formed, but we are only one of two state agencies getting involved...which is such a shame. We are going to have a tent and will enter it in the tent decorating contest. Some guys who can't walk (knee surgery, etc.) are going to bring a huge cooker so that we can sell food to make even more money. I'm trying to raise donations now...they want every participant to try to raise at least $100. I will be walking in my mother's honor as a cancer survivor. We have so many people in my office who have family members who are sick now, have lost loved ones to cancer or who have cancer themselves. There are also many survivor stories which is what this is all about. It just surprises me that we don't have more involvement when this touches so many lives in one way or another. I'm looking forward to the experience, although it will be a little harder to stay up all night than it was when I was younger. Bands are supposed to play all night, so that will help...and I can't wait to see all the luminaria lit up after hearing you and Jan talk about how breathtaking that is.

Jan, I picked up a Good Housekeeping magazine and loved seeing your article. I thought your picture was great (although you are even more beautiful in person) and the article was good...but how in the heck did they get Michigan out of Texas?? Anyway, you and your sweet DH are an inspiration with your walking!!

Bandit, your trip to Niagra Falls sounds like so much fun. I agree with you about sometimes just doing something a little different is exactly what is needed. My family went to Niagra Falls when I was eight years old. I loved it! We also went to New York to visit friends and see the New York World's Fair. You probably weren't even born then! I remember everywhere we went people would want me to talk. I have a very suth'n drawl.

Carol, it was SOOOOOOOOOOO good to see your post. I'm glad you are doing so great in Florida, and I STILL want us to talk on the phone sometime soon. I was glad to hear that you now have a furry friend. You know how much I love animals. However, we had bad thunderstorms last night and our Sheltie is terrified of bad weather and has to be on my head in the bed to feel safe. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night. DD got scared and came upstairs to sleep with me, we had the Sheltie in bed plus our Dalmation so it got a little crowded.

Well, the first month on WW I lost 12 pounds. The second month on WW I lost 12 pounds. The third month on WW I lost...drum roll please...2 pounds. I am officially on a plateau. I've told myself all the things that I always tell everybody else...drink more water, vary your points, exercise more...and I have tried every one of those things and nothing...nada! I'm not giving up though, and still going to the meetings. It's just frustrating paying money and not seeing the scale move. I know it will start moving again, and I WILL stick with it this time.

Well, time to get back to work. Hi to everyone I missed. I hope you all have a great week!

Janet (Kudzu)

JANET I AM THRILLED THAT YOU ARE WALKING IN THE RELAY!! Great that state agencies are involved!!
I would love to see pictures of your tent when it is decorated. I need a fantastic idea for next year. The winner in our relay was "CANCER CARNIVORES" They had dinosaurs decorating their tent, with signs saying "Dinosaurs are extinct, let's do the same for Cancer". and "take a bite out of Cancer"
Our church's theme was "Faith in survival"
What Cancer does your mom have?
You will love the whole experience of the Relay, be prepared for tears.
I wore my pedometer and did 5 miles during our relay. got in those 10,000 steps that the heart assoc recomends! I am even more motivated to do more walking, I want to be able to do much more next year.
I sold more of my sister's beanie babies (at half price) made a total of $600. off of them! She left them to me to do with as I saw fit, and I know she is pleased that I am using them to fight the disease that took her from me!

Don't be discouraged with your plateau! It will pass. You're doing great!

JOYce, I want you to know that all through our rally planning and while I was typing my post, your sister has been in my thoughts. I know a cure did not come in time to save her, but through your efforts and the money you raised, someone else's loved one may be saved. I think your sister would be thrilled (she IS thrilled) at how you chose to use her beanie baby collection. What a wonderful tribute to your love for her.

You asked about my mother. She is a breast cancer survivor. She had no family history and had none of the risk factors. She is very petite and has always eaten very healthy, and is practically a vegetarian. She has also always exercised. That just proves that Cancer has no rhyme or reason as to who it strikes. Anyway, they said at the time that she had probably had the tumor for at least six years before she discovered it in the shower. We were lucky, and she has been fine ever since, although at the time they weren't sure what her prognosis was. I was pregnant at the time and I remember her being so weak from the chemotherapy and still trying to help me with my baby. One of the things I am most thankful for in my life is that my parents got to watch my daughter grow up. That bond has become especially close between my mother and DD since my daddy passed away. I have seldom seen the kind of bond that the two of them share. It is so cute and warms my heart. I thank God everyday for that blessing because I know that there are so many people who haven't had that chance. I only got to know one of my grandparents because my mother grew up in an orphanage and my daddy's father died when he was 42. Sorry...I didn't mean to start rambling!

Thanks for the encouraging words about my plateau. I just found some great articles on Dotti's Weight Loss Zone site. Here is the link if anybody ever needs it:

http://pub121.************/fdottiswei...opicID=2.topic

I feel a little better now. I just realized that this plateau started when I changed point ranges. There are still lots of things I can do to try to shake things up, so I'm not about to give up. It's just frustrating at times.

Oh yeah...I loved the themes for the tents y'all had. We are still working on our theme. We have lots of creative people here, so I'm sure we will come up with something cute. I'll try to take pics and post them.

Janet (Kudzu)

Ramble on JANET !! I love your thoughts!
Your dear MOM sounds like an AWESOME lady.
I'm glad that you are feeling better about your plateau. Dotti sure has lots of good advice! doesn't she!?! Thanks for reminding us of her.

Janet, so good to hear from you! WTG on the 26 pounds lost ... wow, I don't think I ever lost 12 in one month, I am in awe. Good for you, sticking with it and not letting a little plateau get you down! I'll bet it's just that your body is adjusting to the big losses, so trust it, I'm sure it knows what it's doing! The scale isn't the only indicator of healthy changes in progress. And thanks for the compliment on the GH thing. I was kinda nervous about revealing I lost 100 pounds (as I'd never even told my close friends, down here) but then decided hey, maybe it'll help someone else with that much to lose, and besides, people down here knew me when I was heavy, they probably already have a pretty good idea that it was that much. The Michigan thing was a GH typo or something, so I was hoping no one here would notice it was me, but no such luck!

I can just picture you, your DD, the Sheltie and the Dalmation all cuddled up together! Sorry you didn't get any sleep, though. We had t-storms last night too, so I'm a little bleary-eyed today as well. Didn't get enough rain, though.

How lovely that your mother and daughter are so close, and that your parents got to see her grow up! I only knew one of my grandparents, too, so I know what a blessing that is for your DD.

JOYce, what a lovely thing to do, raise funds with your sister's beanie babies for cancer research. You're right, she must be so pleased. And you walked five miles, that's terrific!

Can't wait to see you in August, and anyone else in our group who can make it down here! Let us know when you have dates. Dad and I were at Lackland yesterday, and there were so many recruits and troops out and about ... I thought of y'all and of the gratitude we all owe your family for protecting our country.

Not much happening today; running errands with Dad, cleaning house. Tomorrow Dh and I are going to Austin for a couple of nights, a little getaway we'd planned when Dad was planning to leave for Florida tomorrow morning. Dad's trip has been rescheduled now to give DS more time to recover, so we've arranged for people to look after Dad while we're gone. We plan to take some long walks along the river and get lots of swimming in, and of course at night, there's Sixth Street, the ultimate music scene. Should be fun!

Hi to Texaslady, Carol, Bandit, Linda, Nascar Girl, and Hottie! Hope to hear from you again soon.

Regards,
Jan

Just a quick post...had weigh-in on Tuesday night and the plateau is still going strong. I weighed the exact same as I have for the last three weeks. I refuse to give up though.

Here is something that someone sent to me. I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with y'all.

Later gator!

Janet (Kudzu)


By Maya Angelou

When I was in my younger days,
I weighed a few pounds less,
I needn't hold my tummy in
to wear a belted dress.
But now that I am older,
I've set my body free;
There's the comfort of elastic
Where once my waist would be.
Inventor of those high-heeled shoes
My feet have not forgiven;
I have to wear a nine now,
But used to wear a seven.
And how about those pantyhose-
They're sized by weight, you see,
So how come when I put them on
The crotch is at my knee?
I need to wear these glasses
As the print's been getting smaller;
And it wasn't very long ago
I know that I was taller.
Though my hair has turned to gray
and my skin no longer fits,
On the inside, I'm the same old me,
It's the outside's changed a bit.
But, on a positive note...

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a! friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Thanks Janet that is so true.
I had to re-scedule my appt with cardiologist, he had an emergency, so have to wait til next week.
que sera`...guess if it was too bad, he would have called me in sooner.

after while crocodile.

Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't check in last week, I was taking down wall paper and putting up a border in my kitchen and painting our out building. Got a lot of physical exercise! Went to WI on "Monday and was down 2.6 yea!! I'm only 3lbs away from my 10%. I think if I ever get there I will be well on my way.

JanetMae - sorry about your sister. I just read Mary Higgins Clarks book Daddys Little Girl that was a good mystery/suspense book.

Everyone have a good weekend!

Nascar - good for you!

Had w/i last night & was down 1.6# so I was happy with that.

Had a good day yesterday & so far today did my 2 mile tape & ate my Special-K for breakfast. Goal is to get through weekend without blowing it.

Have a good one.

Janet, I love that poem ... have always been a Maya Angelou fan! Thanks for sharing it. And good for you, sticking to it through this plateau. It WILL pass, and the numbers will start going down again! Keep the faith!

JOYce, sorry you had to reschedule, but I think you are right, if it were bad news he would have gotten back to you! Keep us posted!

Nascar Girl, so good to hear from you! Congrats on the 2.6 lost; you are SO close to your ten percent! Be sure to let us know so we can celebrate with you! And thanks for the recommendation on the book; that sounds like something she would like. I'll look for that!

Hi Bandit! Yay, down 1.6! I know you'll handle the weekend just fine.

DH and I are in Austin right now, really enjoying the change of scenery. (We went to WW yesterday in SA, DH lost another 2 pounds, and I came in under my limit, yay.) Went to a blues/jazz club on Sixth Street last night, and had a very OP light dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. Did lots of walking this morning and hit the hotel gym. We plan to go out again tonight; right now, just relaxing, painting my toenails, of all things! Red to match my sandals and dress. Guess I'd better go put on that second coat! Hope everyone has a great weekend...

Regards,
Jan

Hi everyone! tgif!!
Jan, I'm so sorry to hear about your DS's leg. She's such a nice person. Next time you come down to visit her, give me a call- maybe we can meet up again like we did before.
Janet, congrats on the 26 pound loss! Hang in their through that plateau!! Have you tried the Wendie plan variation of WW? They had a big spread on it in one of the women's magazines a month or so ago. I can't seem to find your phone number (along with a lot of other things since I moved to Florida last year!), so call me if you get a chance.
Joyce, it's too bad you have to wait another week for the results of that echo. I tend to agree with you that if there was anything worrisome going on they would have called you, but I'm sure it will lurk in the back of your mind until you get the result.

This should be a quiet weekend- I hope!! They are calling for a good chance of rain and thunderstorms, so that sounds like a good incentive to stay put, other than walking my furbaby.

Gotta run for now. Hi to Nascargirl and Bandit. Hey, do any of you "oldtimers" to this group ever hear from Texaslady?

Take care, and have a good op weekend.
Carol