Good morning ladies. Looks like time to start a new one! I got tickled at Suzanne's post saying they would close threads when they got to 500 posts! We rarely get to twenty before we switch over, which is fine with me. I hate hunting page after page to see where stuff left off.

Maggie: It is truly awful here with the humidity. I just let the dog out and it was my first time out and it feels so sticky and hot already today. It may be a good go to the pool after Jack gets off work day. Is this a permanent move to Ks, I mean or is it housesitting or something? I don't remember if you said either way. Hope you enjoy it. Your bracelet must be gorgeous by now.

Susan: Could the Gerd worsending be from following the different plan even though you haven't changed foods, maybe it is changing them up in the way you have? Hope the dr can get you straightened out. One thing I know about dieting is if you take your time, you fill up properly and not overfill. When we gulp food, we overeat then eventually feel overful to the point of being uncomfortable. Our sister state is again the fattest in the nation and you can bet our corner of Tenn is right up there with being fattest. Too much processed food, too many gadgets to make stuff fast, etc is my opinion. You no longer have to get out of the car to get food, you can warm food up or even cook in seconds and minutes with a microwave, no scratch cooking just open a box. All these things sure take their toll. You combine that with the kinds of food eaten here, bbq, greens but swimming in fat, fried stuff everywhere, biscuits and sausage gravy and it is no wonder. I actually don't get in trouble as much except I avoid the fried chicken etc except once in awhile and if I make it at home, I don't deep dry it anyway. I hate biscuits and gravy and greens and spinich cooked in fat, but I do like bbq. I don't have it a lot because Jack is not keen on it except occasionally. We have a very good place not more than half block from the house, but I bet we don't get bbq but maybe every couple months or so.

Jean: The HHR we had was white and reminded me of a miniature of the old 1930's ambulances. I told Jack it was like riding in a mini herse! Glad your dr stuff came out a-ok. I am going to have to get with it and get a dr appt, but am going to wait until we get back from Houston. Hopefully the Cubs won't put the rest of the season in the dumper now that we have tickets to go see them in Houston in Sept. They have lost a couple games and need to start winning on the road. I bought Jack and Jay those outrageously expensive jerseys, (Jay's for his birthday and Jack to wear in Houston) but I couldn't see buying one for myself at those prices and not wearing it except rarely. So, I went to a tshirt place online and ordered a man's baseball style shirt and here it is. I have a pair of red capris I am going to wear with it. I can't get women's sizes of Cubs apparel to fit me and except for the jersey to wear as a jacket sort of, I haven't found stuff I like so I made something myself! I kill two birds with one stone. I can show off my adorable grandson and root for the Cubs at the same time!

Time is getting away from me this morning so I better get busy. Have a good hump day!
Faye

Good morning to you all! Well, I just logged on and paid off our car this morning! It will be nice not to have a car payment for awhile, but it won't last long as we plan on buying a second car around the end of the year or maybe in the spring depending on sales and such. My brother works for Ford so we can get 15% off any Ford, Mercury, or Lincoln product. We are looking to test drive the Mercury Mariner, Mountaineer, Lincoln MKX and the Ford equivalent. the Edge. The Mariner and Mountaineer are SUV's and the MKX and Edge are crossovers. As the level headed one in the family, I am leaning towards either the Mariner or the Edge. I really like the look of the Edge. We saw a beautiful red one when we were coming back from Nashville. We aren't doing a trade in so it will be nice to have two cars even though I don't work.

Maggie: I wondered if your hubby took a church. Hope you enjoy it and the people of your congregation. I am sure you guys will enjoy your time there. At least the church provided for preachers with big families! lol We have dear friends who were our preacher and his family and they had to live away from the church as the parsonage was this inky dinky 1 bedroom house. We ended up redoing that house and keeping it for visiting missionaries and such who would come to preach. They lived in another part of town completely. Hey, we live in Memphis so we have learned to duck! Have you ever noticed that the A and E program the "First 48" centers around murders in Memphis a great deal? Besides, we have been to Houston before. We are staying downtown and it is only a little ways from Minute Maid park. I scouted out restaurants and such in the downtown area and we are only 2 miles from their huge galleria mall. So, we will be staying mostly in the better part of town. What are you studying in Bible Studay? I always loved the book of Ruth. Has to be my favorite book. Not only symbolizes our redemption by Christ, but it a truly beautiful love story.

Jean: Wish we had the temps but not the humidity. It is ghastly here. I can't help it. That car looked like a miniature of the old ambulances I would see in the old movies except without the horns on the front and the lights on the top. As I said to Maggie, Memphis is on the "First 48" all the time. So much so, that the police director said Memphis wouldn't be allowing filming for the new season. He doesn't like the fact it doesn't look good that the crime in this city is so high, but it is what it is. Gangs and drugs are everywhere here. I watched one last night which was 3 blocks from where I used to work.

Well, again time is on the run and I hope to get things done this morning before it gets so hot. Have a wonderful Thursday flowers, and remember to "water" yourselves!

"Of all the blossoms in life's garden, friendship is the most fragrant." Anonymous
Faye

Good afternoon, ladies!

I've been really, really busy at work and put in overtime.

Faye, Congrats on no car payments for awhile. It should be a good time for buying an SUV - there are slow moving now because no one wants them. The dealers here will not even take in a SUV in trade and you can't sell one yourself because no one wants it. My boss's daughter got a car and he is still tying to get rid of the SUV 5 months later and he keeps lowering the price. Beck is just cognitive thinking program, not a diet, it works with any food plan so I am still doing WW. My GERD comes from the spincter not closing properly anymore. They can do surgery to tighten it but it is last resort stuff. I've cut way back on coffee and tomatoes, never have chocolate, and limit other caffinated beverages. I have dairy but one serving is yogurt. It's been going on for years but just is getting worse the last few months.

Maggie - hang in there with WW. Maybe you should just aim to maintain until you get moved. It sure can be stressful.

Jean, I've got papers I need to sort through, too. It sure is no fun!

Well, I'm off to get ready for my trip. I won't be back until late Sunday so type at you again on Monday!

Hi everyone! I know y'all thought I just up and disappeared...and I guess in a way I did. I didn't mean to be gone this long. Really. It seems since Wayne has been home (he goes back to work August 11) I have been in "vacation mode". I seem not to have any kind of schedule anymore. Also, we're starting to go to bed later and later...and wake up later and later. We have gotten some projects done around the house...or probably I should say Wayne has gotten some projects done--I supervise. My weight loss has been stalled for about a week now. I am sticking to the program as best as I can; however, exercise has gone out the window!

Maggie, I'm glad I got in here before you left us for awhile until you get hooked up in Kansas! Kansas! Wow. How exciting.

Faye, I've been a bit obsessed with knitting lately. It goes everywhere with me...except for church.

I thought of you the other day, Jean, my neighbor has a countdown until school begins--she teaches fourth grade.

Susan, I'm so far behind...I guess you're going on a trip. Travel safely.

Later...and I hope not as long as this last time!

Good morning to you all! It is another sticky wicket here in Elvis land. Speaking of that, only 3 weeks until the deluge of nuts come to cry over his grave. Sheesh, give it up already he has been dead 30 years!

Susan: I imagine I will have problems with digestion and such now the rest of my life and will have to deal with it appropriately as it comes. I noticed I have acid reflux more and continue to have small incidents with bowels and such, but I know I am just going to have to adjust to the changes. Have great fun on your trip!

Maggie: I know you have to be getting excited to move into a new community. I know you will love your new church and it will love you back.

Jean: I think the rain moved south as we got a real down pour around 7 pm last night. It got dark in the house and I ask Jack if it was supposed to rain, but he didn't have a clue. Later, Fortune wanted out and Jack opened the back door and it was pouring. Fortune insisted and ran out and right back in! Crime is basically from kids and young adults who for generations have been told the government owes you, your parents owe you, your school owes you and any job owes you. No compunction whatever about walking up to someone and robbing them just because you want what they have then shooting them dead when they give it to you because you feel it is your right to take it. I believe with the drug problem in this country that the best way to nip it in the bud is to attack the money source. Shut down the money from the drugs and they won't be worth killing someone for. I have said all along if the government would concentrate on stopping the flow of money they could control the gun and drug problem more. They are spitting into the wind trying to control the drug trafficking, but I truly believe if they would cut off the money they could control more of what comes in and out.

Gail: Nice to see you peek in. I haven't been knitting at all. I just have to wait until the mood overtakes me then I just go back to it all the time. It is kind of weird. I have projects I really need to get done, but am just not interested in doing them right now.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. It is commissary weekend so we shall be doing it probably tomorrow.

Have a good one!
Faye

Good morning Magnolias. The sun is shining and the humidity is down. It has been very thundery, if that is a word, lately and yesterday it really came down in buckets. They even had a 'tornado' in NH. We start dog sitting today for a week as DD#2 is off, with her family to Martha's Vineyard for a week. Moshup is not really a problem but she does shed and so we confine her to the kitchen when she is in the house. We have a fairly large yard that is enclosed so she does have the run of the outdoors most of the day. She is a chocolate lab and is about 8 or 9 yrs old and a really great dog.
I have been on the low carb and low fat diet for about 2 months now and I am feeling better....lost about 10 #'s so far...need to lose another 10 to please the dr. I won't know how the Diabetes is doing until October as he said your total blood changes every 90 days and that is when he will be doing another blood test for the Diabetes. I am hoping the weight lose will favorably affect the Diabetes as well as the high blood pressure. It would be nice to get off those pills. I am motitoring my blood twice a day, once before and once 2 hrs after a meal...but only one meal a day. I will se the dr on Tuesday to find out what t he readings that I have been recording mean. It would be nice to know what is a normal reading.

Faye: I have also read all of Fern Michaels "Sisterhood" and the spin off series. She is good. I also am a great fan of Nora Roberts and her alter ego J.D. Robb and have read most of her books...and she has written a lot. As I have said I keep a list of books that I have read on the computer and about every other month I print it out to take with me to the library or the book store so I won't pick up something I have already read.

Jean: Your house clearing has got me to realize it wouldn't be a bad thing to start here....there is always something I can throw out.

Susan: Hope your health problems straightened out. Have a nice trip to PA.

Gail: Yes when hubby is around all the time the best laid plans of the woman usually suffer. I usually get things done when DH is puttering around the yard and when he goes out to do errands and I opt to stay home. Then there are the times when he says 'Why not go for a ride...anywhere." and I usually will just hop in the car and say let's go....to heck with the housework.

The dryer is buzzing and I need to get to work.

Gloria

Good morning to you all! I am going to tackle the downstairs this morning and give it its weekly cleaning. We had dinner out at Chilis last night, which was nice, but it is so incredibly hot and humid here you don't want to budge from the house most of the time. It is miserable going from ac out to the heat then back into a building with ac and out, etc. That's besides the places where it is hot like Walmart. That store is always hot.

Gloria: It was good to see you in here. That is kind of what we did last weekend just decided to go to Nashville and got ready and went. I like the JD Robb books also and I read Nora Roberts other books sometimes, but haven't really followed her series. I read Nicholas Sparks and always boohoo at his books. I have to chuckle when I think of a man that writes the way he does. He sure has a woman's perspective about things I think. He is a true women's author. Congrats on the terrific losses!

Maggie: I have always felt that celebrities be it sports figures, tv or movies stars or even politicos put their pants on the same as I do so who cares? I think the only person I would have ever truly wanted to meet was Lucille Ball. I find her one of the most talented people I have ever seen and would have loved to meet her when she was alive. I had to suffice with giving her figure a hug at the Tussaud's museum in Las Vegas! Does the house have air conditioning I hope? Bless your heart I imagine you were wilting yesterday.

Jean: My mother always hung at least part of her laundry outdoors. There is nothing better than sheets that have been hung out in the sun. They smell so wonderful. I told Jack the other day, though I like having the cell phone in emergencies on the road, sometimes I wish it had never been invented. The things people do while driving. The other day I saw this idiot woman driving on the interstate going at least 70, talking on the phone and smoking at the same time! Those people I surely keep well clear of. Here they are bad about being in the left lane and talking on the phone and discovering, "Oops there's my exit" and swooping across three lanes of traffic and taking the exit barely missing the exit sign. Happens all the time here. I have always found it odd about people being addicted to prescription drugs. I have had to take Percocet, morphine, and a variety of other stuff with my two surgeries and never felt it become an urge to continue to do so. I end up throwing out medications like that because they expire. Sheesh the money I could make as a drug dealer...

Well gals, I am going to close it for today. Hope you have a nice weekend!
Faye

Happy Saturday morning!

Yesterday morning, Wayne and I drove to a walking park that our county has built. It's only about 8-10 miles away from home. It is so nice! The total mileage of the walking path is 2.6 miles. It's wonderful. They made it on and through different types of terrain (for lack of a better word). Some of the path is on flat ground gently curving here and there, and then there will be gentle inclines and declines, and then sometimes the path runs through wooded areas with signs giving health tips, places for owners' dogs to do their business (out of the way of walkers and runners). In the middle there is a beautiful play park for children. Benches throughout for rest. Really nice. Anyway, yesterday morning, Wayne and I walked the path. This morning we did it again. The place was really crowded this morning at 7:30am.

Faye, I go through long stretches of time where I don't knit. Right now I'm knitting. I'm obsessed with mittens, wrist warmers, wristlets...anything to do with the hands. Other times I go through long stretches of time where all I want to do is read.

Jean, ohmygosh...a riot?! The mall in my area have started banning teenagers from the mall from 5:30pm to closing on Friday and Saturday nights due to food fights, general rowdiness, and harrassing senior citizens. In order for someone under 18 to shop at the mall they must be escorted (and are made to wear a wristband) by someone 21 years and older. A lot of kids are very upset. What is terrible that the bad kids are punishing the good kids.

Gloria, I love reading anything by Nora Roberts/JD Robb. She actually came to my local Borders bookstore and signed books about two years ago which I went. She is a tiny woman!! Very gracious. Good for you losing 10 pounds!! Yaaay! I have stopped going to WW for awhile now but still following the plan. I'm tracking my food. I'm losing very slowly and I was thinking today when I go for my yearly check up in October it would be nice to weigh less than what I did last year. Which I already do by about 7 pounds. I hope your weightloss helps your diabetes.

Maggie, I've got to agree with you about celebrities--they are just plain ol' people when it all comes down to it. I've met some gracious celebrities and one (a country singer) that was a particular "witch". I like meeting authors. I am the same way with Wayne--when he starts to say, "Would you like to go...", I am movin'!!! I start looking for my purse and sunglasses; I'm ready! Maggie, if for some reason y'all get on the road before the 30th, travel safely and we'll catch up with you on the other end!

Today, my oldest daughter and her little boy are coming over. We're going to Walmart. Right now they have a wonderful sale on back-to-school supplies. She's a member of a group called Virtuous Women. They are putting together 75 school bags for inner city children. Then, this afternoon, my youngest daughter and husband are moving their kung fu school out one building into a nicer building. This is a major step-up for them. Wayne is lending his truck and his help.

Well...I need to go get some chores done before the little guy gets here.