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#1

Jean , 02-16-2019 01:59 PM

Good Morning! It’s so nice to see the sunshine this morning! I have counted gift shop money and have it ready for the deposit. I know there is no mail delivery but since our bank was closed for MLK day it will be open. I’m thinking the church bank will be closed but we will have the extra from last week in the mix. Have a load of laundry that should be ready to go in the dryer. The roads were clear yesterday but there were more semis than usual. I don’t know if it was due to weather delays or just the time of day since we were earlier than usual. Weatherman missed the call again saying weather advisory (until Monday morning) of very cold, snow, and wind after we got to the game. We got up to cold and sunshine this morning, no snow, at least not yet. The game was an hour earlier; their school was out all week for spring break. I think they were a little early on the spring call. They also have a four day break over Easter. Anyhow, Ian’s team won by 50 points and the starters sat out the second half so the kids who never get to play played. Ian played well except his four adult fans were a little ticked. There is a kid who plays the same position Ian does; he is a freshman, tall and pretty good too. Ian always starts the games and this kid’s uncle cornered the coach saying it would be nice if Julius would start for a change. So The coach talked to Ian and explained the situation. The kid is black (one of two on the team) which did not sit well with father Jason nor grandpa Bob! Not that the kid is black but that the coach let a family member influence his decision as to who starts.

Ceejay, there is nothing like a new baby to snuggle and love. Do both families live close to you? I hope the Zyrtec does it’s magic for you, and the ice has melted away!

Bob is home with blind samples for the bathroom. It’s also time for lunch! Enjoy your day!

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#2

Jean , 02-17-2019 09:52 AM

Good Morning! Snow, snow, and more snow; no church for us today! It started snowing about 9:15 last night when we left the performance center, and is still going. I wouldn’t even guess how much we have — too much! On the upside, it isn’t as cold at 20 degrees to start the day. There is just a slight breeze which is good; at least there won’t be huge wind blown drifts to plow through. Three fuzz balls were here for breakfast but they have ventured out again. I could barely see them as they hopped through the snow. The program last night was Babes of Broadway, and they were very good. We didn’t recognize some of the songs but they had lots of energy, constantly singing and dance moves. I have lots of things I could do today. Wish I had the ingredients to make party mix but a very good thing that I don’t. It is a nonstop grazing kind of day! Hope you enjoy a sunny warm day wherever you are!

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#3

ceejay52 , 02-17-2019 01:41 PM

Good morning,
Jean, didn't realize that you had started a new thread. Thank you.I worry about the little fuzz balls but they have on coats and especially since you have some shelter for them

I didn't go to church this morning. We had more ice this morning. My street looked icy and there wasn't any traffic.
I took an over the counter sinus med yesterday and it wiped me out. Took it at 11.30 on Friday night and slept till Saturday morning till 11.30 a.m.. I ate something and laid down on the couch and slept some more. My sinuses are not as congested.
Trying to cut back on Cokes this week. Will see how this goes since I'm addicted to them, so I say.
I'm ready for some warmer weather. Anything above 40 degrees would be appreciated.

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#4

gma22 , 02-17-2019 06:28 PM

Good afternoon. We have had heavy rain off and on since last night, but no freezing temps, thank goodness. The river is at 33 feet and flood stage is 34. On top of that, we are expect8ng heavy rains this next week. Though we live no where near the river, it does mean long for hours for Jack most likely.

We went to Fresh Market and got our meat on Saturday and then came home and put stuff away. Jack wanted Mexican so went to dinner and even though it was early they got really busy. Took an hour for our food to finally come out. I ate a bit then had it boxed up and brought it home. Today I have had an icky stomach so who knows.

CeeJay: How exciting for you. It has to be fun getting to see new babies and visiting with them. Hope you’ve warmed up and are melting.

Jean: The way it was explained to me when we went in to the office was this way. Let’s say you are like me and only worked sporadically. Say my SS payment at full retirement is $500 a month, but Jack’s is $2000. What they do is allow you to get your $500 then they add enough to equal half your spouse, who makes more than you, which in this case would be $500 to make your payment $1000 a month instead of $500. Of course if he passes before me then it changes and I get survivor benefit, which is the full $2000. Hope your snow has stopped.

Keep warm everyone.

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#5

ceejay52 , 02-18-2019 09:52 AM

Morning
The sun is shining. I'm thankful. There is still some ice on the tree's but the street is clear this morning.
Not much else is going on today.

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#6

Jean , 02-18-2019 04:41 PM

Good Afternoon! The sun is shining brightly, no wind, and icicles are dripping along the eve spouts. I was thinking about the mail being later than usual, and then remembered we won’t get any today. I thought the bank the gift shop uses would be open but it wasn’t either. There were 144 people who came to church yesterday in spite of the weather. We were really surprised even though there wasn’t much money to count. We had the missing memorial money, etc., from last week so that took me longer to enter into the computer. One lady alone had over $2000 in memorials. I stopped at the hospital to drop off checks after I found the bank closed. After lunch Bob took my car to the garage to have the leaking tire checked so I am stuck at home. I really don’t have anywhere I need to go. I have done a couple loads of laundry and am waiting for the dryer to finish it’s job.

Ceejay, the fuzz balls must have somewhere else where they go to keep warm because they aren’t always here when We go to bed and shut off the deck lights. Three of the four are long haired and have thick coats. I worry about them too but feel they are acclimated to the weather since they were born late fall when it was getting colder. I don’t know what there is about Coke but every once in awhile I will crave one. Then I can go for a long time and never give it a thought. I never order pop when we eat out because it is so expensive and usually watered down with no taste to it.

“Gma,” is the river still rising? I hope not, for Jack’s sake. I asked Bob about the social security thing for wives and he had heard of it. He had a brother/sister client, neither ever married nor left their home farm. They stayed on the farm taking care of their parents and farming the farm. When she turned 65 she didn’t qualify for Medicare nor social security because she had never worked anywhere. I don’t know about the man. Bob was trying to help get her on some sort of government program but I never found out how she came out. I will have to ask him. I saw on FB where paying for the wall should come out of the comgressmen’s pension fund. Sounds like a good plan to me!

The dryer should be done so I can fold towels and put them away. I should make a list of things I need to get done before card club. I was going to try and have couples, ladies, and crafty club all in the same week. Not sure if I can handle that or not. Hope you are enjoying a nice day!

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#7

gma22 , 02-19-2019 10:45 AM

Good morning gals. It is chilly and all day rain today. I was going to get my nails done today but with heavy rain expected I decided to wait until tomorrow. I got up at 6 AM, cleaned the upstairs bathrooms, did a load of laundry, unloaded and reloaded dishwasher, gathered up stuff to make braised steak tips for dinner, then called and left a message again for the SS lady, and have been knitting since then.

I am logging my calls to SS and calling 4-5 times each day. It is ridiculous that you don’t get called back. The letter gave me a deadline of Thursday so if they haven’t called me back or answered the phone, I’ll start bugging them online too.

Jack just did a Kroger click list run yesterday and we’ll go shopping this next weekend to get the rest of the stuff. I have been having allergy headaches and just didn’t feel like dealing with grocery shopping and noise.

CeeJay: Glad the weather is improving for you.

Jean: Jack was off yesterday so it helped me remember the bank and post office weren’t open. The river is still rising. Heavy rains this week sure aren’t going to help. As of 6 this morning the river was only an inch from flood stage. They are now talking about it getting to 37 feet by next week and that’s 3 feet over flood stage. So I imagine he’ll not dodge the overtime. He hasn’t said anything about it this morning yet.

Everyone have a good week.

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#8

Jean , 02-19-2019 03:10 PM

Good Afternoon! We had weird fog this morning; it wasn’t windy but the fog was thick and moved around the house and through the trees. It reminded me of a spooky Halloween movie setting. The sun came out briefly then disappeared. I don’t know who is directing the weather but we are in a winter advisory again tonight into tomorrow. Maddy has a concert tonight and we are planning to head that direction unless it is snowing when we are ready to leave. I have a Penneys coupon and would like to look at towels for the “blue/gray” bathroom. This morning I made a quick trip to the bank to deposit the gift shop money, the library to pick out different books because I didn’t like what I picked on my last visit, and the grocery store. I need to scrub the leftover casserole dish next.

“Gma,” our prediction for snow amounts has been anywhere between an inch to nine inches. I wish the weatherman/lady would just admit they don’t know and we get what we get. Our social security office is no more. It was in a little strip mall that had a fire and they decided to close it. I found it unnerving to be greeted by a uniform wearing a gun. I was able to talk to a live person at the counter then go on in and fill out the papers. Now we either have to go to Sioux City or another small town 30 miles north of us. Neither choice is very desirable. My friend whose husband just died, called for an appointment and can’t get in until the end of March.

Bob is going tomorrow, with Jason, to a question and answer presentation for college seniors. It is where we went to college so he is excited to be invited. Jason has done it before and they were looking for more speakers this year so that’s how Bob was invited. I need to iron a shirt for him as dress is business attire.

Hope you enjoy the rest of a terrific Tuesday!

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#9

snowell , 02-19-2019 04:02 PM

Greetings - I'm new, seeking a senior age weight loss forum. I checked out the Golden Girls forum and noticed the last posting was 2 months ago. I would like a senior forum that is active at least weekly or why bother..... Are there members here that are senior age? Senior age weight loss is not the same as the younger folks and thought I might find more understanding members and more in common members with a senior age forum, and everyone here appears to be friendly. I hope to some day soon be as slim as the picture on the left.

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#10

ceejay52 , 02-20-2019 10:50 AM

Welcome snowell. I agree that senior weight loss is a lot different than the younger generation. I'm 68.

GMA
I'm taking an over the counter sinus med that is helping my allergies. I read yesterday on FB that the Mississippi river where I used to live in Arkansas was a foot from flood stage. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that any more. Keep after the SS people. I signed up on line when I was ready to retire.

Jean
You must be an early bird by getting your errands done this early. I like to do my errands in the afternoon. I may go to the mall one day soon. I'd like to go to Dillard's and Penny's.

Not much is going on in my neighborhood. It's cloudy and I'm ready for some more sunshine. I did make it to the gym yesterday afternoon and rode the bike and walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes each.
I also bought groceries yesterday so hopefully this will let me stay more on my food plan.

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#11

Jean , 02-20-2019 11:49 AM

Good Morning! We went to Maddy’s concert last night and it started snowing during the concert. We drove home in heavy snow which always seems worse when it is dark. I’m glad we don’t live any further away. It is still spitting big snow flakes; I’m guessing we got another 6-7” judging the snow on the deck. The path the kittens made across the yard has filled in although three were here for breakfast. I have laundry to do and need to iron a dress shirt in case Bob decides to go back to Sioux City tonight. I am hoping the college postpones the event he is supposed to go to.

snowell, welcome to our small group! I think originally it was much larger and many belonged to Weight Watchers. As far as I know WW has gone by the wayside as well as some leaving. Unfortunately weight loss is a necessary evil for many of us. Ceejay is our faithful exerciser going to the gym to wor out. “Gma” Likes to cook whose menus always sound delicious. I am the oldest, at 73, and don’t like to cook so it’s pretty much plain and simple at our house. We all keep plugging along and try to support each other. We welcome your input to the Steel Magnolias!

Ceejay, I still wake up close to 5:30 which is 15 minutes later than when I was in school. I am a morning person and if I don’t get it done in the morning I usually don’t get it done. on going to the gym! Would you believe I have never been in a Dillard’s store? We heard, at a basketball game visiting with another grandparent couple, Dillard’s was looking at the Sioux Falls mall where Sears and another large department store were located. There might be a store in Omaha but we are always on the edge of the city when we go to the airport.

I’m off to accomplish something, even if it’s wrong. Have a wonderful Wednesday and enjoy!

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#12

gma22 , 02-21-2019 08:26 AM

Good morning girls! More rain is headed our way and it is not welcome. We are above flood stage and the river keeps rising. There are areas here that are already in trouble. Why they built expensive condos next to the river is beyond me. I do wonder about the pyramid though. It is right there next to the river. It is a Bass Pro Shop and hotel, restaurant now. Parking lot at least has to be underwater.

I am going out in a couple hours and get my nails done. Dinner is chicken and amish noodles. Easy because I put it in the crockpot.

I bought a couple pair of jeans and they should be here tomorrow. Different brand as they didn’t have my size so we shall see if they fit. I imagine they’ll be too long. I also ordered a short jean jacket. Never had one so don’t know if I’ll like it or not.

Jack was telling me about a youtube video he watched. It was shot by someone on a ship docked next to a RCCL ship. The ship had pulled up anchor and was sailing away from the pier and here comes a couple running down the pier trying to make them stop and come back. First off, it’s not gonna happen and secondly, they waited an extra 20 minutes for them is what they said. People are so stupid!!!

i actually got the lady on the phone and then she had to verify our marriage with Jack so that was another round of phone calls, but he got her on the phone right before she left for the day. It will take 2-4 weeks to show up, but then I’ll start receiving my benefits in June. What a headache.

Jean: Thank goodness our temps stay up or we’d be in a real pickle here. How much snow do you think you have at the moment. I hope Bob and Jason enjoy the speaking thing. I saw my towels are getting just a bit worn but think I’ll wait until next year’s white sale to replace them.

CeeJay: Great job getting out to the gym. I have several brands of otc allergy meds. I think the worst is a runny nose all the time.

Snowell: You are very welcome to join our group. I have to confess though, we don’t discuss weight loss much here though we welcome the conversation about it. I am 65, have two grown children and two grandsons, 18 and 11. I live in Memphis TN, my husband is retired Navy and currently works for the city of Memphis doing electronics. We are now an itsy bitsy group, but we enjoy each other’s online company.

Everyone have a good day!

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#13

snowell , 02-21-2019 11:31 AM

T0 ALL: I am so glad for your response. With other people to talk to and "listen" to I think I can do this one more time. I moved to OR a year ago, go to work and home and that's it. So, I still do not know anyone here except my co-workers. I haven't gone to any "meetup groups" because I'm too tired on my days off of work to go anywhere - just want to rest. I am 68 years old, have been fighting fat for almost 50 years now. 30 years ago gland specialists told me that my thyroid ( both sides) is completely dead. Its the same as not having a thyroid in the body at all. Medication helps only underactive/overactive thyroids, not dead thyroids. Doctor jokingly said that it would take my body three days to metabolize a carrot. I tried many (MANY!) different ways to lose weight and only found one way that worked for me - low-carb eating. That was five years ago and I lost 100 pounds - it took me two years to do it with strict low-carb eating and lots of exercise. I love veggies & fruits so it was sooooo HARD to not eat them. When I started eating high carb foods again I gained 50 pounds back, half of that just the last eight months, since I started working in the food industry - cashier in a major national grocery store & also a backup for the bakery department. Being around all that poisonous carb food - BREADS - (poison for me anyway) has really been too much for me to handle. Just the smell of baking 50 loaves of french bread brings on withdrawal literally.
All my life I have been a high carb eater, was raised on bread as the main staple of food/survival - pasta, cookies, cake, my favorites are brownies, pie with ice cream on top, garlic bread and any/all pasta. At one point I was a vegetarian for several years.
Switching to low-carb eating was a major struggle for me - literally life changing. Now I am having to struggle with it all again. I went back to the low-carb eating plan a week ago and as of today have lost 8 pounds - not a lot, but for me a good start. I now know for sure that low-carb eating is the only way I can eat to live. Carbs are a killer for someone who does not have a thyroid. I am sure there are other people like me & many do not know it.
Eating 0 carbs on a daily basis made me sick in many ways. I know that eating 0 carbs is not healthy for me either.
So, here I am, hoping to find a weight loss buddy to keep me motivated (to get rid of the fat for good!) when I am going thru withdrawal (craving carbs so bad I can't sleep - I know cravings are a mind thing) and I hope to motivate others who are struggling as I am. Weight loss is especially hard when one is older, not as easy as for younger people, even though hard enough. Only a much older person understands how much harder it is.
Why do I want to never be fat again? I don't want to die fat. I don't want my sons to remember me fat. I don't want to be " the short fat one" at work anymore. I want my uniform I have to wear at work to not be cutting skin tight so I can breathe/move better. I want to be able to go up the stairs to my second floor apartment without having to pull myself up each step holding onto the rail. I want to have enough energy to do a little exercise every other day. I have to take the city bus to & from work - I want to be able to walk the blocks to the bus stops without my heart pounding halfway there. I don't want to be ugly anymore, I want to feel good. 'Nough said.
Now I can learn about my new friends here & will do my best to understand & encourage. Thank you all.

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#14

Jean , 02-21-2019 11:31 AM

Good Morning! The sun is shining, a breeze is blowing, and it’s 9 degrees outside. At least we are above 0! I am waiting for the dryer to buzz so thought I would check in here. I have baked frozen cookies and browned hamburger for a spaghetti lunch. I have crafty club this afternoon which I rsvp’d that I would be there. I really need to stay home and work on my deep cleaning list! There is always tomorrow, for the time being at least!

“Gma,” I hope your predicted rain takes a detour and misses you! It is interesting as to how much rain or snow we get. Each of the three Sioux City weathermen will give a different amount for us. But in visiting with others, and maybe the windmills have something to do with it, people will have different amounts depending on where they live. In the summer we can have rain on our side and the other side of the lake won’t get any, or vice versa. Bob thinks we got between 9-11”. Our back yard is open and will get drifts depending on the wind. We know people who walk into church exactly as the service starts or habitually a few minutes afterwards. We are always early to everything! One gal is always ten plus minutes late for bell practice and I have to really bite my tongue to keep quiet. She, or maybe I, am lucky she doesn’t stand next to me! We always wait to start and usually someone else will get her bells out. The college rescheduled the event that Bob and Jason were going to. We were glad as I could tell Bob didn’t really want to battle the roads coming home in the dark again. The state patrol was still warning people against unnecessary travel on the 6:00 news last night. More snow is predicted for tomorrow and freezing drizzle for Saturday, then turning to snow on Sunday. Bob is supposed to sing Sunday, may not happen as several live out of town. This weather is making me trying to keep up with schedule changes.

I am off to hang clothes! Hope you enjoy a terrific Thursday!

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#15

snowell , 02-21-2019 12:44 PM

OK - just read all posts - excited right now -
gma22 - Glad your SS issue is getting worked out. SS is difficult to deal with sometimes, maybe because of the millions of people they have to serve. I had to call them repeatedly (once a month for several months) just to get the Medicare A card. Don't have Medicare B,C or D - can't afford it. I finally got the Medicare A card last week! My monthly SS payments are very small because I was always poor (made little income my whole life) so, I will be working until I die. I just think of it as exercise.

ceejay - The reason I moved to OR is because of my youngest son's allergies - so bad every year I thought he might die - he did one time & the hospital brought him back - he almost did a couple other times - took allergy shots for 3 & 1/2 years & the shots actually gave him more allergies than he had in the first place. Doctor said his allergies was the worst he had seen - tried everything - nothing worked. Asthma was 24/7 year round! No asthma pumped worked for him. I suggested that if we moved north to another state (we lived in TX), where none of the trees that are where we lived are in the new state we move to, then his allergies may stop. He was literally living in plastic room at the time and we had to have plastic covering the apt. entrance door and all entrances to every room to keep as much pollen out as possible. All windows had to be kept shut - no fresh air. One apt. we lived in was carpeted so we had to completely cover the carpeted floors with thick plastic. It was awful. So, we moved here to OR & it worked! His allergies now are minimal-almost nill! We can open windows! It's wonderful. So - moving might help your allergy problem, depending on what you are allergic too. Course, moving may not be an option for you either.
20 minutes on a treadmill is great! Not many people with allergy problems can do that. Pat yourself on the back for that.
I understand the new slacks might be too long. I am short & have to re-hem every pair of slacks I buy. Once in a blue moon I will find a "short petite" that is not too long.

To All: Weather here in OR - Lots of snow only in the mountains, I am too close to the coast, its too wet here to "snow" - the entire winter has been rain almost every day - sun comes out every now & then for a few minutes every couple of weeks. So we are Cold and raining here. When we moved here we were hoping to see snow here, but it doesn't happen & I don't want to move again. Even the grass is different here & because of all the rain the grass stays green all winter, year round. It is beautiful!

Going to cook us some breakfast now (hungry!) Last night I ate chicken breast and green salad with blue cheese dressing. Did not loose any weight but at least did not gain any. Breakfast this morning will be turkey bacon & eggs with cheddar cheese and salsa on the eggs, & a third cup of coffee. Then get ready for work.
Yesterday did a little exercise (stretch bands and one 10 second plank - it was hard enough just getting into position to do one & was shaking the whole time - my back hurt a little from it at work so, today I may just do some extra "walking in place" (10 minutes?) in the apt. before walking to bus stop. Starting to exercise a little at a time & will build up as my weight goes down, when I have more energy to do more.

Hope ya'll have a good day - hang in there, that's what we have to do.

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