Cee
I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee scary movies. Not this Freddie crooger slash em kind. I mean scary. I love Christopher Lee as Dracula. Come on baby you can suck on my neck any day of the week lol. Isn't it funny, the power goes off and our eye balls pop open. Yes, I have a flash light by the bed lol. We have the closet doors off of the hall way closet right now because we are refinishing them. I keep telling the hubby, DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND that leaves an open portal get those things done. He just laughs at me and says monsters can't live in closets that don't have doors. Men just think they know everything don't they.

di
I wouldn't mind being 21 again IF AND ONLY IF I knew what I know now.

Melody
My children's older sister will be up this summer with her 4 children. Do I look like I need another kid in this house. Oh my gosh, the whole time they are here I am cleaning and straighting up. I know everyone loves them here but for me, I would rather get post cards lol. Now don't get me wrong. I loved raising my kids. I was a stay at home mom and loved every single min of it. My time is DONE I don't want to see you potty and I do not know why goofy can talk but Pluto can't and let me tell you a secret i DON'T CARE EITHER. When my children ask if I want grandchildren I am honest I tell them NO. I dream of white carpet. I dream of being able to make love on the living room floor before I am to darn old to be able to get up and down off the living room floor. I dream of my glass coffee table not having finger prints on it lol. And, why is it when you say you don't want grandchildren, that you do not miss the pitter patter of little feet around the house people think you are terrible. I love kids, I think they all taste good covered in open pit bbq sauce :)

afternoon ladies! just a hit and run for now. have to get moving to the gym. DH has been keeping some weird hours for work, and also has all the Holy week Ceremonies at church. Tonigh he is going in for Mass, then right off to work. I won't see him again until tomorrow morning. Gotta run, will get back on later and post more.

Luv Ya!!

Morning all,
The washing machine is going, the coffee is perking, the list of to-do's has been created and I am here enjoying my breakfast and coffee in the sunshine and chatting to you lot. However I have no problems with monsters in cupboards since either the cupboard has been recently purged or.......... it is too full for him to be able to reside in there. No doubt if there was one, it is down at the dump with the other junk. :lol3:

Shaker, my thoughts are with you and I send :hug: aplenty. I hope the spot on the back turns out to be nothing more than an age spot. But it is good to get these things checked out. Shakers DH has obviously been checking things out. Well done him. Have a good old family time at Easter. I hear the weather is not too bad over there at the moment. And well done on not breaking the diet. It is a triumph over adversity.

For those in the frozen north, Australia is known as the melanoma capital of the world because people spend far too much time in the sun without adequate protection. Here a tan is everything. In NZ, due to the world wannabees playing around with Mother Natures miracles, there is a huge hole in the Ozone layer and this causes many skin problems as well as other cancers. They are usually fast and very frightening. My mother with her very fair skin had many skin cancers removed from her face. Even my Dad, half Maori and very dark had problems with skin lesions towards the end of his life. Changes in skin should never be neglected and along with the boob squish and the pap smear, you should all put skin checks on the calendar every two years. I call all these checks along with hearing and eyesight tests, my Warrant of Fitness (WOF) and I toddle along happily around my birthday time to get all these things looked at. So far it has worked. End of lecture.

Happy - stolen body bits??? It must be the monster in your closets doing the evil deed. A butt 3 inches lower than before - waaa haaa ahhaa. :cry: Very funny. Nice laugh there. Also had to laugh at the exercise. Is the pulling of the earlobes meant to increase the area through which sound can enter and therefore you get more information in. I tried it, but I'm worried about what size my earlobes might get to before I begin to remember how little they were!

Carla - day 3 is done! Well done and well done to all of you who are embarking on the good ship Perfection. Smooth seas and plain sailing to you all.

Mel - no thank you, no grandson. Cheap, cheep or otherwise. I'm done with pets for a while and Sunday the cat will get the pyrolytic oven if she doesn't soon shut up about feed me, feed me when she has a perfectly good bowl full of biscuits waiting for her. Bl**dy cat! Although she may have some tooth problems or such. I may have to delve into the depths of the mouth to find out if she needs a trip to the Vet. The vet once said that I could get a little toothbrush and clean them for her. I thought he was joking but apparently not, it is a common problem with build up of tartar on teeth for felines, however I am not in the mood to be ripped to shreds by claws and teeth so she will go to the vet and get anaethetised for that.
Hope that hip comes right soon.

Michelle - Great going on the double rate of days to perfection.
I guess I will get used to the hair colour, just didn't want to be red and certainly not copper topped anyway, but thems the breaks and I will chat about it more carefully next trip to the hairdresser. My hair grows fast and thick so it won't be all that long.

Ceejay - be careful in those storms.

Rennie - one of my kids asked me once if I would feel incomplete without grandchildren. My reply was that I had no say in the matter. Children are and shall be a direct responsibility of the parents and who am I to say whether they should have them or not. Do I want to be a Granny - not particularly. Never was a particularly maternal person. And besides which IMHO there are already too many people in this world and like Michelle, I think the animals are in more need of our help than the human race is. It already has everything it needs but it is consumed by greed and wants more and more - to the detriment of the earth and it's flora and fauna. There is little in the way of checks and balances left anymore.

Okay - the job interview went off fine, thank you for asking. It took an hour and a half rather than the scheduled 45 minutes and ranged between Change Management, tech writing, conflict management and training. They have, although they didn't say anything about it, 3 vacancies. I think they were testing me out for more than the one I went for. They may have just been searching for ideas about how to tackle a fairly daunting prospect.
Do I really want the job??? No, there are more interesting jobs around, however this job will keep me home for one whole year and the office is 15 minutes up the road. The other job I have been offered is in Adelaide where I could visit with DS1 and it is more in my line of Plant Maintenance where as the Brisbane one is Finance, HR and CRM all of which I have done but not in any great depth and I don't find them particularly interesting - it's a case of what I call the warm and fuzzies. It would be a chance to open different doors though. The Adelaide job I could also work in with the Groote Island job but it would mean moving to Adelaide for 6 months. Do I want to go to Adelaide in winter - Perth in winter was a worry and that is further north than Adelaide. Adelaide has more $$$$ and taxable allowances, the Brisbane job has lower costs. So depending on who offers me what I shall make a decision sometime next week or not as the case maybe. Either way I have made it clear that I will be looking for time off while the kitchen goes in.

And that is about it. Time to move on out into the sunlight and hang out the washing, clear up the carport and mow the yard - oh rats it is still to early to bring out the power tools. I'll be hung drawn and quartered if I make too much noise on Good Friday morning. See ya!

Hey ladies,

At the moment I am quite innundated with work so no time to chat. This is really messing up my routine big time. :mad:

Hope to be back later tonight or tomorrow.

Don't get in too much trouble while I'm gone :lol:

SOME SHORT PERSONALS:

SHAKER....I AM VERY SORRY TO HEAR YOUR NEWS AND HOPE DH'S BACK TURNS OUT OK. FINGERS CROSSED. SENDING SOME :hug: FOR BOTH OF YOU!

SHAD.....HOPE SOMEONE GIVES YOU AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE AND FILL UP THE EMPTY TILL!!

HAPPY...NO POWER :yikes: THE BODY PARTS CRACKED ME UP AND I COULD USE A GOOD LAUGH RIGHT ABOUT NOW!

MICHELLE....WELCOME TO THE 100 DAYS! GOOD LUCK!!

CARLA~ WOW! I AM IMPRESSED WITH YOUR SHOPPING TRIP! TOGETHER WE WILL DEFEAT THE MONSTER! INCLUDING HAPPY'S CLOSET FULL! :devil: NO FRAPPES....BUT I DID THINK OF THEM A LOT! NOW I WRITE THEM DOWN IN THE "MAGIC JOURNAL" :wizard:

CEEJAY~ NICE 100 DAY PLAN. GOOD LUCK TO YOU AS WELL. I ALWAYS HAD A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR FIRE TRUCKS AS WELL....THE SOUND SO D A M N POWERFUL!!!!!!!!! :yikes: WE WOULD BE PANCAKES!

RUTH~ HOPE YOU AND HERSHEY ARE STAYING WARM. LOOKS A WEE BIT CHILLY UP YOURS AND CARLA'S WAY :brr:

PAINTER~ HAPPY READING...OR WAS THE BOOK JUST FOR THE TALK. NOW I FORGET....MAYBE I NEED THE CHANGED BRAIN!! :rofl:

RENNIE~ I'LL SEND THE BIRD ANYWAY....ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE! :lol3: :lol3:

:wave: FOR ELLEN WHO IS ON THE RUN.

DID I MISS ANNIE? i FORGET NOW BUT :wave:

TODAY WILL BE DAY ONE ON MY OWN AND NO DRUGS. :dizzy: IT WAS THE OLD STORY OF USING BOTH ARMS AND LEGS TOO MUCH THUS CREATING A DOUBLE INFLAMMATION. IT SHOULD ALL GO BACK TO THE USUAL PAIN REAL SOON. :rofl:
THE KIDS HAVE MAPPED OUT A PLAN FOR THE 3 DAY WEEKEND. IT'S FILLED WITH A LOT OF IDLE TIME AND NO COOKING. ROTISSERIE CHICKENS, HOME MADE TURKEY CHILI, GREEN SALADS. ALL JUNK FOOD AND CANDY TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOUSE!!
THIS ENOUGH TYPING FOR NOW. LOVE TO ALL FOR THE HAPPIEST EASTER WEEKEND!

Good morning ladies -

Happy Good Friday morning and first day of spring for us Northern Hemisphere chicks. First day of spring?! HA! Wisconsin is getting hit with a big snow storm today. All of southern Wisconsin will have between 8" to 12" of snow by the end of the day. Luckily I only have to work a 1/2 day so hopefully the roads won't be too bad yet for the drive home, although some parts of the drive in to work were like driving on an ice skating rink! :yikes: DH has a 4-wheel-drive SUV, so he should be okay when he comes home around 4:30 or 5 pm. The snow may throw a monkey wrench into my gym plans, so I will try and dig up a workout DVD.

I've got lots to do this morning, so I'll wait 'till this afternoon or tonight to check in and post personal msgs.

Hugs to you all!

Morning ladies!!!

I made it to the gym yesterday, and I felt like it was a much better workout. I am going to try to get there today, but also want to go to church this afternoon for Good Friday Services. So many devotions right now...but I can only make a few...the kiddies won't sit for all of them.

Shaker~It is so good that DH gets checked regularly. Will keep you both in my prayers that it is benign. Sorry also for your loss. :hug:

Shad~Wish I was enjoying my coffee in the sunshine...very dreary today, and supposed to have more snow??? Must have missed us. Good luck with the jobs.

Mel~Hope you feel better!

Rennie~:wave: and :hug: as you fly by

Michelle~I know what you mean about the snow...Dh just said that there was already 2 inches on the ground in the city. I am crossing my fingers that we are far enough south to keep the snow away. Although we will have to head in for church :(

:wave and :grouphug: to everyone I missed!

Well, Dh is home now, and I have to get moving if I want to make it to the gym b4 church this afternoon. To all in this crazy weather...stay safe!

Just home from Church and enjoying sunshine, coffee, a fire in the stove and a cuddle with my Hershey. Donna is supposed to come today but who knows. She is becoming a bit unreliable which I'll have to deal with soon.

I hope everyone has a glorious Easter Weekend despite all the cold and snow. Remember Easter won't be this early next year so should definitely be better.

Busy busy
Just about have everything done around here and then I can relax for a bit. Shopping tomorrow and getting everything prepped at the food kitchen will take most of the day tomorrow. Sunday service breakfast service and then food kitchen from noon till 8 pm. Going to be a very nice weekend.

Pictures of the flood waters in Arkansas and Missouri are overwhelming. A couple of places have lost their water and waste water plants.

Happy
Be careful. I just read that the Mississippi River is near the flood stage

Things are going well so far on my first day of myh 100 day plan. However,
I'm over my limit aready on the cholesterol. Shouldn't have had that egg. I'm okay every where els. Just need to exercise.

I agree with Shad. We taken everything else seriously but not our skin.

Going to church services again tonight so I'd better get busy and get ready.

Everyone thought it was funny when I was a teenager and then a young woman. I stayed out of the sun. I didn't tan. I wore hats and sleeves. I have ran into women that I went to school with. I look 15 to 20 years younger than many of them. One of the women I went to school with and was also one of my best friends stopped by my house one time. I told my daughter we went to school together and were friends. She said I didn't know you were allowed to be friends with teachers Mom. Oh my gosh, she thought my friend was my teacher lol. Most people think I am much much younger than I am, nice lol. First my mother looks very young so that might help. Second I truly think my staying out of the sun has a great deal to do with it too. I never wanted to worry about the problems a lot of sun on the skin can cause.

Morning all, and yes it is still Saturday morning here - just.
Been to gym and done a weights and resistance workout. I upped the weights at the end of last month and at last I think I am coming to grips with some of the new, heavier weights, but there are times when my arms just say enough - can't hold you any more. I hope it gets better soon. Or maybe I have just reached my limits - but no, that can't be so!!!!! I have a long way to go.

Just hang out a line full of washing and guess what - yep, down came the rain. Had to run out and rescue the stuff that had been out there for a while and leave the rest. Of course as soon as I got inside, the rain stopped again.

Yesterday I had a wonderful time bashing up the overhead cupboards. No Happy I have no intention of trying to save them. They are well past their sell by date. Today, I will tackle the rest of them with guidance from DS2 who will offer to do them himself, but I am having too much fun. Sorry son. The floor cupboards will remain until they give me warning that the new kitchen is here. I'm storing some of the everyday food stuff there and the rest of the pantry items are in a cardboard box in the lounge. I have stuff just about everywhere at the moment and I need to get some of it packed up and taken off to the shed. We won't use that before the kitchen goes in.

Carla - nice joke. What???? And yes that part of the anatomy is fairly tender right now thanks to some of the exercises I did today.

Rennie - good job on staying out of the sun. Good genes and that practice probably keep you looking better. I usually get taken for being about 6-9 years younger than I am. It doesn't bother me none.

Ceejay - oh boy, first storms and now floods. Stay safe and dry. I hope it soon passes.

Ruth - that's the problem with having staff!! :rofl: Hope you are keeping warm and dry and getting on with the quilt that I will need next time I come to visit!! :lol3: Nothing like putting pressure on people I say.

Ellen - well done on the gym visits. You'll be down to a smaller size again before you know it. Take it easy in the snow and ice.

Michelle - ditto on the above in the snow. Although you are all probably at home now safe and sound and enjoying hot tea or toddy - what ever takes your fancy. Stay warm

Mel - perhaps we should get together and dismember Elle or Claudia or someone like that. Not only would we be taller, some bits of us would be younger as well. So sad that the pedalling is causing you grief. Maybe there is a more gentle way for you to exercise. We'll have to put some thought into it. Happy Easter Sis and :hug: for yourself and the young ones.
The job will do what the job will do. I can wait for a while yet. Not down to the bones of the butt quite. Unfortunately I can still afford to eat!!!

Happy - don't they even give you Good Friday off - my word. Now I know that it is true that Victoria is the place with more public holidays than the rest of the world. Followed closely by all States and Territories in the Commonwealth of Australia. Life can get tedious eh?

:egg: :bunny: :bunny2: :easter2: :easter3:

Right I am off to the demolition zone. Remember to eat eggs not chocolate look-alikes. You'll be better off in the long run and don't forget to sweat.

Day went well, not as much snow as they said, hopefully it will be gone soon. Offto rest will be heading out to the gym early (6ish) then off to church for Tenebrae (Part of the divine office only said at this time). Then home for a break. The kids are staying with my sis, so I am ablt to head out early. Then we will be going to Easter Vigil about 10:30 pm...Kinda like Midnight mass, only for easter. THE girls will hopefully sleep thru it. Then some cooking on Sunday...but Dad and I split the duties, so not too much...do have to get up and put the turkey on. No eggs here...but may stop and get the kids some bunnies...will keep it small because then it keeps me out of it.

Night ladies enjoy your Easter.:bunny::bunny::bunny::bunny::easter: :easter::easter:

:stir:...me madly cooking!

MICHELLE...BE CAREFUL OUT THERE WITH THAT NEW DUMPING OF SNOW. NO SKATING ON ICE WITH THE CAR IS ALLOWED! :yikes:

ELLEN~ I ALWAYS LOVED THIS TIME OF YEAR IN THE CHURCH. HAPPY GYM TIME TOO!! :ebike:CAREFU8L WITH THAT SNOW YOU GOT TOO NOW!!! :brr:

:cofdate: GOOD MORNING RUTH AND HERSHEY....STAY ALL ROASTY AND TOASTY!! WE'RE JUST HAVING A BLAST OF COLD AIR FOR TWO DAYS....WHERE IS MY SNOW??????

RENNIE~ HOPE THE DAY AT THE FOOD KITCHEN IS FULFILLING :encore:

CEEJAY~ LAST NIGHT I SAW A HOUSE FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER AND CRASHING INTO A BRIDGE. THE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY IS HEARTTBREAKING. THE GOVT BETTER DO RIGHT BY THESE FOLKS AND NOT SCREW UP LIKE NEW ORLEANS! YOU GO GIRL ON THE GOOD DAY!

SHAD...YESTERDAY I FORGOT THO ANSWER YOU ON THE PHONE THING. I'LL WATCH THE E-MAIL AND CALL IF I SEE YOU SENT ONE. I FORGET THE TIME NOW WITH OUR CHANGES OVER HERE!!!! LET ME KNOW IF THIS WEEKEND IS GOOD...... :moped:

:bunny: LOVING THIS WEEKEND. JEN GOT TOM YESTERDAY AND I THINK THE BEGINNINGS OF MENOPAUSE ARE COMING ON. THE FIBROIDS ARE BACK WITH A VENGENCE...WELL THEY ACTUALLY NEVER LEFT. THE DR JUST HOPES SHE CAN HOLD OUT TILL MENO IS OVER. THEN THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR FURTHER SURGERIES. THE LAST ONE A FEW YEARS AGO WAS BEYOND THE PALE. WE'VE DECIDED TO HAVE NO AGENDA AT ALL. A JAMMIES/DVD WEEKEND. I CHOSE A YELLOW 2 PC SET WITH BABY ROSES ON THEM. :dance:
WE DID NOT GET THE PREDICTED SNOW....BUT I AM FREEZING MY BUTT OFF DOWNSTAIRS WHEN I HAVE TO GO THERE. 50 MPH WIND GUSTS FOR 2 DAYS NOW. DANG CHILLY!! MY FRIEND IS LEAVING FOR HER CRUISE. NEXT WEEK IN THE OFFICE SHOULD BE INTERESTING. I HAVE MY LIST....EVERYONE ELSE CAN DO THEIR OWN.
THE HIP IS FINE. I PEDALED AGAIN LAST NIGHT WITH NO PROBLEM. I JUST HAVE GOT TO REMEMBER MY TIMING AND ALSO...NO PEDALS ON ACTIVE WORK DAYS. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW HOLIDAYS THAT WE BAG AND HAND OUT STUFF SO IT'S NOT LIKE A GREAT LOSS. :rofl:
NOTHING NEW HERE. BORING AND QUIET. MY KIND OF WEEKEND. WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY EASTER TOMORROW!!! HOPE THE BUNNY IS GOOD TO YOU ALL....DON'T OVER DO IT!!! :egg:

Happy Easter Everyone, It is going to be a nicer weekend I hope. Yesterday we had a mini blizzard through town but the top of the pass was hit hard. Totally white out and power outages. SPring is here for sure...... The flooding issue is so sad and there could be much more of that as the years plays out in other parts of the country.
The wildlife are finally being able to move a bit up on my hill....saw aherd of elk grazing about a 100 yesterday.... so beautiful and on Thursday while Toby was outside a cute little fox was in the yard..... the fox saw Toby and turned to head back to the hilll and Toby never spotted him but could smell him..... Tiny Teeka was safely in the house....this morning I heard the sound of the killdeer arrival to the resevoir. So today the sun is going to shine and warm up our hearts and souls......
I finally got my little car back..... and it is going to take me a while to recover from that once again....oh well. I am sure enjoying my book I got for a gift....Eat Pray Love...have any of you read this it?
Sending Easter wishes and Blessings to all of you and your families....
Peace,
Nae

Good morning chicks,

I am glad to see this dreadful week come to an end. When things get too frantic, I have a difficult time trying to keep my sanity and this week was a doozer and a drainer. But it's over. :yay:

Michelle- saw that your area got 14 inches of snow. Is usually the heavy, wet kind this time of year. You and DH be careful with the cleaning up and getting around town!

Same for you Nae. Your animal scene descriptions remind me of the bison herd that is next to the Humane Society. Really kind of cool looking at them in an open plains setting.

Mel - I'm glad the hip eased up. Your jammies sound perfect for Easter. Poor Jen - she's still got a long way to go with menopause as it hangs around for about 10 years. :( Hope you both will be ok :hug: In the meantime, stay out of those drafty areas.

That's interesting Ellen - didn't realize they did an evening Holy Saturday vigil. Of course it has been a while since I've been a regular church goer :o Hope you have a good Easter too.

Shad - hanging the clothes out has always been a game if there's anything other than brilliant sunshine. Those darn clouds absorb the moisture from the clothes and then seem to drop it back down again. I remember many a good run hurrying with Mom to beat the rain. As for a Good Friday holiday, many years ago it seems companies opted to give the employees one or two "floating holidays" which were basically 2 days off of your chosing. This way they didn't have to worry about appeasing the Christians on Good Friday, the Jews during their holy days, or the black folks who wished to honor Dr. King on his birthday (although here in Memphis Martin Luther King's birthday is a big holiday with everything closed). Of course these floating holidays were not without direct benefit to the company as it meant 2 more days the business was up and running. Back when I was managing a help desk, we were open for business on Good Friday but you were allowed to take the day off if you observed it as a holy day with religious services. Because it was a "free day off" everyone on the team wanted off save for my one Jewish and one Muslim team member. 3 years in a row I could count on just me and these 2 guys manning the help desk that day as everyone claimed to be so religous that day. The 4th year the company changed policy and gave us 2 floating holidays to use as we saw fit. When Good Friday rolled around that year, several people approached me and said they were taking the day off. I smiled and said, ok - you are using one of your floating holidays. No they said, we are taking it off for religous purpose. I said no, that's why you have a floater. 2 people got really mad. It was amazing how all these gung ho religious zealots lost their interest when they had to use their own days off. So at my company today we only have the big holidays off and MLK day.

Rennie - I think you are right on with the avoiding the tan and missing out on the wrinkles. Even smoking as long as I did, no wrinkles on the face. Just bigger pores. :lol:

Ceejay - we are far enough east that if the Mississippi flooded over and got to our house, there would be far bigger problems :lol: But thanks for the concern. I'm sure it's an issue with the condos downtown. If you decide to eat eggs, skip a yolk. If you make scrambled eggs use all the whites and toss out a yolk or two. If you make hard boiled eggs, cut them in half and throw out half a yolk. That will help to cut down on the cholesterol substantially while still getting the good benefit from the egg itself.

I am debating about what to do for Easter tomorrow. With just DH and I it doesn't seem worth making a fuss. I like ham - for one meal. Too much salt for me though DH would not mind eating it all week long. Can't think of a place that we would go for Easter dinner. Back up north there were restaurants that would have an Easter special or an Easter buffet but nothing like that near hear I can think of. DH wants to do yard work today so we will probably go to the Humane Society tomorrow. I'm thinking with spring break and the holiday they probably won't get the usual group of volunteers and I might be on clean up duty again. But that's ok, I'm sure the kitties will appreciate the attention.

Guess I'd better get in gear here. Hellos to Shaker, Painter, Ruth, Madcat, Holly and Carla (are you being good :s: )

Hello ladies! I overslept this AM so no gym yet. Will go after we drop my sister off at home. Tenebrae was good this morning...DH and others have finally got it down, and it sounded very good. have to get moving...the kiddies will get a good shower at the gym too...less laundry for me...no toweles. LOL

Happy Easter all!

I went to Walmart super center this morning in Blytheville. On a whim I stopped by the hair salon and got my hair cut again. I couldn't believe it had grown out this much in a month's time.

Walmart's had some nice looking strawberries. I'm going to adlib when my sister and family comes next week.

I didn't go to church last night because I took a nap that afternoon and overslept. I'm planning on going tonight.

It's so pretty outside and the Rav4 really needs a good cleaning. Think I'm going to do this instead of staying inside all day.

Rennie
I don't look my age either. Mine is most diffinately inherited from my mom's side of the family. None of my uncle's look there age and they are above 70 years old.

To the rest have a restful week end.

Just call me Demolition Dan.

Yesterday I took the cupboards off the walls in the kitchen - okay so it's not a big kitchen and there were only three sets of them. The first one I got off fairly easily and then found that the trim was not attached to the wall at all - fillets they call them. So when I got the cabinet part off, and pulled at the fillet, the darned thing came off in two bits, one in my hand and the other fell off onto my foot. Nice one Shad. I decided to leave the smaller cabinet in with the rangehood until I was ready to paint. Never can tell when you need the rangehood hey? So I turned my attention to the second cabinet and took out the screws - there were 6 of them and then started on the nails and then heyho all h*ll broke loose with the range hood and the small cabinet falling off the wall and onto the stove and the microwave. It wasn't attached at all except by the very tips of those screws through the other cabinets and the fillets. Put a nice dent in my new microwave - I was not very pleased, but at least it is at the back and will be hidden when the new kitchen goes in. It also landed on my foot. Thank goodness I wear boots when doing that sort of thing. It may have taken my toes off if not. Oh the joys of renovating a spec house where things are not always what they appear to be or should be. Now I need to wash down the walls, sand, plaster and get them ready for paint. And I have the feeling my time is running out. I will get work soon. I must get this done. A lot of today will be spent on the end of the sanding machine. That will be a great workout I can tell you. Oh well, gotta be done.
I also wrecked a hotplate - when my stove began to give up the ghost several years back, I decided to get a stand alone hotplate gadget. It has two solid hotplates and you just plug it in and cook on it. Well when I went to shift it, I noticed it needed a good clean and those solid hotplates tend to rust as well - so I cleaned the thing. Took all the rusty bits off the plates and got the SS nice and shiny - replugged it in and sparks flew everywhere and blew the circuit. I thought maybe it had water in it, so dried it off best I could and let it sit in the sun to complete the drying, then plugged it in and blew the circuit again. So that is off to the dump as well. That was more or less my day yesterday apart from watching the footy and annoying the DS2 and cat.
Had an e-mail from my friend Chris (Japan) yesterday who is leaving for home next Tuesday. She is being farewelled by lots of her friends and is very sad to be leaving, but says that due to increased activity with packing, clearing and cleaning her health - especially the lungs - seem to have improved. However one foot is getting slowly more numb again so she is not out of the woods yet. Good news is that she feels that she can go touring again so our Italian holiday may yet make the news in a couple of years time. We will both be ancient ruins ourselves by then, so we should fit in nicely.

Happy - thanks for the info on public holidays from the US perspective. I have heard of factories doing something similar here, but since it is still a public holiday in the eyes of the land, then they get paid accordingly for working on the holiday - double time for the first 4 hours and triple time after that.
It's grand exercise dashing out to the line to grab the clothes especially in tropical downpours. Unless they are guaranteed dry, you might as well leave them there.

Ellen - stirring madly away there with the cooking. Have fun at the gym.

Mel - jammies sound pretty. Certainly yellow will brighten up the day. Good weekend for just sitting around. The news pictures were just awful last night. Glad to hear the hip is coming right for you. Talk soon.

Nae - hiya, glad the car is back in one piece. Get that dog away from the wildlife - they will think it is breakfast on legs.

Hiya - to Ceejay, Carla, Ruth, Michelle, Holly, Madcat and all those lurking and viewing. Happy Easter Sunday. :easter3:

There is mayhem afoot in the orchid patch!!!
 

I was hanging out some towels when I noticed that the second lot of buds had opened on the Tenozan Orchid, but....... if you look closely at the attached photo, they don't even look the same and they both came out of the same pot. It seems my orchid has been up to some naughty tricks. I zink I smell ze mischief in ze garden

The ones top left sort of pinky/lilac petals and a bright purple lip should look the same as the purple ones on the bottom of the group. The dark red on the right is Magic Fire.

Anyway - whatever the plants are getting up to, I still love my orchids. Enjoy

Wow Shad - those are gorgeous!!!!

Hiya-- I've enjoyed the Cadbury season... but it is a good thing it's almost over.
I spent the afternoon at a painting class: Who knew there was so much challenge to abstract expressionism?!! The main thing is about "staying free" and not getting scared or stuck-- OH, AND having something that is visually pleasing at the end. I did the first part, but am not so happy with the results now that I got it home. I was happy I got the paint out of my t-shirt, though!

Mel-- glad you can have a calm Sunday with minimal required action. Hope the inflammations calm down. I had to semi-stand at a stool while painting, and my leg was more sore than it's been in two weeks. Relafen, here I come.

Diyana--If I had "it" to do over... I'd probably try something with more ART and less "brain." I am loving the painting and knitting and sketching. Am not trying to make a living at it, but just loving it. I hope you find a way to get more animals in your life! (There's always "Animal Cop" on cable!!)

Roseblush-- How wonderful to read Eat, Pray, Love when it's so cold! I loved the book. Don't know that I'd want to go through that experience at this phase of my life, but the way she expresses herself reminds me of what it was like to be young.

CeeJay- Glad you kept the water pure! A friend of mine near WhiteRock lake actually say a school bus that got rolled over. I don't know if it had kids in it or not. And then there was a mother with 4 children who drove into deep water. I don't know what I think about that. I understand the "urgency" to get home, but not the risk.

Rennie--Can you implement an ROTC plan for the summer visiting children? or their adults? My ex sent our kids to grandma's and she ran them so ragged they stopped wanting to go pretty soon.... I don't know if that was her intention or not.
(Loved the cartoon.)

Shad: Hope you are doing what you love. I heard Rick Steves on the radio today... and he said the UK, Auz and NZ had more vacation and better lives in contrast to the US because the GOVERNMENT looks out for individuals instead of corporations. So the GOVERNMENT advocates for vacations (hence less argument over "religious" days off) AND more confidence about getting hired after time off. Because Corporations have the power her, it is hard to maintain confidence that if you took a year off (for motherhood, care of a family member, travel, or education) that there'd be a place for you. He also said that when there was not much income disparity (or class disparity) it was easier to ENJOY what you have.

Ruth-- LOVE the trampy dye job cartoon.

Save me from the Cadbury's!

Happy Easter Worldly Chicks
 

:egg: HAPPY EASTER :egg:
:easter2::easter::bunny::egg::easter3::bunny2:
WE MIGHT BE FREEZING WITH THIS GUSTY COLD EASTER MORN BUT AT LEAST THE SUN IS OUT! FROM INSIDE IT LOOKS WARM :rofl: PEACE AND TRANQUILITY STILL REIGN :queen: I AM A HAPPY CAMPER. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING NEW TO REPORT! HAVE A GREAT DAY LADIES.

NAE~ HAPPY TO HEAR THE CAR IS BACK AND IN WORKING ORDER. I GUESS THE ANIMALS ARE GOING UP THE HILL TO HAVE THEIR EASTER MEAL! ALSO HAPPY TO HEAR TOBY DID NOT GET ENTANGLED WITH THE FOX :yikes: :faint:

CEEJAY~ I CUT MY HAIR YESTERDAY ALSO! I LOOKED INTO THE MORROR AND COULDN'T SEE MY EYES!! :rofl:
HOPE YOU AND THE RAV4 HAD A GOOD DAY OUT IN THE SUN:sunny:

HAPPY~ JEN AND I STARTED USING LARGE HAM STEAKS FOR EASTER AND MADE THEM THE SAME WAS WITH PINEAPPLE, BROWN SUGAR, CHERRIES ETC. IT MADE A GOOD MEAL WITH SOME LEFTOVERS FOR LATER ON. :hun: WE BITH HAVE SWOLLEN FEET SYNDROME :lol3: IS IT WARM ENOUGH TO SIT BY THE POOL AND SOAK UP SOME SUN? :beach:

SHAD~ WELL MISS SUPER DESTRUCTO...I CAN SEE YOU HAD A VERY ELECTRIFYING DAY!! :yikes: WILL TALK IN A FEW HOURS :callme: WHATEVER MISCHIEF THE ORCHIDS WERE UP TO IN THE GARDEN, THEY DID A SUPERB JOB!! REALLY LOVELY AND UNIQUE!

PW~ I USED A STOOL FOR EVERYTHING A LONG TIME AGO. I THINK JEN GOT TIRED OF DRAGGING IT AROUND FOR ME!!! :rofl: PUT THE CADBURY'S DOWN THE DISPOSAL!! IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT ONE THEN IN THE BLENDER AND DOWN THE LOO!!!

Happy Easter Everyone.

I think I have read all the posts and caught up. Not going to personalize at this point.

What a long week and finally getting back to somewhat normal.

Last Saturday I felt the most unGodly sharp pains shooting through my tummy all day and evening. That lightened up then moved around to my back for the remainder of the night and into Sunday. Around 1 pm on Sunday I had DD take me to ER at the Bariatric Hospital. Come to find out I had an internal hernia. Doc did surgery on Monday afternoon ( after starving since Satruday) No foods or drinky. Came home on Tuesday afternoon with vicoprofin. (Vidoden with ibuprofen) Just going back to work on Monday. My intestine had looped into an empty pocket (pocket made by losing fat on the inside as well as the outside) and hooked around something else. Laproscopically doc went in thru belly button and 3 other tiny holes, pulled the intestine back, and sewed the pocket shut. Good as new. ha ha. Nothing life threatening, all is good. Amen.

Surgery didn't get all of DDs precancerous cells off of cervix, doc is going to wait 3 more months and go from there. Many tears from this momma. Please pray for her.

DS has knee surgery tomorrow. Very easy surgery all should be good.

Thank all you lovely women for all your support.

Many hugs and love

Good morning ladies,

:easter2: to you all!

It's a bit chilly this morning but sure to warm up nicely as the day rolls on. DH and I were out yesterday and I picked up 2 bowls that had 12 tulip bulbs that were just starting to bloom in them. One is red, the other yellow with red streaks. We planted them (bowls and all) out front. My thinking with the bowls was that the blooms will only last 2 weeks or so, when they fade, I can pull the planters out, cut the leaves out once they completely wither and store the bowls bulbs, dirt and all for next year. (Will have to remember to pull them out in time to wake them up from dormancy). I kind of hate planting spring bulbs because I always seem to accidently dig them up when I'm planting summer flowers. I also have a cute mini sign with a bunny, chick and lamb on it that says Happy Spring. I can see it when I open the front door and the sign and flowers look so cheery that it brightens my mood in an instant. With Easter being so early and it warming up a bit here, DH was in the mood to plant. We went to the nursery yesterday but it was obvious - it's really too early right now. I hope DH will want to go to the Humane Society this afternoon. They are open in the afternoon only on Sundays and he likes to do things first thing in the morning so he has time to work around the house or play his guitar the rest of the day. I picked up some cuddly soft blankets on clearance yesterday. Going to cut them into small rectangles and make some kitty mats for my friends. Figured I could do this cheaper than buying them at the pet store. Of course this means cutting and dragging out my sewing machine and figuring out how to thread the :censored: thing. That will be a fun project to kill a day when I should be doing something else instead :s:

Annie - geez Louise woman. So sorry to hear about the innards getting messed up. I'm glad things came out ok, rest up and feel better. Will continue prayers for the DD. Apparently what she is experiencing is not all that unusual. Guess my niece has had to go in 3 times already for treatment. Scary.

Mel my buddy - Happy Easter to you. I thought about the ham steaks too. Started to pick up a spiral sliced honey baked ham yesterday at the store and saw it was $33. :eek: Of course it was nothing compared to the beef tenderloins for $65 and up that were right next to them. And the standing rib roast (prime rib) for $165. This was at the local rinky dink neighborhood Kroger food store. I thought - what a shame. This meat is going to go to waste for the most part. I am starting to open my eyes and see how much we shamefully waste in this country. I looked around in the bin and saw regular old hams on sale for $11. Figured that was more in the budget. Are you having dinner with Jen today? How's dem purdy yellow jammies? Are you looking spiffy today? ;)

Painter - I have always found Cadbury's to be a bit too rich and sweet. Especially those mock eggs they have at Easter that people so adore. I decided on one box of Dove chocolate truffles. Individually wrapped. Several flavors. Limit of 2 per day and that's sharing them with DH who will probably scarf down half the box anyway. It's nice to know that in some countries the government looks after their people. Not so in the United States of Greed where the companies pay off the politicians to look after their best interests. I see more and more companies outsourcing jobs here to overseas resources. I think they should be fined heavily. Jobs are going away and if the government was smart, they would realize that they are also losing a huge tax base too.

Shad - the flowers are beautiful. Even if they are up to some entwining and swapping pollens :devil: Well Demolition Dan, I sure am glad to hear that you didn't injure your foot. :yikes: what a close call. And a good reminder that lightweight shoes are probably not a good idea when doing home renovations. Sorry to hear that you christened the new microwave. Guess it's good that you didn't have 20 cabinets in that room! :lol:

Ceejay - I envy you ladies with the wonderful hair that grows so quickly! When you finish the Rav4, want to come and do it's big sister - my 4Runner? It's sure in need of a cleaning. This is the time of year we shouldn't park under the tree (:censored: birds having a dive bomb field day). My car was so icky last week that I asked DH to help me wash it - this was 2 hours before we were supposed to get torrential rain storms. DH said the neighbors must think we are looney to be washing the cars before it starts raining out. But they were that bad. Good for you for getting outside. Good exercise too with all that stretching and reaching and bending down and such.

I decided to get a ham after all. Going to make some potato salad too - not so much for me - one serving is enough - but DH likes it. Might make some ham and scalloped potatoes later this week for one meal. I also had a tasty recipe for soup with ham in it - will have to go and find it. Picked up some nice strawberries too and some CHOCOLATE Cool Whip (whipped topping). That will make a nice, not too sinful dessert. Should have got some asparagus too as that goes nicely with ham. I went to the store yesterday because I figured everything would be picked over today and it was a zoo. I tried to hurry through the store and realize now that I forgot a few things. Oh well - not like the store is 50 miles away.

Anyway I have just pushed DH into going with me to the Humane Society so I'd better get a few things together. Hope you all have a nice Easter.

Morning all

You can now all rest in your beds in the knowledge that Mel and I have taken the world apart, fixed it and put it back together again. 2.5hrs discussion seems to fix these things. We've sorted the American way of life, the Aussie conundrum and the Canadian Goose step, so be aware you are now sorted and all you have to do in this world is to lose the weight and attain perfection. Speaking of which, apart from Mel, I don't hear a lot coming out of the perfection stakes race to 100 days. Are you all six days into perfection now??

There are no Easter eggs in this neck of the woods. Bunny obviously fell into a big hole somewhere as he hasn't made it to the house yet. DS2 doesn't want any and I'm not a chocolate fan so there you go. Any that end up here will eventually land up at the niece and nephews place anyway.

Today I plan to do a chart to keep me on the straight and narrow to get the cleaning and painting done in the kitchen before someone phones to say they'll be starting work next Thursday. Otherwise there will be panic and mayhem around here. I always find that a prominent list which allows me to mark things off as they are achieved really motivates me to get things done. Does anyone else have that mentality???

Happy the flowers are beautiful, I love them. I have combined them in a shallow bowl with some pink roses and they now reside on the coffee table. The perfume is delicious. Yes some orchids do have perfume and these particular roses have a warm honey spicy fragrance. If any one would like the picture to have as a screen saver then let me know and I will e-mail it over for you. I'm sending it to Mel soon. Hope you have a good time with the kitties. I'd like to see these little blankies you are about to make for them.

Annie - so sorry to hear how sick you have been. Rest up and get well soon. Who'd have thought about losing fat on the inside as well as the outside although I guess it figures.

Mel - I'll get that pic on the mail overnight, that way it may be easier for you to download and save to the computer. I'll try to make it as easy for you as possible.

Where are Carla, Ruth, Madcat, Holly???? Is this a Canadian form of isolation or protest or something. Are you all buried under drifts of cadbury??? Get out from under and let us know you are okay. Do I have to ring you or something???

Time to get off this chair and out into the beautiful world. The sun is shining, the birds are singing (Mel could hear them so she will vouch for that), and there is work to be done out there.

Oh yes must add, DS2 and I went out to breakfast yesterday. My shout I said and handed the woman $50 note. I got $44.10 back. I'm sure she said $25.90 for the two. I'm not a nice person. I didn't tell her of her mistake. The tills these days tell them how much change to give for heavens sake, why should I worry if she can't read or count. I'm outa here.

I hope everyone is enjoying Easter! DH and I had no special plans...just doing stuff around the house. Friday we got approx. 14" of snow at our house, so Saturday DH spent a couple hours digging us out so I could get to the gym. I didn't go on Friday night because the roads were too trecherous. I did a short workout today, and will be going to the gym tomorrow as I'm meeting with my coach/personal trainer (a free service to members provided by my local Y). Today is Day 7 of the 100 days, I'll read today's lesson and do the homework tonight. I stopped by my local Humane Society yesterday to donate some dog treats and rawhides that my dogs don't particularly care for. I also took the opportunity to pet the doggies and kitties. (Thanks for the inspiration to do this, Happy). There were some mighty cute dogs and cats, and if we didn't already have a houseful, I would've brought a couple home.

Rennie - I've got fair skin and sunburn easily, so I don't go out in the sun without a hat and lots of sunscreen. Even when I was younger...I always used sunscreen. It only took a couple really bad blistering sunburns for me to learn that lesson. And, like you, people think I look much younger than I am. I still sometimes get carded to buy alcohol - which puts me right on :cloud9: !

Shad - I can just picture you bashing your cupboards! That sounds like a lot of fun actually!! I hope your foot feels better. The photo of the orchid is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for posting it!

Nae - How wonderful to see elk out your window! We live near lakes and farms, so we see deer, wild turkeys, and other wildlife. No elk or bison though.

Happy - That's so cool that you have a herd of bison near you! We have some bison farms nearby....but it's so much more breathtaking to see them in the wild.

Mel - Sorry to hear about Jen. I hope she's starting to feel a little better and that you enjoyed your jammies and DVDs weekend. We've also had some nice sunshine this weekend and it's felt warmer than the 35 to 40 degree temperature.

Annie - My gosh! My prayers are certainly with you and your family. I'm glad you're doing better after your surgery. And I wish you DD and DS all the best with their healing.

I have to take dinner off the stove, so I'll come back later to finish checking in.

Love and big hugs to you all!

I'm here.

It's been a busy, joyful weekend. We had Good Friday dinner at my sister's. Grandma made it out. We had a BC salmon with a lemon butter dill sauce. Baby carrots, new potatoes and asparagus and light lemon cookies for dessert. My parents stayed the night there and babysat my 2 kids and nephew and DBIL and Sis and I went out to the pub to see a heavy metal band/ friends of ours.
Didn't drink too much but was out til 2am. There is something so good about being in the middle of a mosh pit listening to a hard core band.It is good for my soul. Had a very busy and profitable day at work. Sis came with me for the day for some spa treatment and then we headed back to her place and I retrieved my kids.Lots of running around before and after.
Last night was very quiet.
Today the kids and I woke with head colds. Been quiet again.
Got some housework done. Super yummy supper.Pot roast, taters, gravy , carrots and apple pie. Just having a tea.
Bath and hair cut night for the kids. DS wouldn't cut his hair til the end of playoffs. Did I tell tell they came in 2nd in their division. So a silver medal. He had 7 shut outs.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...s/P1010021.jpg

DD has her skating Carnival next Sunday.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...s/P1010027.jpg

DD, DS and Dnephew on Friday.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...s/DSCF2153.jpg

Still cold here but the sun has been out some. The snow is melting a bit.

Work is going well. Busy. Making some bucks finally. I am quite pleased at the prospect of not being dirt poor.

Happy, happy Easter. Much Love to the Chicks!!

Shad the orchids are beautiful


:happy easter:

Work has not been quiet today. The fire department called with two structure fires, that meant having to call two electrical guys to the scenes.
It was around lunch time too and there was asmall power outage about that time

Happy
I'd diffinately have to have a step ladderfor the 4 runner.

Annie
Sending good vibes your way for you and your children. Don't over do.

Mel
You are right about the sunshine being decieving. The ham sounds good, brown sugar, pineapple and cherries is how mom fixed ham. My mouth is watering. I also caught the footage of a house floating down the river of water. It smacked into a brdige. The bridge may need some repair after that attack. It's awesome what the force of water can do.

Pw. Candbury eggs are my favorite. I'll share some mini eggs with you. It's a good thing they only come once a year.

Michelle
Good for you for getting to day 7 of the 100 day plan. I haven't done well with my own plan.

Hello to the rest. I need to get my ear ready to go home in about 45 minutes.

Anybody want some ham? I have plenty left over. You can have the potato salad too. Well maybe you'll have to fight DH for that. I also tried making his aunt's age old recipe for baked beans. I found it in an old cookbook and by the handwriting style, I can tell that I wrote the recipe when I was in my teens. The beans had good flavor but came out too hard.

It's strange. I find that being used to eating lean chicken and fish and undressed vegetables, when I eat a meal like ham, potato salad and baked beans - I sure do feel yucky. I have a good 4 pounds of ham to do away with. Don't even want to do weigh in tomorrow. Will have to see if WW has any ham recipes :chin:

Still doing the 100 day thing after a minor bump in the road.

I was peeved today. I specifically called the Humane Society on Friday asking if they would be open on Sunday because that worked better for our plans. They said yes. So today DH and I head over there and it's closed. :mad: Poor kitties. Won't be able to get there until next weekend.

That was nice of you to give some time and items at the shelter Michelle. Those cute little faces sort of hook you in, don't they?

2 and a half hours LONG DISTANCE around the world with Mel and Shad? That beats our conversation. :lol: Shad must have figured out a good international phone plan. :lol:

Guess I can go read my book for a while and relax knowing the worldly chicks have straightened out things.

And yes, where is the Canadian contingent? Cadbury haze I suppose ;)

Easter weekend so far has been somewhat successful, starting with the usual Friday night spin class. There was a big basket of those nasty little foil-covered chocolatey Easter eggs at the desk, and of course my resolve faltered badly. :( And then there was the ham I'd taken out of the freezer that had to be cooked or tossed... and that made for a yummy, salty snack and a bad scale day on Saturday. But that was then, and the remains of the ham have now been given away. Tonight invited a friend for Easter dinner, and had delicious Châteaubriand with oven fries and steamed veg, followed by a rather light version of a fruit crisp. :drool: And gave the leftover crisp to him to take home!!! :encore: Major NSV for me, although I must admit I've been obsessing about fruit crisp ever since... Not a real diet day, but healthy and tasty. Who knew?

Today was Day 7 completed of the 100 Day plan. I can't say any day has been a total success, and perhaps any talk of perfection was a little premature... :rofl: But the plan isn't about perfection, it's about motivation and learning to be successful. I have a feeling it'll be worth it!

And with that, it's good night, sleep tight for this chick-let. :wave: to you all, will try to get back tomorrow for a post that isn't all about me, me, me!

No foolin'! You sound like YOUR laparoscopic intervention was no big deal... but surely rearranging your innards has got to have some consequences! So glad that you didn't develop any full blown obstruction. There's been a group of people with those issues... NOT pretty!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your DD. Mine seemed to have some mysterious issues a while back (not living at home)... but all was well... even though it took more than one procedure.

Hope DS is as tough as he's advertised!

Hollyhock:
Please commend your DS on his shutouts. The local PRO's haven't done that well in the recent month. The Cup Finals may be short and bitter for us in Big D again.

The post all about you you you let me know that I must get out of DeNile and get honest and stop worrying about perfection. THANK YOU.

TTFN, ladies

How the heck do you Worldlies keep up and manage personals to all?

Annie, hoping for a speedy recovery - lapro sure beats incisions but still......

I would like to formally announce that I intend to be in the 180's by this time next week. I seem to be maintaining my post-op loss!

Different weekend! Went to Claire's place for a great Easter Dinner on Saturday night. Her strange sister Peggy was there - that always makes for interesting undercurrents. Although there are usually everyone's dogs there, Hershy stayed home as Calvin, Peggy's mutt, is a humper and Hersh will not tolerate that! She's such a Queen Victoria. We had fun and I was abstemious in my wine consumption. I realized this is the first evening out since before the knee thing. Yesterday I felt really rotten after Church and lay down on the bed about 10:30 - woke at one! I intended to visit Harry but spent the rest of the day reading and relaxing as I still felt strange. Everything seems OK today - AND I DID NOT EAT ANY EASTER CRUD, so there!

Today should be a "normal" day with a visit to Harry and the purge of my sewingroom continuing. My sister Joan has threatened to "tidy" it for me but I'd like some say in what gets pitched, saved or given to Goodwill. I need to get it done before she shows up in Suzie Homemaker mode.

Have a good week. I sure as heck hope spring shows up around here soon. I measured the snow in the yard and it's 18" deep where Hershey hasn't made her potty route paths! :(

ANNIE I AM SENDING EVERY GOOD THOUGHT I CAN FIND FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. WHAT A YEAR THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE. YOU WILL ALL BE IN OUR THOUGHTS AND HEARTS. HOPE YOU WILL BE FEELING OK NOW. SORRY YOU'RE GOING THRU SO MUCH :hug: :hug:

HAPPY~ KITTY MATS :cloud9: HOW CUTE IS THAT. GOOD IDEA. MEAT IS OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE. WHEN I LOOK AT THE PRICES OF BEEF I ALMOST :faint:. I SEE WOMEN THERE TRYING TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS WHAT TO BUY!
WE SPENJT TIME TOGETHER BUT THE PLANS FOR DINNER FELL APART. I WOKE FEELING OK AND QUICKLY ENDED UP IN THE LOO. THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO EAT ROASTED PORK! (FRESH HAM) SENT THE KIDS TO DAD'S HOUSE WITH THE ENTIRE MEAL! :rofl: THE BEST PART OF THE DAY WAS THE CALL FROM SHAD. GOTTA LOVE SEEING THOSE FLOWERS AND SIGN!! GOOD FOR YOU!
PART 2: CADBURY HAZE :rofl: MAKE PEA SOUP!! OR I THINK IT IS SQUASH SOUP WITH HAM. I AM DROOLING AND READY FOR EITHE ONE :hun:

SHAD~ :rofl: ALMOST FREE BREAKFAST??? I AM CRACKING UP!! :lol3: TOO FUNNY. GLAD WE HAD THE CHAT. LOTS OF BELLY LAUGHS. PLEASE DON'T TRY AND TOP THE ELECTRIFYING DAY YOU HAD THE OTHER DAY!! ELSE I WILL HAVE TO GOT DOWN UNDER AND SORT YOU OUT AS WELL AS MYSELF AND I'M NOT SURE I HAVE THE STRENGTH :rofl: IF THOSE PESKY BIRDS WERE HERE I WOULD DEFINITELY BE LEARNING HOW TO LOAD AND SHOOT A SHOTGUN!! :rollpin: I LIKE TO MAKE LISTS TOO. FEELS SO GOOD TO SEE THE SCRATCHED OFF ITEMS!!! :dance: HAPPY RENNO!

MICHELLE~ ONLY PETTING IS ALLOWED....NO ADOPTING!!! 14" :yikes: HOPE THIS WILL BE THE END OF THE BIG DUMPS FROM THE SKY GODS FOR THE YEAR. HOPE YOU ARE LIKING THE BOOK ALSO! I AM LOVING THE LESSONS AND ACTUALLY FEEL BETTER.

CEEJAY~ GUESS THE WARMER WEATHER WILL KEEP EVERYONE BUSY WITH OUTAGES BETWEEN WEATHER AND OVER USE WHEN IT GETS HOT. NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW ALL THAT AND FIRES COULD EFFECT YOUR JOB. WE LEARN SOMETHING EVERY DAY. JEN AND I AGREED...THAT BRIDGE PICTURE WAS MOTHER NATURE AT HER SCARIEST!

CARLA~ I TOLD SHAD THE SAME AS WELL. I FEEL THIS IS THE RIGHT BOOK AS IT'S FULL OF SENSIBLE IDEAS AND PRACTICAL LESSONS. WE WILL OBTAIN PERFECTION!! :dance: I CAN SEE ONLY ONE AREA WHERE I WILL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL: NOT USING THE "WIDER ROAD" AS AN EXCUSE TO GO NUTS OR AS A CONTINUAL EXCUSE.:faint: NICE OF NYOU TO SEND THE CRISP HOME WITH A FRIEND BUT I THOUGHT OUT OF SIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUT OF MIND? NO? :rofl


PW~ ACTUALLY THE WORLDLY CHICKS ARE PERFECTION IN ITSELF THAT WE KNOW WE AREN'T PERFECT :lol3: :lol3:

AS I SIT HERE I AM WONDERING IF HAPPY HAS ALREADY POSTED! :wave: THE DESTRUCTOS BEHIND ME ARE EXCEPTIONALLY NOISY TODAY AND GETTING NEAR EYE LEVEL WITH ME ON THE 2ND FLOOR. I WILL BE HANDING OUT TOASTED ENGLISH MUFFINS WITH MARMALADE AND POTS OF COFFEE TO THEM SOON! I TOLD MYSELF THAT FOR EASTER I COULD HAVE SOME SMALL EGGS AND THE EARS OFF A BUNNY. WELL...I ATE THE EARS AND NOT LONG AFTER THAT I SPENT THE LAFTERNOON RUNNING BACK AND FORTH TO THE LOO. LET US SAY GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS :rofl: :rofl: I COULD THINK OF NO OTHER REASON. BUT ALL THE LAUGHS WITH NSHAD MADE THE DAY WORTHWHILE. JEN EVEN FELT BEWTTER TOO AFTER I REPEATED THE STORIES. IT'S NICE TO KNOW OUR SENSES OF HUMOR ARE STILL INTACT! :lol3: :lol3: I AM KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED FOR YOUR CHRIS...HOPE THE MOVE HOME WILL BE A GOOD ONE AND SHE CAN FIND THE MEDICO SUPPORT AT HOME AS WELL. :hug:
JEN AND RICHIE TOOK ALL THE FOOD TO DADS BUT CAME HOME EARLY. FIRST HOLIDAY WITHOUT THE MOMS AND SADNESS PREVAILED. IT WAS EXPECTED. ALL OF US FELT BETTER BY BEDTIME. THE SUN IS SHINING AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD WEEK!
HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!! :moped:

:wave: TO RUTH AS WELL! HOPE YOU ARE FEELING BETTER NOW. :hug: GOOD FOR HERSHEY...I DON'T LIKE THOSE HUMPERS EITHER :rofl:

warning - long post below - my apologies
 

Here we are at the start of another week. Yesterday's 100 Days lesson was "I Can Do It" -- and I know that to be true. I can and will lose weight and lower my blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. It may take longer to achieve some goals than others, but I will stick with it this time. I want to and I need to. Today's 100 Days lesson is "Help Me, Please". And you ladies certainly do a great job of that by providing advice, encouragement and friendship! Thank you all so much! And just like I now miss it when I don't exercise; I miss my Worldly Chick GFs when I don't check in. Thank you again!

The scale was up a couple pounds this morning making me really wish I'd worked out more this weekend...I didn't Friday because of snow and I didn't on Sunday because my back was really sore - even had difficulty grocery shopping. But I worked out for over an hour on Saturday and really pumped up the intensity. As I was working hard on the stepper, I saw a young woman do amazingly difficult core exercises - much harder than any of the Pilates moves I've ever seen. I actually felt compelled to go up to her after she was done (she probably thought I was a total weirdo). :rofl: I told her that I was amazed by her core strength and asked her how long she had been working on it. She said she was a gymnast for 12 years. And she stopped working out awhile ago and got out of shape, so she's had to work hard to get her strength back. She said she works out for 1.5 hours a day with just 20 minutes of that being cardio. That explains her core strength. I'm not sure I'll ever get to where she is, she is after all in her very early 20s and in great shape, but she did encourage me to keep working on it because my core strength will improve. Sounds like great advice! I've got to keep remembering that it took me years to get this out of shape, and it will take me at least a year or so of consistently working at it to get to where I want to be...and even after that, these are lifestyle changes that need to be permanent, especially since diabetes never goes away...but it can be kept under control through dedication and diligence.

I had a great chat with my niece who is getting her masters in Diet and Nutrition Science. She has been doing internships in hospitals working with diabetes patients for the last couple months, so we talked at length about the importance of proper eating and exercise. She said that she is glad I'm going to see a Registered Dietician in a week or so to work out a meal plan. I told her what I am currently eating and about my exercising, and she said that she's very proud of me because I'm doing the right things! It was really neat for my niece (who I am extremely proud of) to be telling me that she is proud of me! She says she's seen diabetes patients who have gone blind and lost limbs because they've had difficulty controlling their diabetes and some have stopped trying. So she said she admires my commitment to improving my health. That really made my day! My next blood test is April 12, so I've got 3 weeks to continue my efforts toward lower my blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride numbers! And I appreciate all your support as I do this.

Happy - It's so sweet of you to make kitty blankets! What a great idea! And much cheaper than you'd find in a pet store. I'll have to go to Kohls (so I can use my employee discount) and get a couple snuggly blankets to cut, hem and take over to the humane society! I just checked their website...They also need more practical things like dog and cat food, cat litter, etc. I'll pick some up at the store this week and take it all over together. The Washington County Humane Society which is about 10 minutes from my house isn't nearly as big or as well-funded as the Milwaukee Humane Society or others that are in more populated areas. So I'll do what I can to help them out. See what a great influence you are, Happy! And you're right...the cute doggie and kitty faces really do pull me in and make me want to take them all home. Since I can't do that, I want to do whatever I can to help them. Dove chocolates are my favorites too. Especially Dove dark chocolate and the dark chocolate truffles Yummmm! I totally agree with your opinions on outsourcing jobs overseas.

Shad - I LOVE to do lists! And there's a great sense of accomplishment when I can check things off. I find it so much better to write things down than rely on my memory. LOL Good for you for staying focused on getting household tasks taken care of and on taking care of yourself too! I would love to have the photo of the orchids as a screensaver. I'll pm you my email address.

Holly - It sounds like you really did have a wonderful Easter weekend! The photos you posted are great! What adorable children! Congrats on your DS' team doing so well in the playoffs!

CeeJay - Sorry to hear that work was so chaotic on Easter. I hope the rest of your day was nice.

Carla - Good for you for doing the Spin Class and giving away the leftover fruit crisp. That would've been hard for me too! As for my 100 days, I've read the lessons and done the writing, but I haven't been 100% successful on walking the walk. Just a couple little things....like the "not right now" suggestion...no one offered me food that day, so I couldn't respond "not right now, I'll have some a little later". :rofl: You're right...it's not about perfection, it's about learning tools to be successful and I'm DEFINITELY doing that!

PW - As my doctor, my diabetes educator and my personal trainer all tell me...it's about PROGRESS not perfection. Keep making progress. :)

Ruth - 180s by next week!! :woohoo: YGG!! I hope to be at 200 by my next blood test on 4/12 and below 200 by the time of my doctor appt on 4/18. It's great that you enjoyed such a nice nap yesterday! Sometimes naps can be just what the doc ordered!!

Mel - I am really enjoying the 100 Days book and doing the writing. It's really helping! My book arrived on Saturday - signed by the author! What a nice touch! We're supposed to get a rain/snow mix most of the days this week...hopefully not too much ice or snow accumulation as I really do need to get to the gym and I hate to do any extra driving when the roads are really dangerous. I'm with you on the 100 Days wider road -- it feels like a slippery slope to me. At least until my next blood test, I am not going to cheat. I really want to see how good my numbers can be if I stick to the program.


My apologies for the extremely long-winded post! Here's to a great day and great week for all of us!

Love and big hugs,

Hey Rennie - I forgot to say "hi" to you. :wave: Sorry about that. I used to have great difficulty getting enough sleep. Sure enough...it was sleep apnea. The mask I have to wear is far from attractive, and I sound like Darth Vader, but my DH really appreciates it because between my snoring, stopping breathing and gasping for air, it allows him to sleep much better now than without the mask. I'm hoping that as I lose weight, I'll be able to wean myself off of the sleep apnea mask some day. For now, I feel much more rested than I used to. Take care.

wow...too much to read right now...will back track later. We had a good Easter, but glad it is over. need to go to the gym...my back is killing me. it feels just like a weather change, not like I hurt it. Have a good MOnday and I will be back later to finish reading and post indies later!

Just popping in to say hello.

:wave:

di
It really made a difference for me losing weight and the sleeping thing. Oh ya, don't you just look like the most sexy thing in the world with that mask lol. Hubby would call me his wife from another planet lol. Said he didn't care how it looked, would drive him crazy and scare him to death because I would stop breathing all the time and he never could sleep very well always waiting for me to stop breathing. We both sleep better now. I just got rid of mine a while ago. If nothing else, just not having to wear that thing was well worth the effort to lose weight. You should have seen me at the camp groups with that thing. The machine on the outside of the tent lol.

happy
I found the same thing, thought maybe it was just me. I eat a lot of chicken and fish toss a bit of pork and beef in there to make it nice and balanced but if I eat beef and pork more than once a week and more than 4 oz at a time. Oh I feel yucky and my tummy hurts.

Anyone wants to chat after 9 pm my time lol. I have free min on the old cell phone. I love to chat. Just send a pm and let me know.