God Bless America!

We want to invite everyone to join us in our journey.
We share laughter and tears.
We share what works for us and what doesn't.
We recently started a Topic of the Day.

Monday........Motivation Monday
Tuesday.......Tuesday Tips
Wednesday.....Wednesday Weigh ins
Thursday......Thankful Thursday
Friday........Friday Facials, Fingernails and Fun
Saturday.......Sit-up Saturdays - any physical activity
Sunday.........Soup and Salad Sunday - recipes

We chat on Wednesday and Sunday at 8:30 EST, 7:30 CST.

These are not required topics ...just ideas to share. We have found them very helpful. We also share heartaches and fears...joys and celebrations.

I'm just here to quickly change threads. I will see you all later. I'm getting a late start out of the house today. That throws my whole day off! See you when I get home. I think I may have thought about some changes to make in my life. I'll share later.

Inquiring minds are waiting for your post!!!!

Ok, just because it dragged Lucky out of hiding, I will post before it's time!

I have decided that it's time to take some time for me. I'm feeling selfish today, not that I'll get time to be selfish today, but one can dream.

I'm thinking that on Monday, just because Monday is such a good day to start (and I had Chinese for lunch today ) I'm going to do something different to change my life.

I was at Costco the other day and they had some pretty decent blank journals for sale. They also had Dr. Phil's new book for less than $15. I did not buy the journals, but I will. I did buy the Dr. Phil book, not because I don't have enough self-help books (God knows that's not the truth ) nor because I'm a real Dr. Phil fan. So why would I buy this book you ask??? #1 Because it was cheap! and #2 because I scanned it in the store and it looked pretty good. Not a lot of 'food plan', just alot of down to earth inspiration.

Anyway, back to the subject....on Monday I'm going to start the day with WI (not Wisconsin), measurements (mine), a little work, and a trip to Curves! Then, I'm going to find a bit of quiet time (the goal is everyday) to read at least one chapter of a self help book (I've already started with the Dr. Phil book today) and then to put something on a page of the journal.

I noticed that some of Dr. Phil's chapters have exercises in them (mental ones of course), the journal may be a good place to do them. I'll record the weight and measurements on Monday's page too.

Somehow I've managed to read a couple of chapters of some fun murder mysteries every day, I think I should be able to read a chapter of something for ME each day too. I have a whole slew of books so I'm sure that at one chapter a day I probably have a whole year's worth of reading.

My old WW leader used to say: "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." I need to make some changes in order for some changes to occur. NOW is the time to make those (at least SOME) of those changes. I committed to lossing 30#s by Christmas. So far, I'm down 5 and up 2.5....not much of an advance. TIME FOR A CHANGE!!! I'm hoping that a little change of focus will help.

Ok, I've rattled on long enough (aren't you sorry you asked, Lucky?) By the way, kiddo, I really miss the little Leprechaun!

Gotta run. The mop is calling my name.

P.S. I don't know if you've seen the ads, but Meredith Vieira from The View is doing a special on Monday night at 8:00 EST on ABC called Fat Like Me. It's about a girl that dons a fat suit and goes around as a fat person to help US win the weigh wars. Might be worth a hoot or two!!

My cat's Halloween costume.

Well, not really, Max is a grey and brown tabby. But I thought it was funny anyway.

Thin you are so funny.
I got my closet half way cleaned out at least my side of it. I told hubby that he needed to weed his clothes too.

I ate 2 peices of cake at his job today

I also won a huge pot of purple mums. I took them to the library.
he won a free lunch from Dairy Queen.

I have to work tomorrow then we are going to see mystic river and go out to eat

Ok, so where is everybody. I hope my kitty didn't scare anyone away!

Mary: Hope you enjoyed the cake. The mums sound beautiful! I was tempted to go get a couple of plants for my front yard. Everyone that has planted them here, their yards look soooo nice!

2Cute: You will go from being busy with house selling to wedding planning. Which daughter?

J-Ann: SNOW..so sorry!!!! You will have to move here by me in balmy Minnesota. It has been in the high 70’s or low 80’s this past week. Of course, we could dive to 80 degrees below at anytime.

Thin: You are inspiring me. I have Dr. Phil’s book but haven’t looked at it in over 2 weeks. So far what I have read isn’t anything I don’t already know about myself. I can’t seem to cross from knowing the why’s to doing something about them. Knowing why I overeat isn’t enough, at least not for me.

I have BIG plans to get a lot of cleaning done on Saturday. I want to clean closets and shelves. I am in a throwing mood. I have to make room for Tarzans loin cloth, right Thin?

Hi Gang -
I hope everyone is having a good Friday evening. It's been very quiet around here today. I had an 'ok' day. Didn't make it to the gym, food was so-so. Charlee (my lil' dog) and I did go for a little shopping trip. I went and bought a new Eagles sweatshirt for the game on Sunday and we went to the Pet store and stocked up on a few supplies. We also wandered around Bed, Bath and Beyond but didn't buy anything - they allow lil' dogs in the store so I always like to take her - it's good for her social skills to get around a lot of people - Chihuahuas have a tendancy to get possesive with their owners and not be friendly to others, so far she is the friendliest little pooch!

I am finishing up our vacation pictures and should be posting a link for you all to see.

Catch up with you later!
Barb

Me Again....

If you are interested in looking, here are the vacation pictures:

Vacation Pictures

I hope you enjoy looking through them.


Barb

Hello all! Two seconds here and then I'm going to bed at a decent hour tonight!

Barb: I love the pics. You and Jeff look like you had a great time. It's neat that you can post them on the web. Can all the people you went with download the pics off the site and print them then? That would sure be cheaper than making a bunch of reprints.

Lucky: You know, it's funny. (Now this is where you say "funny haha, or funny strange?") Anyway, you mentioned about how you've already analyzed the reasons for being overweight. Well, I never really have. I had a great childhood, I married a great guy, I have 2 great kids....what's my problem. As most everyone has come on board here and begun to share, some have had abuse, some have had a bad marriage, some have other issues....Now, please, don't get me wrong, I'm making NO judgement calls here. I just keep thinking that there has to be something out there that triggered me to pack on the pounds. So in my quest to try and figure it out (not that I'm totally convinced that it's necessary to analyze all this stuff...maybe it is, maybe it isn't ) I'm thinking the reading and journal thing will do me some good. I mean, I lived on a farm as a kid and it was standard proceedure for my dad to go out in the corn field at midnight and bring in a dozen ears of corn for he, mom and I to polish off before we went to bed. Is that part of it? I never felt like I did anything right by him. I didn't finish college, I didn't lose weight even when he offered me a new car to do it. I didn't marry a Catholic, and my mom and dad are/were REAL Catholic. So do I, have I always, felt like a failure? Is that my problem? Anyway, long story short (too late) I'm thinking maybe learning a little about ME might help me move some of this weight off me.

Thanks for listening.

Howdy ladies !!!
Boy have I been busy today. I woke up before sunrise and headed for the old house to do a garage sale again. I only sold $93 today... but... I marked everything down to get rid of it. This weekend is the FINAL sale there. I am going to open tomorrow until 3 or so and then 90% of it gets boxed up and donated. I have a dozen coats or so that is getting donated to the homeless and my daughters formals I am going to sell on E-bay or something. The misc household stuff is going to local charity. I am soooo excited that we are FINALLY going to be TOTALLY out of the old house. My daughter and her boyfriend got everything out of the attic and most of it sold today. Well... MOST of it was junk. LOL But what wasn't junk was sold. LOL It feels soooo good to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

When I finally got back to my new home... my granddaughters were waiting for me.
They are spending the night and all day tomorrow. DH is going to stay home with them in the morning while I open the garage sale. Then I will try doing the sale with them there... but if that doesn't work I will just shut down the sale. I am actually getting REALLY tired of it all.
Sunday I will probably spend the day boxing stuff up. ( There isn't much left to box) I can't wait !!!
I think I am more excited about having the old house cleaned out than selling it. LOL

The weather here was beautiful today. We broke a record high today. Tomorrow a cold front is moving in. Possible rain... but hopefully not. At least we aren't getting SNOW like some of you.

I am writing off line. It is almost midnight here and I have got to get up early again tomorrow.
I hope the grandkids sleep through the night.
I am going to close now so I get a chance to read some too. I only have 10 minutes left till I have to get off line. I am limiting myself to midnight.
I love you guys and hope to get to spend a lot of time Sunday here.
Saturday will be garage sale in the morning, granddaughters in the afternoon, O.U. Sooner Football !!!!! (which means a housefull of people) in the evening. Game time is 6pm.

See you all Sunday.

You're killing me here !!!

Thin.... your picture "cracked" me up !!!!
I LOVED IT !!!!
I also loved your serious post too. We had similar up bringing... not identical of course...but similar. I am buying Dr. Phils book too so maybe we can all share about it in here.

Lucky... what a nice suprise to see you again.

Barb.. Loved your pictures !!! It made me smile and almost cry at the same time. Smiling because you looked like you were having such a GREAT time. I loved the picture of you on the scooter and hubby snorkeling. And almost cry because I had to face that this weight is costing me and my family a wonderful life out there that I am unable to partake in just because of my weight and SIZE.
What a wonderful trip you had.

Mary... Congrats on winning the mums !!! Why didn't you take your mums home to plant and enjoy yourself ?? You deserve them.
I am proud of you for cleaning out closets NOW. I wish I had done a regular cleaning out of junk.

Kat... I can't bear to throw anything away. There is always someone someplace that can use it. LOL My DH would have trashed every bit of my stuff I sold in garage sales. He would not have thought twice about it. I ... on the other hand hang on to too much. BUT... I also made over $1,000 since starting this clean out process. It took a LOT of work... and I am still donating what is left. I did throw a lot away too.... but like I said... Hubby would have trashed it all. I guess we kind of balance each other out. LOL

Okay... That is everyone on this thread. I can't remember the last one.
PLUS... I should be in bed.... it is almost 1am now.

Tina, Michelle, Andria, Syn, J-anne, Joanne, Sandy, Jen, Duckie, Amanda, Connie, Terri, Natalie, Deon, Keni, Melissa, Pam, Tracey, and anyone else I missed.... I am sorry to not address you individually. I will try to get that done Sunday.
Good night everyone. I am off to catch some ZZzzzzzzzzzz

Hello chicklets
I have to get ready for work but wanted to check in.
DH cleaned out his side of the closet last night and got rid of a lot of stuff he has had since before we married. He hates to get rid of anything.
2cute: I wanted everyone to see my mums. I may bring them home later and plant them. They are in a huge pot. We also have some gold ones at the library.

hope all of you have a great day.

Okay, I'm off to Pennsylvania! I'll be back with a full report on "the meeting!"

Now where the heck is my camera?