If you have 50 or more pounds to lose, jump on in and join us! You will be sure to get a warm welcome!

Morning!

Just want to say happy end of week to everyone. This week seemed extra long...maybe I am just looking forward to having the same type of weather as everyone talks about. Those strawberries sound wonderful. Makes me really excited about my garden this year. Any one have any suggestions about how to keep the ground hog from eating my vegetbles? My brother informed me that that is why my mother stoppe planting vegetables. Do you think if I put chicken wire areound the plants it will help?

Congrats to you Rebecca on your .9 lb loss! Every step we take in the right direction is a sucess in my book. Let us know how that ab roller works. I am always looking for additional excercises to make that lumpy thing I call my stomache get back into shape. When I was at my top of my weight my middle section was all one big protrusion. But now that I have lost weight, I don't know if it is because I have extra skin, but it almost looks as if someone folded a blanket and attatched it to my middle. It kind of hangs and is really gross. When I was heavier it never hung like this.

And I envy you Saara,eating like a thin person. Haven't picked that up yet.

Gotta run. Have a great day!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Carol - I do declare - Have we made a "southern" girl out of "y'all"! See what happens when you hang around a bunch of girls from the south!

Joyce - I am so glad that Melissa was able to successfully complete the enchilada recipe - complete with the mess to clean up! Did she have anyone interested in purchasing them at school? She sure wouldn't have any trouble peddling them around here!

Not much planned for me this week-end. I am dog-sitting for dd so will drop by and pick up my "grandog" on the way home from work. They are making a quick trip out of town to see her paternal grandmother - her step-mom will be there too, but not her Dad so perhaps the week-end will be "explosion-free". Step Mom is supposed to be bringing part of the wedding favors she has already made. Makes me feel like I should be doing the centerpieces - or something!! But I think I will wait a few more months - storage is going to be an issue once they are completed! Don't even know where I am going to put the favors she is delivering! Saturday I have to visit the CPA to get my taxes done. I usually do them myself but I don't know how to pay on some property proceeds I got this past year. Easier to pay him to do it than wade through the IRS regs.

Wishing everyone a great week-end. Looks like ours will be a nice one - for a change. Only 20% chance of rain Sat & Sun (temps in high 50s) - course that means, we will probably get a deluge instead!

Hey Everybody!

Justliz- The ab roller is torture. No really, it is a great tool so far. I brought it home on Wednesday and like every kid with a new toy, I had to try it out. Well, yesterday I couldn't sneeze, cough, laugh or anything without me feeling it in my tummy. So I hope that means that it is doing something. I did it again with my workout today and I thought that I was just gonna lay on the floor grasping my stomach. I guess like they say, no pain, no gain. So I will keep at it and let you know in a couple of weeks if I notice any difference.

Texaslady- Hope you have a great time dogsitting! And enjoy the weather, hopefully the rain will stay away and you can enjoy blue skies!

Not much going on here. Just getting ready for our trip on Tuesday. My dh has some meetings so I am going to travel along! Yeah!! We are going back to the town we moved from, see our old friends, old home, etc. So we should have a pretty good time. I already have my own snacks, breakfast, and water bottle ready to go. Planning ahead so that hopefully I will make good decisions while we are away.

But I better run. You all have a great day and I will talk to you later.

Rebecca

Hi everyone! I hope you had a good Friday, and that you are looking forward to a pleasant weekend.
Texaslady, I hope you enjoy your weekend with your "granddog". I'm sure you must have said at some point, but I cannot recall- what kind of dog is he? About my "y'all"- after living in Southern MD for 35 years, I can sound pretty southern sometimes! Not as southern as Janet, since MD is a border state, but enough that my PA relatives comment that I've lost my PA "accent"! So what does your dd think the "painted shoes" idea?
Liz, I don't know if this would work for groundhogs, but I read recently that you can keep squirrels out of your garden by sprinkling baby oil on the ground.
Rebecca, how are the sore abs doing? Be careful you don't pull your back out in the process! I have a torso track thing- I really liked it, but haven't been able to use it since I hurt my back about a month ago. How nice that you'll be able to go on travel with your dh next week! It sounds like fun!
Jan, I sure hope you've been having a wonderful time on your vacation! I'll bet the week has one all too quickly!
Janet, how are you doing? Has your dd goten back from her spring break trip yet? I'll bet it seems lonely without her!
Joyce, great minds do think alike! I think Texaslady will look just swell in her painted SAS loafers!
Nancy, Nancy,Kendra and Saara, how are you doing?
This has been a LONG week! On of our nurses decided to go from full time to part time, so I'm working extra hours until we find another part time nurse. And I work tomorrow too. As much as I love my little sweetie, I'm hoping my dd doesn't ask me to babysit over the weekend- my back's feeling the daily 10 and 12 hour days, and I need to just kick back on Sunday.
Speaking of my little sweetie, he went back for his ear checkup Thursday, and the surgeon said everything looks great.
Well, I'd better run. Have a good weekend and a Happy St. Patricks Day, everyone!
Carol

I better say TOP O THE MORNING today. cuz tomorrow is busy!
I'll have to WI at 7:30 to be ready to travel to Casie's soccer game at 9.
From the soccer game we go to Granddaughter's 8th bday, an hours drive from here, I haven't seen dd and kids for a while so will look forward to a good visit.
I'm leaving early Monday to go to Mothers for a few days. her bday is next Wed. I put all the birthday people in my family on my homepage. they were impressed. I wish Mother could see well enough to be able to see herself on there.
I'm going tonight with Melissa to look for a prom dress.
Shouldn't be too bad. She usually knows just what she wants, she has reminded me that this will be her very last high school dance, so it is "special".
guess I better get going!

JOYce

Yeah!! Another HALF pound gone. That makes 7.5 for me!! It feels good making progress. (And the two chocolate chip cookies tasted REAL GOOD, too!)

JOYce, my twin daughters are also turning 8 the end of the month. We are planning a sleepover. Two friends each will still make for a noisy and active night.

Carol, I agree with the others regarding what to wear to your friend's inauguration. A dress with a jacket or bolero jacket is a smart look. A dressy pants outfit with a tunic top is also nice. Look for a dressy fabric or sophisticated print. A nice crinkly crepe is pretty.

Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, so this Polish-American is ready with corned beef, cabbage and potatoes! I only bought a small beef, as the kids have lost their taste for the "pink meat." They'd rather have kielbasi!!

Have a fun weekend. Try to catch your breath, everyone. It's been a busy week for many of us.

Happy St. Patty's Day!
NJNancy, congrats on the .5 pounds lost!!!! You're doing great!I too am Polish American. I've never been overly fond of kelbasi, but my grandmother used to make the best perogies (with meat, not cheese like the frozen ones are).! They just dripped with butter- I don't even want to think how many grams of fat were in them! It sounds like your twins are in for a fun birthday!
Joyce, good luck on your weigh in!
Well, I'd better run. I work this morning, and want to hit one of my favorite stores on the way in. They are having a big sale starting at 7AM, so I thought I'd begin my quest for the perfect dress! Thanks ,everyone, for the suggestions!
Hi to everyone, and have a good day!
Carol

Hi everyone!

Carol, I can't believe you were up before me this morning. And you're 7 hours ahead of me!!! I guess I really slept in. I haven't slept in for a long time, so this was nice. I guess I should study for a few hours before heading to work. It's still pretty quiet at the store near my house, so I guess I'll take my books along...

GOOD NEWS: I weighed in yesterday, after a few weeks, and 3.7 pounds was gone! My roommate had lost about 1.5 punds, so she's off to a good start. Oh, and I had bought this cool rubberjacket a few years back thinking that it'll fit me soon. And I ended up gaining even more weight after I bought it, but now it fits me! Too bad the weather got too cold to wear it. The snow was already melting and it really felt like spring, but today it's back to 20 degrees. At least the sun is shining.

NJNancy, congrats on the half a pound gone forever! Isn't it just great that now small amounts of goodies taste even better than the huge amounts did before?

Joyce, I hope you had a good WI! Would you mind sending me a PM with the address of your website. I think I lost it when my computer crashed and all the stuff had to be re-installed...

HI Jan, Janet, Texaslady, Rebecca, Kendra, Liz and Nancy!!! Have a great Saturday! Saara.

Hi Girls! I hope everybody is having a great OP weekend.

I thought I had better check in so that you would know that I'm still with you. This has been a strange week, starting on Monday when I was IN a tornado! I ended up following the kids to Gulf Shores and stayed until Monday morning. I left Gulf Shores in bright, sunny skies but that soon changed. Let's just say that it is an experience that I don't want to go through again. I was just so thankful that Krysten was not with me...or anybody else for that matter. A friend had offered to ride with me so that I wouldn't have to travel alone, but that has never bothered me so I told her that I would be fine. I was really glad that she wasn't with me either. My car and I both ended up being okay, but one man was killed and there was so much damage. I ended up pulling off onto a cut thru in the median where another girl had pulled off and she told me later that the winds had picked her car up off the ground. I know that I had angels all around me...and that I am very blessed. I definitely have a new respect for mother nature. I think what got to me the most was the totally helpless feeling. Anyway, like I said, that is one experience that I hope to never go through again.

All the kids had a wonderful time in Gulf Shores and are home safe and sound. Krysten even brought money back with her, which shocked me! She also came home with a new addition...a pierced belly-button. She had called and asked my permission, and although I didn't exactly tell her that I approved, I didn't forbid it. A lot of my friends are horrified, but the way I look at it is that there are a whole lot of worse things that she could have wanted to do...or places that she could have wanted pierced! She's a good kid with good morals and a good head on her shoulders. I just personally can't imagine having a needle stuck through my navel. She said that it didn't really hurt. Yeah...right!!

I've been trying to lurk and keep up with this active thread, but there is no way that I can respond to everybody individually. The way I ramble on, we would have a novel here...so just let me say that I'm proud of everybody who is doing so well OP. I do want to tell Saara that I'm proud of her for "eating like a thin person." That is something that I look forward to doing, but I'm not quite there yet.

I want to thank Carol and Texaslady for posting their pictures of our get together. I will post mine as soon as I get them developed. Not only did I love seeing them, but they gave me that added push I needed to get back solidly OP. Nothing does that quite like seeing how terrible you look in pictures. In my head, I'm still the much thinner person I used to be, and it's good to have a reality check. That is probably why I avoid having my picture taken. Anyway, I have had a great week and have lost quite a bit already. Now I just have to keep focused for the long haul...but at least I'm back on track.

I had better run, but may try to post again tonight. I hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day. My great-grandparents came straight from Ireland, so I'm VERY Irish. NJNancy, I loved your "pot o' gold"... I need to practice inserting images. Of course, I also have a tiny bit of Choctaw/Cherokee in me, so I have quite a mixture. That is all just on my father's side. My mother grew up in an orphanage and I would love to track my family tree. Do any of you do any geneology research?? I could sure use some pointers. I started doing some searching a few years back, but didn't get too far. Now that my father has passed away, it seems especially important to me.

Y'all have a great (and safe) OP week!

Janet (Kudzu)

Hi everybody! We're back home from Seattle/Vancouver; had a great time, did lots of walking, and enjoyed the change in scenery.

Janet, what a terrifying experience with that tornado! You certainly had more presence of mind than I would have had; how smart to move into that crossover. I am so glad you were unhurt! Re: Krysten's navel piercing, well, why not? Much better than a tattoo, and not as permanent. I think it's sweet that she called you first, too. I know what you mean about pictures (though I think you looked lovely in the photos). I've hidden from cameras for years, too. But I read somewhere that looking at video of oneself helps motivate weight loss. I think I'll try that so I can get off this long plateau!

Liz, hope you enjoy your seminar next week!

Carol, great news about your friend's appointment. Can't offer any fashion advice, as I am clueless in that area, but the others' suggestions all sound good to me! Glad to hear your sweetie got a good report from his doctor.

JOYce, enjoy your visit with your Mom tomorrow! And way to go, on re-committing to program. You're so right, we only lose when we don't keep trying. Stocking the kitchen with OP goodies is a good plan, too!

Saara, congrats on your 3.7! And on fitting into your new jacket, and *especially* on finding that you're eating like a thin person. That is so great!

Rebecca, way to go on your .9 loss; sounds like you'll make your 10 percent this coming week! And good for you, planning ahead for your trip next week.

Texaslady, have you found your shoes yet? I'm like you, I love those SAS loafers, and seldom wear any other kind. They seem to last forever, don't they?

Liz, we have the same garden problem, only with gophers instead of ground hogs. They will come up from beneath the plants and drag them under by their roots! Seriously! I finally gave up on in-ground gardening, and now grow everything in tubs. Have had much more success! Is container gardening an option for you? Also have heard that some people put hardware wire (or chicken wire) beneath their plants.

NJNancy, congrats on your half pound! I didn't realize you and Carol were both Polish-American. So many of our students are Polish, as we have the oldest continually-occupied Polish settlement in the U.S. right here! They have a lovely church and beautiful rock houses dating back to the mid 1800's.

Nancy in TC, hope all is well up your way!

It's good to be home, but just thinking about this coming week is already stressing me out. Have to drive 150 miles early tomorrow to a meeting that I really don't have time for, as it'll be our first day back from break, and I have so many things to do at work. Oh well! Will try to plan ahead, avoid stress eating, and get my walks in. I need to take a page from Carol's book, and go back to "compulsive journaling" (how descriptive!).

Everyone have a great Sunday afternoon!
Regards,
Jan

i just wanted to say a quick hello, and to give a quick thanks that we are all safe. That tornado story gave me the willies...you never now what the next turn of the road will bring you.

Have to go and pack for the seminar. I have been on pager call all weekend and was so busy I didn't even have a chance to sign on and read all the posts!

I look forward to next saturday when I treat myself to a nice leisurely scroll through all the posts

see you then!

Liz

Hi ladies,
I thought I better stop in real quick. I'm trying to get some things together for my little trip to Mother's tomorrow. I hope to leave early tomorrow, it usually takes me almost 4 hours to get there, taking a couple of "leg stretch breaks".

Saarao, I sent the PM that you requested, I hope you enjoy the site. I have fun making changes, although there are not many changes right now except the first page.

liz, I did like Jan said for the gophers when I had that problem. Putting wire underground around the plant. Unfortunately after a while it rusts out and the varmints are back. Container gardening is the only sure way that I know of, to keep them out.
Good luck!

Must run!


~~ ~~~
JOYce

Yes, it is 2:00 am! I couldn't sleep, so I decided to play with the avatar feature. I guess I will know if it worked when I send this, but I'm pretty sure it will.

Jan, I'm glad you and DH are back safe and sound...and that you had a great time. Thanks for your kind words about my pictures, but they were definitely an eye opener. I love looking at them though because they remind me of what a great time I had!

Liz, enjoy your seminar and be safe!! You are right about never knowing what is around the next turn. I think that is one reason that God allows me to get myself into these situations so often...so that when I'm whining and belly-aching about petty things I will stop and remember just how blessed I really am!

JOYce, you have a safe trip to you mother's...and enjoy your visit. How did the prom dress shopping go?? Krysten was telling me tonight about the jewelry that she wants to get to go with her dress...and how she wants "sparkly" things to go in her hair. This will be her last high school dance also, and she shares Melissa's feelings about this being "special."

Hi to everyone else. I had better get to bed or I will NEVER get up in the morning. Traffic is going to be awful since school will be back in session, plus they are closing down yet another road so that more construction can take place. I dream of orange barrels in my sleep!

Have a great Monday!

Janet (Kudzu)

Good morning everyone!! I don't want it to be Monday already!!!
Saara, congratulations on the 3.7 pounds lost!!! And to your roomie for her 1.5 pounds! How neat that the jacket you bought several years ago now fits! Enjoy wearing it, because the way you're going lately, it won't be long before it's too big for you!!
Janet, I am so thankful that you came through the tornado unharmed! How frightening that must have been. Congrats on your weight loss, and on getitng recommitted to being op. But let me say this- you are a beautiful person, inside and out, just the way you are! I was shocked to see you up before me today! I had one of those nights Sat night(Sun morning)- too bad we weren't sleepless on the same night- we could have had an instant message chat to pass the time! I did some geneology research a few years ago, but not on the computer, so I can't be much help. I live about 1/2 hour from the National Archives in DC, so I went up there a few times. What a fascinating place- and you have access to everything under the sun!
Jan, welcome back!!! We missed you! I'm glad you had such a good time. You deserve it! How did your dad make out in your absence? I didn't realize you all had such a large Polish American community there.
Liz, I hope your seminar goes well. We'll look forward to hearing from you next Saturday.
Joyce, have a safe trip to your Mom's place! I hope you find her doing well.
Texaslady, are you geared up for a nasty rush hour now that spring break is over?
NJNancy,Nancy TC, Rebecca & Kendra, I hope you had a good weekend.

My weekend was pretty unexciting. I worked Saturday morning, cleaned out drawers and closets in the wee small hours Sunday morning when I couldn't sleep, and watched my little swetie for a couple hours Sunday afternoon (even though I said I wasn't going to this weekend). He's walking well now, and so proud of himself! He just feels so good since those tubes were inserted! Oh! Almost forgot! I did find a dress for the inauguration. I hit an early morning sale on my way to work Saturday morning. I got a dress with a jacket as some of you all suggested. It's pretty, slimming and something I might actually wear again.

I've really got to run- time is slipping away here. Have a good day, everyone!
Carol