Yes, I remember you! Welcome back!

Kathy, I wish that you were closer because I would drive over and give you a hug. Your description brought tears to my eyes. I can't imagine the pain that you feel, and there's no reason that it should have gone away over the years. Maybe you will never look back on today as a good day, but I know for a fact that you look back on your sister with great love and happiness. That's what matters the most. :hug:

Kathy, thanks for the welcome back. I was reading your post about your sister and it brought tears to my eyes. I lost my brother many years ago when he was only 17. We were on vacation here in NC (we lived in New Orleans) and he stepped in front of a truck. He died a few hours later. We were very close and I still have a hard time on Aug 13 every year. I will never forget and it always makes me sad and I too can not believe how quickly the years go by.

Oh dear, Paula! That must have been horrible! There's no time to prepare yourself for what's coming. I guess at least with my sister, the doctors had already told us she was terminal. It's still terribly hard though.

I just couldn't stand the thought of cooking tonight, so we ordered pizza. Judd says he thinks he's well now and will go to work tomorrow. Maybe I'll stay home. ;)

Melissa, thanks for your sweet words. I wish you were here too; I sure could use a hug. Judd read my blog entry for today (that was it that I posted) and he came in and gave me a hug and said he was sorry it was a bad day. That was nice.

Kathy, tears came to my eyes also. I lost my sister a few years back and I keep wondering if I could have helped her in any way. She had phoned me to say she was a believer but she seemed concerned how she was going to die. (She was in her 50's) I still think I can phone her up and talk like we used to. It is very hard losing loved ones.
Bless you.
Rose

Paula, welcome back! We're always glad to see familiar faces. :) Congratulations on the 30 pounds you have lost. That's awesome!

Well I guess I'm going to try to do some things for tomorrow instead of waiting until the last minute like usual. I hope that you all have wonderful nights!

Thanks Melissa, it has taken me almost 8 months to lose the 30 pounds. I think I would lose a lot faster if I would just commit to doing some sort of activity on a regular basis! I bought the walk away the pounds cd and I even bought the weights to use with it. I really like it and it is easy to do but I can always come up with an excuse not to do it:( Oh well, tomorrow is another day and I plan to get up and do the video....maybe I really will:)

Kathy - what a sad and touching memory - at least you did have the chance for that last hug and visit - I know you must be feeling so sad tho. The strange coincidence was I was thinking of, and missing my mom today - her birthday is June 30th - and tomorrow being the 1st of June reminded me of that! I am so glad I did something special for her 70th birthday - who knew that would be her last one (in 2000). I just had this feeling to throw her a party so we drove into Montreal and she had invited all her closest friends who we took out to her favorite restaurant - it was so special and we all had so much fun. She died a few months later - and at least that memory keeps me going!

Welcome back Paula - 30 lbs is nothing to sneeze at - I can understand the exercise issue as I have the same one :) just keep trying!

I came home so hot and icky feeling - I did go to the closing event - very interesting guest speakers and of course cake, and cookies and fruit and tea. I stopped at the drugstore on the way home and bought myself a pore refining clay masque cuz my face felt so sweaty and greasy - the room we were in was barely air conditioned and we sat their and fanned ourselves with the program to keep cool.

So now my pores are 'refined' - and skin is moisturized and I am in my nice cotton nightie in my lovely air conditioned (AND CLEAN!) home. Such a nice feeling. Also got some blonde highlighting enhancing shampoo and conditioner and new volumizing mousse to try (the last 2 brands I tried were so crappy I threw them out and I hate to do that!)....hopefully this one will be 'acceptable'.

My main problem now is getting control of my eating - I have just let myself to and it sure shows - need to buckle down and not eat that which is not good for me! Right?

Good Morning Chicks! My furniture may be here within the HOUR! I have to shower and be dressed when they get here so that I can inspect the furniture. Jim is afraid to accept important stuff like that without me. Who could blame him since I'm rather particular.

We turned the air off last night and I can already tell that I didn't get enough sleep. I'll be back later when I can. After the furniture comes, we have mucho errands to run. I'll be back when I can.

Morning everyone. I am already SO stressed this morning and I just got to work. It is going to be a very, very busy day, and if history is any indicator, I won't get any help. I need to work on my resume and some cover letters. I don't know how much more of this I can take. If only DH had benefits, I could be less choosy about where I worked.

I've got to get going but wanted to say hi. I hope that you all have good days. It's almost Friday.

Good Morning,

Just had my 8 grain with strawberried. I bought fresh dates on Saturday, and they are absolutely wonderful in hot cereal (mixed them up with half a ripe banana).
I turned off the air this morning as it's raining and going to be 10 degrees cooler today. I'll open a couple of windows to get some fresh air in here.
I got a call that they already have someone for the meeting today, so my practice was for not. I'll probably go to a Wednesday group next week.
I've got physio today and will get groceries for tonight's dinner. Hmmm, maybe chicken.

Frouf, was there a picture on your message? Couldn't open it. I guess it's a good thing that your outdoor activities were yesterday. Looks like today will be a washout.

Kathy, have you decided on a pattern for the quilt? From what I gather, it can take a long time to make. You are so ambitious.

Vickie, I'm excited for you. A new setting is always fun. I want so much to get our house painted this year, but dread the moving of all the furniture and packing up the buffet and hutch treasures.

Melissa, I know how you feel. I was lucky enough to finally retire from my stress. Can Aaron help with the application letters. I know that my kids work together for things like that. You just keep on looking.

Sandra, you're a busy lady these days. Have fun with your guests. The time away sounds good. What is bowfishing?

Rose, do you go to classes daily? Sounds like you are having some good discussions.

Off to tidy up time, bbl

I LOVE the set! Too bad the recliners won't recline. The delivery guy said we need to call the sales person to get longer adjustable levelling screws. They made them as high as they could but the recliners are still hanging up on the plush carpeting. Sheesh. Does everything have to be so hard?

Oh yeah, and my scale is WAY up this morning. Things have got to turn around. I will NOT eat from stress.

Paula, I remember you too! I'm glad you're still hanging in there and more importantly are ready to get serious with us again. I can use the motivation.

Angela, good luck with all that you have going on! I know you are surprised to actually be looking ahead to Monday for some rest. How's it going back on program? I think everyone will love strawberries and angel food cake. How smart of you to take care of yourself while pleasing others.

Saundra, I hate to be a bother but I asked you a while back what artic char is? I'm intrigued. Would you mind filling me in? I'm going out later to get some fresh fruit and veggies. I have NO idea what I'm making for dinner which probably means that we'll go out. Not necessarily a good thing. Although I could have healthy salmon and that WOULD be good.

Frouf, so what did you end up doing last night? I'd also appreciate a review on that volumizing mousse since I have VERY fine flat hair that needs volume. My stylist told me to be careful of the stuff I use since it could mess up my color. I was using fine shampoo and she had a fit. Now I use shampoo for colored hair and a fine or normal conditioner. She also told me not to use any shampoo for colored hair that was not clear or white or gray. She said the ones that are colored...yellow...etc...can change the color of my hair. The hair tip for the day!

Sandra, it's good that Curtis' appointment went well. I've never been ANY kind of fishing. I hope you guys have fun. I'd enjoy the book.

Kathy, I am SO very sorry to hear of your pain. I understand COMPLETELY since I've lost so many in my life (both parents, my fiance and a great nephew). The pain will always be there but it does ease over time. She was your friend and she is missed. Thank God you were able to be with her so close to the end. I think there are no accidents. How are you feeling today? Did you go to work? I think the baby quilt is a GREAT idea. Did Judd go to work today?

Melissa, I'm sorry that you are so stressed again. I was hoping that it had gotten better there since you haven't been talking about it being bad lately. I'll pray that your resume gets some positive attention.

I'm going to go try to call LaZBoy now!

Thanks Saundra and Vickie.

Vickie, I've been doing better (not the job) with coping, but it is just getting to me lately more and more.
I'm sorry that your chairs don't recline! I hope that you get in touch with Lazboy and figure it all out soon.

Saundra, DH is always a big help with these things, but he says I'm better at them. :) Who knows. Sorry your class got cancelled for today.

Hi all, busy day but wanted to pop in and say hello and hope you all are in the pink.
We are going up to the cottage about the 9th of June for a few days. We then come home and get ready for the families that comes up in July. Some times I wonder how many more years we can do this, but while we are doing it, it is fun for sure.

I would love to get back to Ottawa for a few days and just wander around. Ottawa is so much nicer then Toronto.

Saundra I take 3 classes. I love it as I am learning so much. I do ask lots of questions and because I have so many relatives that are Ministers I sometimes point out the differences in the different religions. I think because I am so keen they want me for a Stephens Minister, but I know that it is not for me. I am a enthusiastic person and people take me wrong. They think I want to be a leader, not true, I do not mind helping but do not want to be a leader.

Sandra, glad to hear that it was not Curtis heart. I am sure that was on your mind also.

Paula, I am sorry I have not been posting very long so do not remember you. This is such a nice group of people, I just worry I can not keep up with them all.

Vicki, I love salmon but I wonder where you can find the wild salmon. I asked at Costco but they did not have it.

Melissa keep thinking positive all will work out for you.
Blue Skies,
Rose

Good morning! Guess who slept until 10:30? I probably wouldn't have woken up then but the phone rang. I think it was Judd because the caller ID says "L-3" but when I called him back he didn't answer. I'm out of pain medicine so I didn't sleep well last night, but I guess then when I did, I must have REALLY slept. He should at least wake me up in the mornings.

I have decided on the quilt pattern and will start tonight. Piecing the top shouldn't take more than a day (might even be able to finish tonight) and then I'll start quilting. Since I'm doing it by hand, I'm anticipating about two weeks of evening work to get it done. I'll be off tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday (although I should really work tomorrow to make up some lost time this week) and so that'll give me a good headstart. I'll try to get a picture up soon.

Vickie, I'm so excited about your furniture!! Your whole family room is going to look completely different before long with the new TV and entertainment center, and now this! I hope they can get you all fixed up today; you'd think they would be familiar with people having carpeting.

Judd just called back and I have decided to stay home. I shouldn't but I am. Maybe I can gather my wits about me and pull it all together so that next Monday, I can start all nice and fresh again.

Melissa, I'm sorry you're having such a rotten time of it right now. It's hard to climb up out of the slump once you're so far down. It seems like there are a lot of things going on all at once. :hug:

I need to read some more but will be back in a while. I'm feeling bad for staying home. I'm completely out of vacation time for the year, so any trips we take will be unpaid unless I can ask HR to give me more. They probably will because of having to use some to make up those half days. Lots of people never use their PTO and instead of losing it, they can donate it to people like me who have used a lot.

Kathy, IMO you deserve the time off. I'm glad that you'll be able to rest a little and get started on the quilt. It will be a good calming thing for you to do.

Vickie, sorry about the char. It is very much like salmon fillet. Actually, I like salmon a little better, it seems juicier. I was just looking through my Entertainment Book on line coupons and see there are a couple of our favourite restaurants available. I think I'll call Bern and see if he wants to go out tonight.....again! I'm sure that your furniture fixing will happen soon. Before you know it, you'll be laying BACK and enjoying.

Therapy today was good. I actually walked away without pain for a while. It's almost strange. Maybe I'll actually be able to stop in a few weeks. Until then, small steps.

I picked up WW 1 point candies today at Walmart. They are made by
Whitmans. They could be dangerous, but I'll try to have no more than one a day.

Guess it's time to see what to have for lunch. Oh, the life a retired woman;)

Good Afternoon ladies, I finally got a moment to post. Yesterday my ds had field day at school and I did not know that parents went till I got a phone call a friend I wish the school would of sent home a note to the parents, but I did get to go in the afternoon. Then the rest of the day I sorted clothes, put away the winter took out the summer, it got really hot here in NY. My dd is really going through the terrible two's, she doesn't give me a moment to myself, as I am posting she is having a tantrum because she wants markers and I told her no, yesterday she drew all over my carpet and herself, I told her she can have crayons but I guess that won't do because she is having a screaming fit. I will be back when she naps.

Good afternoon everyone, thank you to everyone for the welcome back! I am still working every weekend until mid June so my work week starts tomorrow night. I have been working every Fri, Sat and Sun nights for a long time and I am really tired. Craig was working the same but we decided that we need some of the weekend off to do fun things. His schedule has already changed so we are working opposite days for about 3 weeks. Oh well, it won't be for much longer and then I will only work 2 nights in a row and every other weekend. I will still only have to work 3 nights a week for full time. Nursing does have some advantages.
It sounds like everyone has been busy or recovering over the last few months. I hope you are all better.
We both have tonight off and Craig received 4 gift cards to Texas Roadhouse from his boss so we might go there tonight. I have only been one time a long time ago so I am not sure what I will get but I will try not to go off plan too much.
Kathy, I think the quilt sounds wonderful. My mom and my uncle both quilt so I have several beautiful handmade (and hand quilted) quilts that I would not give up for anything. My mom is making Craig an quilt with different Scottish plaids right now since his family is from Scotland and he wore a kilt when we got married.
Guess I better go eat lunch. Have a nice day everyone.

Niki, I know you aren't laughing, but I smile when you talk about your dd. She sounds like a real character. Gotta give here an A for determination!

Paula, my dh is a pharmacist and we've lived with nights and weekends forever. It does have an up side though. He's working this weekend and off Monday and Wednesday. Since I've retired, we can go places during the week that won't be so crowded.:) Have a fun night out.

I made the couscous with apples that I posted under breakfasts. I thought the bowl was large enough, but it boiled over in the microwave. I managed to salvage enough for my lunch. It was okay, but not a wow. The roast that I posted definitely is.:D

Hi everybody, my computer had some kind of problem and had to send it to the repair shop for some days.... I'm happy to report that I lost almost 7 pounds!!! :carrot: YUPPII!!! I'm sooo excited!! :D The best part is it was not so hard, of course most people lose more easily when you first go in a diet, specially since I just came back from vacations and had packed some extra pounds... Don`t you hate it, it's aways a lot easier to gain than to lose:?:
But I'm trying to be on my best behavior, and I notice that it's easier for me to wake up one hour earlier and do my workout first thing in the morning, and that way I stay motivated (I did tried to do the workouts in the evening but most days I was too tired, or had something urgent from the office to do instead, etc...), I'm still trying to compile some sort of point value list (on the on line version of ww you have to search every item to know the point value.... ) and pushing the water: I measure the glasses into a pitcher and know that by the end of the day I have to finish it, and sometimes I even have some extra water.

I tried the pancake recipe for the crepes and they were quite good, and also I used the same pancake recipe (the one with the cottage cheese), adding about 1 cup oatmeal and 1 cup oat bran, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoons splenda and a diced apple to make muffins and they were ok (not the greatest muffin you've had, but they are core....) and the recipe I really liked was for frozen yoghurt: I put 1/2 a frozen banana (ripe) and 3/4 - 1 cup frozen strawberries in the food processor, add about a teaspoon of splenda and finally add about a cup of fat free plain yoghurt and it realy is very good either as a snack or as dessert;)

I'll be in Acapulco for the weekend, visiting with my family. Have a very nice weekend!!

Maggie

Maggie,

Congratulations on the fantastik loss!
Thanks for the frozen yogurt recipe. I've been trying unsuccessfully to make some.

Have a great weekend.:)

Hi Niki, I loved the story about your daughter also. I remember those days, lots of fun. When my kids were young I wrote down in a diary all the fun things they said and did. I love looking over it now. lol
I must say though some of my friends get mad at me as they are trying to remember things and I say I can prove you wrong and I go get my diary for that year. lol It is surprising what you forget.

Kathy have fun working on your quilt. I have never done quilting but I did teach pioneer rug hooking and dyeing for 10 years.

Paula being a nurse certainly does have its perks. Our daughter has worked part time for years. This way she is home with the children. She would have us come over and babysit for 2 hours once a week until her dh came home. She worked afternoons every other weekend. She also has a good friend that graduated with her that will trade days with her if she wants to go somewhere.
Saundra, check your private mail please.
Well have to go out hubby is waiting for me.
Blue skies,
Rose

Ok dd is napping. I have a wedding shower to go to on Sunday soo excited I get to go alone I will leave DS & DD Home with DH. It starts at 12pm in New Jersey which means I will have to be at my moms house by 10am on Sunday so I have to leave my house by 8:45am, thank goodness I am going alone could you imagine getting ready & lugging the whole family out of the house by 8:45.
I went to walmart to pick up a few items and found the cutest tops there, they are the tunic tops with sequince. I was so worried I had nothing to wear for this shower, the one top I bought matches a skirt I have perfectly and they were only $16.00.

Saundra it's ok you can laugh, my mom does all the time, she gets a kick out of her. My dd is definitely a character, she is stubborn, tough and defiant, very strong willed which will probably be to her benefit when she grows up. She attracts alot of attention wherever we go, very outgoing & speaks like she is 5.

Maggielinna congrats on the weight loss. I too seem to put the pounds on much easier than losing them. Keep up the good work. DH & I went to Puerto Vallarta for our Honeymoon, had a great time.

Vickie don't you just love new things, I wish companies would get things straight sometimes I also feel everything has to be complicated, but don't let it get you down, think how beautiful everything is going to look when it is all in place.

Melissa it is ok to rant, sometimes you need to get things off you chest. I was like that last week, hope you will feel better soon, take a nice bubble bath & light some scented candles, that seems to relax me when I am stressed.

Angela Happy birthday, are water ballon fights great we had one last year with our kids and they had a blast.

Kathy you brought tears to my eyes, it is tough losing someone you love. My dad passed away 5 years ago at the age of 61. I got the dreaded 1am phone call, my mom didn't tell me he passed on the phone, just to come to her house. It happened instantly, 8 days after my birthday, so every year when it is my birthday I feel really sad and I think about him every day, the pain does not go away you just learn to live with it. Lets have happy thoughts, how is the quilt coming along, I am going to try to take sewing lessons, I would love to learn.

Sandra have a great weekend with your visitors.

Rose I am waiving hello to you,your cottage sounds wonderful.

Froufie I am also waiving hello to you.

Hope I didn't forget anyone, I am going to relax know that my dd is napping, will be back a little later

Rose that is a great idea, I should journal what thay say, sometimes the things they say crack you up. The other day dd found a penny in the driveway,picks it up and says " ooh my lucky day"

I think 29 pages is enough, don't you guys?

Starting board #45.