Just thought I would jump in and say 'Hello". It's quiet this week. Maybe everyone is getting ready for the week end. I have been busy today, but it is because I have put things off all week and had to play catch-up today.

Hope you are all on program and making good food choices. I am writing down everything that I eat this week. That seems to be a good plan for me.

Have a good one...
Wanda

HI Mickey... I have been here a little bit this week, had a great loss, not so sure I kept it up... had a bit of chocolate ....Its quiet here this morning too... just going to chill out this weekend, getting ready to hit the gym in a bit... Have a great weekend... India

Sometimes I try to reply to a post and I get an error message that the server is too busy. Maybe things will pick up again soon?

Things are going OK here. The eating could be better [as usual]......but I keep plugging along, never giving up. We've had 3 straight days of sunshine and it has been wonderful....but the woodburner gets cranked up every eve. DH is out bringing wood into the garage to start melting. I used to love helping but am too afraid of slipping with my bad knees. I KNOW that is one of the reasons I keep gaining. My activity has decreased so much.....even riding the stationary bike hurts them. Yep, I'm probably looking at knee replacements, but not sure I'm gonna be able to do it with the caregiving I need to do.

I'm glad to see the Valentines Day challange going on. It looks like a lot of us are at least reporting on that thread.

Have a great weekend ladies......may we all have losses next week.

Summer

Hi Everyone,
Things are going okay here too. I had a small loss Friday. It was the first weigh-in of the year and I didn't worry about having a loss. But I will be working harder this week to lose.
Summer, I understand about the knees. I cannot walk like I used to. The first half mile isn't too bad, but then the knees start hurting and I have to quit. I know that I could do arm chair exercises or something simple like that, but I can't seem to get started. I lost one of my cats, so we got a little dog. She is a cutie. She weighs 5.5 lbs and will be a year old tomorrow. We started obedience classes for her today. (She really needs it) Her first lesson was on teaching her to sit and lay down. She was so close to the ground that I couldn't get down to her. My knees are stiff and if I did get down, I couldn't get up again.
Wanda, keeping a food journal is one of the best tools for losing weight. I'm going back to keeping one also. I do much better when I write it down.

Congratulations to those that had a weight loss this week. Have a great weekend .

Nita

Summer and Nita You sound like me. I have to use a cane all the time now.
It is nice to see so many new faces posting. Us old timers do need to post more.
I have not been doing any losing and it is always harder to come here when not doing so good.Don't want to drag everyone down. I am always lurking checking on my girls.Just sometimes I plan don't feel like posting.

Just wanted to let you know that your not alone on the knees thingy.. I am 57 and have ostearthritis and gout both... I had one knee operated on about 5 yrs ago and now and then the gout flares in my feet.. Its not fun ... I do take Gluosamine, chondrotin, msm and I know it does help.... My doc tells me I will need knee replacements one day.. I am considering retirement in 2007 and a lot of it is due to the pain .. I encourage you to take water aerobics classes, they are wonderful.. and you do get a great work out. .. Have a great day... g ot my weigh in tomorrow and dont think I have done well, the scales are broke so I wont know til I get there..... India

Good Morning all, Well we had an exciting start to our day that I thought I would share. I took pictures too. As some of you know and the rest will now know we have been setting a trap for squirrels. Then we relocate them.They were in our attic and we got rid of a bunch.Then we fixed the hole and thought that was it for awhile.But new ones came and chewed another hole at back of house so we started setting the trap again.We caught a big squirrel last week.Then a few days ago something got in it and literally tore the door apart and got out. So Bill repaired the trap yesterday and we had a HUGE raccoon in there this morning. He was one big fella.He has been eating good somewhere. Bill said he felt like he weighed at least 25# or more. Bill made sure he had long sleeves and gloves on. He wasn't sure how hard it was going to be to get him out or what he would do.Lucky for Bill when he opened the cage the raccoon flew out running away.After he got far away he stopped and turned around to see where Bill was. I told Bill he was the big hunter when he caught the possum but this big boy beats the possum. And that is how we started out day.

India, The water aerobics are a good idea. I have thought about it, but hesitated to join the gym again. Don't wait too long for the knee replacements. I was talking to a nurse that works in the orthopedic ward and she said if you wait until they are really bad, its harder and takes longer to get back on your feet again. Good luck on your weigh-in tomorrow.

Eleni..What a way to start your day! I got up one morning not long ago and found a little skunk in my kitchen. Talk about being worried...I was scared that thing would leave its odor. It was small, hubby says they are civie (sp) cats, and very cute. It was dancing around with its tail up and my cats were just sitting watching it. I was praying they wouldn't move. I opened a door and got back and when it got brave enough, it exited. The hole it got in by was repaired immediately.

Have a good day everyone.

Nita

Eleni and Nita, you are making me relive moments at our house [dh's mom's that we inherited when she passed] in Boulder. I laughed at both of your ordeals. Since the home is at the base of the foothills, we get quite a bit of wildlife. Lots of deer and even a bear that took the trash can off the front porch. DD, who's living there, heard someone banging against the door, looked out the peep doorlet and couldn't believe it. It apparently had a great time on the front grass with it's food. Here at home, I'm enjoying seeing the bunny tracks in the snow. He is so cute. In fact a funny thing happened with him. Dh cleared the shed door of snow and got some things out he needed. Hadn't seen any tracks for awhile and the next weekend when DH went back to the shed, he saw a lot of droppings and the poor little thing sitting up on a folded lawn chair. Dh left quietly, came and told me and we watched it come out and automatically dig for some grass. Poor thing......no water or food for almost a week. Luckily he's doing well.

Eleni, we have raccoons almost all the time in Boulder. Years ago they got down into the old fireplace that is closed off....not sure how MIL got rid of them. We hear them 'playing' and 'chattering' on the roof at night and banging into things. The scariest is spotting their shiney eyes in the dark up on the roof or over your head in the trees when you least expect it. They can be so mean....but the families are so cute! Glad Bill is brave.

Nita, you were soooooooo LUCKY!!!! How awful that would have been if it had shook that tail......in the house yet!!!!!! A year ago when we let our dog out at the Boulder house before going to bed, she took off barking and I had a sinking feeling. Sure enough, she got it, right in the face.......and she STUNK! DH ran to the store, got a bunch of tomato juice and we took turns bathing her down. The funny part is that we had a pink dog for quite awhile. She is a red and white boarder collie, mostly white....and........well.........needless to say the white turned pink. What a riot!!!! Is that your new little dog in your picture? What a cutie!

India, I wish I could get out for water aerobics. Our only pool in town is in a school and the hours that it is open to the public doesn't agree with when I can get away. One day I hope to move down to the other house where I will be around a big variety of things. Hope your weigh in was better than you thought. Sure sounds like a lot of us are suffering with the knees. Not fun hitting middle age, huh?

Doing better with eating this weekend...not as out of control. Still could be better, but every little bit should help. Hope everyone is doing well.

Summer