Morning everyone! It is warm and sunny here and my plug plants have just arrived from the nursery. There are several different variety of aubergine (including some beautiful egg shaped white and pale violet ones ), and for some reason I have ordered six artichoke plants. Now for you non gardening ladies, let me tell you these are BIG. Not so big as you cant have a couple, but what possessed me to order six?? May have to give a couple away.

I am not sure whether the plants have been hardened off yet. They arrived in little mini plastic greenhouses. I shall be cautious. And the aubergines are very tender so I will have to make them little fleecy jackets, as there is still some risk of frost here for a few weeks (although on a morning like today I can not really believe it).

Still celebrating Ruth's good news here.

I am doing not very well at all with the Beach. I was fine from January to now, and lost around fifteen/twenty pounds, but now suddenly all my mental resolve and committment has drained away. It is hard to deal with. I think that I need to put a regular exercise plan in to the mix to help with losing. But I am in the 'I hate exercise' camp.

One of the problems I have is that my legs are short and fat. Very short, and very fat. The weight really stays on them too, so although they slim down eventually when I diet, I am still left with short fat legs. Has anyone had any success changing their leg 'shape' with pilates or yoga? or other exercise?

Sorry for the whiney post. I feel a bit whiney.

Good morning, Clovey and Beauties to come.

Clovey, those are two of my favourite veggies. I grew artichokes one summer and they were the talk of the village. One old geezer insisted they were giant thistles and warned me not to let them go to seed. I have a simple and yummy eggplant casserole for you when your aubergines are ready. I've grown them too and had a good crop. Maybe we should start a garden thread.

I actually slept to 5:15 this morning, after my usual 3 PM potty break, so I guess waiting for the news was causing the sleeplessness. Thanks for all your good wishes yesterday.

Despite the wet, we got a lot done yesterday morning. My kitchen is cleaned and back in order after the window mess and Sarah did some raking, thoroughly cleaned the front porch to get it ready for the wicker furniture and then tackled my winter weary car. (Did I mention it has heated seats? ) She also put the house and deck firewood back into the barn and swept the deck. If we need another fire, I'll just bring in enough. Jane came in the afternoon and took Harry for a short walk outside while I was gone.

Dick brought around our special order doors at dinner time and Kevin will install them today. Keith from 4 Paws Inn dropped in to see The Girls (and me!) at 6 which screwed up dinnertime. I had a 7:30 Fair Board meeting which meant dinner was very late and I ended up not eating my meal until 9:30 when I got home. One of the dogs was sick on her bed so I had to wash and dry that before bedtime.

The robins are singing, the sky is that greenish pre-sunrise colour with a few dark blue clouds so up and at 'em!

TGIF!

Good Morning
Clovey, I'm hoping that since I've finally committed myself to an exercise program, my legs will start slimming down. Do you have a "Curves" near you? I joined one last week, and I really enjoy it. Now, I never thought I'd say THAT! I am only 5'1", so I have very short legs, too. I'm interested in knowing how your artichokes turn out. I've never grown them. Lately we've only been putting in tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini.
Ruth, you're Sarah sounds like a real gem! I hope her enthusiasm keeps up! Glad you finally got a good nite's sleep, now that you got a clean bill of health.

Nothing much is going on here today. First I'm going for my workout, then come home and clean the house. It rained a bit overnite and if it dries out enough, I want to putter in my flower beds.

Ellis, thanks for the advice from your trainer! I really appreciated that!

Huh. You girls are awful darned wordy for so early in the morning.

Clovey, you're making me a little envious. We had a very large garden at our first house, and I used to grow all kinds of things. My January catalogue seed order was always enormous.

Ruthie, may your heated seats get stuck in the "on position" during the July Fry.

I can't take it anymore... I've got to get some coffee...

Good morning, Lady-Chicks~~

I am SO glad yesterday is past. I did NOT have a good day. "Murphy" was treading on my heels all day yesterday. Aunt Flo arrived and she came with a headache. I had a couple patients whose veins were so bad, they were making me doubt my skills as a phlebo. Had another patient who jerked his arm the second I touched it with the needle, thereby driving said needle right through the vein. I spilled a urine sample AFTER the patient had already left, and now must call him to recollect. I wrangled with the doc. (He seems to have an aversion to performing certain collection routines for STD's on men...thinks *I* should do it. UH-UH!) ~~sigh~~ so glad I was at least able to get my walk in last night. It was great stress relief.

Clovey, sounds like you'll have quite the garden. I adore artichokes, but they seem like a lot of work for so little return. ONE choke per plant, isn't it? Around here, everyone grows tomatoes, okra, corn and collard greens. They seem to thrive in the long, hot Georgia summers.

Ruth, sounds like you have quite a Jill-of-all-work in Sarah. I can't even get my dh to do half that stuff!

Well, must get ready for work. Everyone have a great day at the beach

Mamacita

Good morning, Cottage! You're most welcome.

Hey, Marmacita! (and anyone else posting at the same time as me)

Ellis, you snuck in on me. Didn't see you to say hello. So...Hello!

Mamacita

Morning, everybody. So happy to hear your good news, Ruth. Sarah sounds like a keeper. I had a "garden helper" last year, but the damn guy was awful. Couldn't (or wouldn't) follow simple directions.

Clovey, I'd give anything to grow eggplants; the flea beetles get mine before they even start to grow.

Cottage, I have a friend who's been going to Curves for about a year....loves it. Said it really makes a difference in how she feels.

Ellis, You log on BEFORE coffee?? How can you do that??

Mamacita, I hope you have a better day today, and it IS Friday.....

All this garden talk is making me wonder if I should grow vegetables again. Because of being on SBD, I discovered that I'm sensitive to MSG. I've been doing some research and discovered that it's in an enormous number of food items, including some that have become staples on SB. (Anything RF or LF, deli meats, turkey, tuna!!!) The thing is, it masquerades under various names. Anyhow, after two days of careful monitoring, I do feel better; I have also lost another 2lbs because of the restrictions, but I'm not complaining. Anybody have any experience with this?

Jo

Morning, gals! ANother quickie today... Friday just can't be over soon enough this week!

I went to "splurge" on coffee this morning, instead of brining it from home, and I got an iced vanilla coffee, or so I thought. Seems "Vanilla" translates to cinamonn in some lanuage I've never heard of, so I have iced cinamonn coffee. It's truly disgusting. My only other alternative was to get coffee from the deli next door, which translates to "vomit" in some language. whine whine whine. TOM is on his way over... what a jerk.

Moved into the master bedroom last night, oficially Little Chick knows what I mean by THAT! (where is she?) It was so lovely to actually have room to trip over the dog! Ok. Summer programs, here I come.

I'm sorry I can't address everyone, I so want to!!!

Ruth- YEAH!!!!! Send your garden gal down DC way when you're done with her...
Clovey- Gotta exercise. It's like breathing, it's just one of those things you have to do. My new obsession is the Katami bar. It's so fun. I'm such a nerd...

Everyone else- HI! Hope all is well with gardens, new cars, childrens.

Have a GREAT weekend girls!!

morning everyone!!

clovey i feel your pain. i hate exercise and i am having a really hard time staying op. i started reading 8 minutes in the morning by jorge cruise. there are alot of resistance exercises in the book and i am thinking of trying to do them each day. has anyone read this book? it is sort of like an infomercial book but the dude has alot of good ideas. 8 minutes of exercise is more than i am doing right now so i guess i should give it a try. hang in there!!!

have a good day ruth busy as always!!

great job on the 2lb jo!!

ellis good morning!!!

mamacita hope you have a better day today!!

cottage good job with the exercise!!

hello to anyone i missed have a great day!!!

You are all so attentive this early in the morning! I'll just give a general, "Mornin' All!" and call it a day.

Except for Ms. Clovey... I hate to exercise but have really been pushing myself over the past three weeks. Just this morning I had a revelation that - hey, it's not so bad anymore. I really wish you knew how anti-exercise I was. This is really amazing!! The first two weeks I REALLY had to work at dragging my butt out of bed but now it feels routine.

For the rest of you - have wonderful days and enjoy the sunshine for those of us that have it!

Little Chick - I got your message. I thought I was the only one who had lost my way. Thanks!

Hi All,

It's only day five and I am seeing results... my jeans are fitting better and well. Some stretch marks are starting on my stomach (I get them REALLY easily), they fade though and turn white so no one can see them.

Clovey: Hmmm remember things like gardening count as exercise and what not. Could you buy a pedometre and see how much you walk daily?

Pennywise: what are the other names for MSG?

Mamacita: I am one of those people with small deep viens... it was much worse when I weighed over 200... I sometimes pass out too when I get a blood test..

Ruth: I'd love to garden, but I just bought a house with a nice lot, but I won't move in until the middle of July, so it looks like no gardening for me until 2005 (I currently live in a town house with a postage stamp of a backyard).

Cottage Hi!

Ellis: hope the coffee was good.

Cheers!

Ali

Caity: I have had a "spluge" that ended up tasting disgusting... that bites

Imarah: Don't they say it takes 3 weeks to make anything habit? I am glad you're beginning to like it!

Jodie! Hi!

Cheers!

Ali

Hi everyone!

For those with gardens and houses.. I am jealous! Can't wait to graduate from grad school But that won't be for awhile yet.

Sweatergirl - Day 4 is over, now onto day 5. Glad your pants are fitting loser. I'm seeing a slow down in my weight loss.. but I am NOT complaining. This is awesome

Sweatergirl, my info lists 12 ingredients that ALWAYS contain msg and then 30 more that often contain it. If I truly am sensitive to it, this diet will be a challenge.

Jo