I REALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY UPSET TO COME HOME AND FIND PAINTER WOMAN HAD THROWN HERSELF IN FRONT OF THE BUS...ESPECIALLY WHEN I CAN'T GET MY WHEELCHAIR UP TO THE ROOF AND JUMP OFF AS THE ELEVATOR ONLY GOES TO THE 8TH FLOOR!!

I READ EVERYONE'S POSTS AND EVEN CONGRATULATE MICHELLE ON HER LOSING YET MORE WEIGHT!! WELL DONE HONEY! I EVEN SEE SHAD HAS INDEED FOUND US A FIXER UPPER AND YES MISS HAPPY...I DO SEE THE CONNECTION!! WELCOME HOME TO MISS MADCAT AND PATTY! IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THE RETURN PF YOU BOTH INTO THE CHICKLY FOLD.
THAT'S THE BEST I CAN DO TODAY. DR GAVE ME MORE STEROID DROPS AND A SCRIPT FO ANTIBIOTICS....LIKE I HAVEN'T TRIED THIS ROUTINE BEFORE IN THE PAST 3 YEARS!?!? WE SPOKE WITH 3 OTHER DRS AND THE OTHER 3 SAID TO LIE TO THIS ONE ON 4/21 AND SAY I TRIED IT AGAIN! THEY WERE TOO FUNNY. MY MDA DR ASKED IF I HAD GOTTEN A GOOD LAWYER AND GOT BIG BUCKS FOR THE BUS INCIDENT. HE ALMOST SMACKED MY HEAD IN WHEN I SAID NOT TO BOTH! WE LOOKED ONLINE TOGETHER AND HE GAVE ME 4+ THINGS TO GIVE UP FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL. NO COFFEE ANYTHING, NO DE-CAF ANYTHING, NO VINEGAR ANYTHING AND NO CARLIC, GINGER, AND ALL SPICES. I CAN KEEP THE HERBS. TOMORROW I AM OFF TO THE SUPERMARKET TO TRY THIS AGAIN! THAT LEAVES ME WITH ALL WHOLE FOODS AND COOKING! HE SAYS HE KNOWS IT SUCKS BUT WHAT ELSE CAN I DO. I SAID A LOT CAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEEN THAT GOOD OF GETTING RID OF ANYTHING!!!!!!!!! SIGH.
OK GOTTA GO. CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY IMAGES I SEE HERE!!! LOVE TO ALL AND THANSK FOR AN EARLY CHANGE!! I NEEDED A FRESH BEGINNING!!!

Crikey, I go away for a sleep and then some exercise and breakfast. Come back here with my coffee and you lot are on page 2.

Thanks for the link Ruth. Honestly I did put one in. Actually I put it in twice, once with a pic of a sleeping Shad but it seems neither of them stuck. I've got to post the pic again - so cute.



If Painter can have her own self portrait, I will have one as well - only it is not a self portrait. I can't paint like Painter can.

So you are not transfixed by the 'fixer-upper'? Tough the garden is nice though. Get downstairs and out the back and have a look.

And at least we have some trees. Not too many of those around Athens.

Okay - lemme see - what's up.
Happy - so glad you got to the shelter and gave the kittens some pleasure. Do you see much turnover there??
Good luck with the floor and door today. Hope everything slots in where it should. I really get grumpy with places that use sub-contractors. You have no control over who you get, don't know whether they are any good or not, and are never sure of who you should address complaints to afterwards. I know it is not considered cost effective these days to have your own tradespeople, but it sure puts joy into the heart of the customer.

Michelle - wonderful to see you down again. 20.5 pounds is a great amount. What ever you are doing, keep doing it. And stay away from the Baklava. - try the souvlaki (marinated lamb skewers) and greek salad instead. And you and Happy better keep away from the Ouzo too! I will have to see if I can find some healthy Greek recipes for us to try out. Might as well since we are here now.
I've never heard of the crocs being out that far, however they can walk and swim fair distances so who knows. I just don't think they would be there because there is no place for them to breed out there. They need river banks and flats for that. Of course there are all sorts of dangers lurking in the sea. Sharks are there, but there is so much else for them to eat, they tend not to worry humans. And generally that holds true for most of the underwater sealife out there. You have to really annoy the creature for it to turn on you. Let me know when you are ready to come over. I'll sort out some tours and accommodation for you.
I'll pm the phone number today.
As for going green and organic, there is a long way to go and the produce is expensive to buy still, but I think people are thinking along those lines a lot more than they used to. And not before time. With the interest rates soaring and prices of everything essential to life, now is probably a good time for people to start planting small vege gardens in their yards or in pots. They taste so much better too.

Painter - far too much is written and said about that blessed number on the scale. It can drive a person crazy (crazy enough to want to stand in front of the bus). Use the scale as a guide only. If it goes up, think about what you ate or drank since the last time. I think Happy's idea of talking yourself out of eating is great - time out in your case might mean taking hold of the paint brush firmly and putting another 15 minutes of frustration onto canvas.
DO NOT stand in front of the bus.
By the way, I do like the picture. It might be interesting to do another in six months time and see if you still feel the same!!

Madcat - good to see you back. Is the DH okay now? I liked the choice of words for Painter. I might even take some inspiration from them myself.

Rennie - if you need a window workout - come on over. I have a number of windows that need cleaning, and curtaining or having the blinds washed. Come to that, I can find work for you for around 3 months. All you have to do is get here.

Annie - I can crochet and knit but not quilt. Seems I don't have the time to do much of any of those things these days. Haven't even touched my sewing machine in years.
I had no trouble at all getting the dogs to take tablets. Miss Puss however has definite ideas on how she should be handled. And I am not doing it right!

Mel - As if you don't have enough to put up with.

Well I weighed and measured today. Not much change anywhere despite the wealth of gym and weights and cardio. It's obviously the food at the moment for me. I know I am not drinking enough water. Like Madcat I know what to do. I must stop procrastinating and JUST DO IT.

Having said that, I'm off to climb the ladder and do some gentle sanding. Did I ever mention that I hate the preparation part of painting with a real passion

i really do love that i came home and found us in athen's fixer upper! i like something with character and this place has all that....and a lovely back yard full of flowers. but before i put all my girth on that balcony...plus another 150 lbs for the chair....do have a good look at it!
loved the pic of shad sleeping!!! happy ladder climbing and thanks for the hugs....i really needed them!!

i came back to say i am looking for ways to keep vinegar and citrus out of the diet. lord...it's in everything!!!
can you actually marinade anything or make salad dressing without any of them?? i can use the spritz kind but only one or two spritzes they said. any suggestions wpould be greatly appreciated as summer is coming and i love my salads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps to painter: i was wondering hpow you got to be painting my body having never seen it before!! well done my friend. looks just like me!!!!

Mel - do you like to marinate a lot. The CSIRO book has rubs in it. These are rubbed onto the meat or vege and left to 'cure' so to speak. Unfortunately a lot of them have spices which is no good to you. Bear with me and I will see what I can find with herbs.

Okay - I am having a rest and letting the dust settle. Next comes the rotten vacuum cleaner - grrr.

Are you allowed soy sauce. oyster sauce, hoi sin sauce or fish sauce?? All will take the place of vinegar.

The following is sufficient for 800g (1.5lb of meat chicken or fish or maybe tofu).
Five spice Chinese
2 tablesppons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/2 clove garlic crushed
1 teaspoon 5 spice powder. ( uhh maybe not - spices)

Italisn Style rub
oregano
thyme
basil
chopped chives
finely chopped garlic.
Chop them up finely in processor or mortar and pestle and add enough oil to moisten. Rub over meat. Rubs do not keep so make them as you need 'em as you need them.

Marinades apparently need vinegar, lemon juice or acids of some description. But the rubs can be spiced, or herbs choosing whatever you have on hand and mixing them together. Fresh, naturally is best.
There is a product on the market here called Gourmet Garden. I have the Mint and the Coriander ones and Ginger as well. They are a blend of herbs and oils but some have a citric acid in them (I guess it is a stabiliser) Now I know Happy got some in her supermarket one time. You might like to see if you can find it. It is an Australian product. I don't know what it costs over there. You can mix it into salsas, or spread it on your meat or chicken or blend it with other herbs and spices. The blurb says add to Stir Fries, curries, salads and salsas.
There are other marinades and rubs in the book but most of the contain spices or lemon or lime juice or zest.

Hope this helps.

Just thinking while I was up the ladder. Yeah I know, thoughts in strange places.

Instead of marinating in vinegar, try substituting crushed ikiwi fruit instead. It is a great meat tenderiser. Paw paw or papaya have the same sort of enzymes.

Why not try some salsas too. These are chopped up bits of fruit and vege which you can plonk on the cooked meat. I've used everything from peaches to red onions and all in between. eg. Mango, red pepper, avocado and red onion. A dash of olive oil. Now most recipes will call for lemon or lime juice but these only stop the fruit and veg going brown. If you only make enough to eat at that sitting, then you wont have the problem.

Okay - I am back up the ladder again. Oh yes why don't you email Martha and ask her. She might even ring you and you can explain on TV that some twit in Australia told you to do this!

Shad
Can you come over and clean my vacuum's. That is one job I really really hate lol. Is just a bit hard to get there since I won't get on a plane and I haven't quite got walking on water down pat yet lol.

Melody
I use all kinds of crushed fruits to marinade meats.

Di
They caught my chest just right. Hanging around, one bigger than the other lol. Oh and hubby was home this weekend. I got lots of exercise lol.

So here we are in Athens, eh? Just sitting around nibbling on arni (lamb) in the back yard ambylokipi (grape garden, I think). I lived in Athens for about 8 months back in the late 70's. Had a great time, learned a little Greek, loved the food. And I agree with Shad, the light there has an unbelievable honeyed golden tone to it. It should help to mellow us out of the winter blues.

Happy, your drape cleaning description was a hoot. Of course my drapes will probably stay up until they get replaced, although I do recall washing them once last year. It's good to hear you sounding a little less harried this week.

Mel, what fun for you, going through the same treatment regime that didn't work - again. I do hope that you find something you can eat, and that the dietary restictions do the trick this time.

Painter, I loved your self-portrait! Absolutely beautiful.

Madcat, good to see you back. I was a little worried about you and yours.

Shy, I noticed you're down another 2 lbs - congrats! I just don't know how you stick with it week after week.

Michelle, you seem to be doing a fantastic job with the diet and exercise! It'll feel great when you see the doc - he should be pretty impressed with your results, and my bet is that your tests will show some marked improvements too.

And now, it's time for a quick check on that lovely bougainvillea out the back door, and soon it's off to bed.

to all I've neglected.

Carla
Thank you. I am jealous. Athens looks like a wonderful place.

First, it all seems very easy to me. I eat the required amounts of the four basic food groups each day. My gosh, that is a ton of food lol and I stay within some basic ranges I have set for myself as far as calories, fats and carbs. Sometimes I am eating from the time I get up until the time I go to bed. No time to get hungry on the " Rennie Plan ". Second, I had gotten to the point I didn't even want to see myself. Hated to touch myself to get a shower. I am never going to feel that way about my body again. From time to time I do get a bit down that I don't see in the mirror what I want to see but everyone kicks me in the bum and I just move on.

SHAD~ I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT FRUITS. GOOD IDEA. GARLIC AND SOY SAUCE ARE ON THE LIST OF NO NO'S. (in fact chinese food as a whole is on the list. ) I LOVE BREADED CHICKEN AND AM THINKING OF GOING BACK TO THAT. UP AND DOWN THE LADDER! SISTERLY LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDS BUT IT'S FUNNY HOW THE BRAIN KEEPS RUNNING ON SOMETHING EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE! THANKS! SWEET DREAMS NOW

CARLA~ WHERE HAVEN'T YOU LIVED....I THINK YOU'RE PART GYPSY. NO WONDER YOU CAME TO THIS THREAD AND FOUND SHAD THE GYPSY. MAYBE THAT HONEY TONED LIGHT WILL MAKE ME LOOK BETTER AND YES CARLA, WINTER WILL COME TO AN END!!

HAPPY~ CARLA JUST REMINDED ME ABOUT THE DRAPES. I CRACKED UP AND HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT. JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE NOW DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CURTAINS UP TILL THEY ROT AND FALL OFF THE RODS!

RENNIE~ I LIKE FRUITS. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE 2 LBS.

I CANCELLED SHOPPING. BURNING EYES AND RAIN I DON'T MUCH FANCY GETTING WET 2 DAYS IN A ROW. THUNDERSTORM IS EXPECTED SO IT WOULD BE A GOOD DAY TO MELLOW OUT AND WATCH TV.
HAPPY TUESDAY!

Good Tuesday Morning, my lovely friends.........

Today is my post op check up, thank God, as I have this twistie feeling on my left side and I ache just under my shoulder blades. We will see.

Diyana - Bella was mud head to toe last night, thru her in the tub, she only snapped at me twice. hahaha I am so proud of you.

Mel...Looks like you can definitely lose weight, when you can't have anything you want. ;('

Gotta get going, I leave in 20 mins for doc.

Have a Terrific Tuesday.

Love and Hugs

Painter -Great positive attitude, Rock On.

Good morning chicks,

I am running behind and don't have much time today.

Annie- hope that twisty feeling is nothing more than occasional body "noises" and stuff

Carla - you little world traveler, you No wonder you don't have issues popping about here and there.

Michelle- I'm sure you can pass on the baklava - you're saving your points for that cream puff at the county fair, aren't you

Painter - hope you had a better day yesterday

Ceejay - did you get the bad storms up your way last night? Saw some red AND purple on the radar around Jonesboro. Hope you are ok.

Love your new avatar Mel. Stay warm and dry today

Rennie - congrats on earning another peep.

Shad - thanks for the marinade ideas. I had heard of papaya having the tenderizing properties but didn't know the kiwi had it too. I happen to have one in the fruit basket. Loved the Shad painting too!

Hello to busy Ruth, Madcat, Patt, Holly I gotta run now...

Painter~ exact same feelings here this weekend...DH helped me snap out of it, and I am back on track.

Don't have time for indies right now, but wanted to mention that I too know what to do...just doing it is the hard part. Yesterday was a good day, even tho I had to muscle thru a bad night. Went to the gym, finished the laudry and put it all up, and got the kitchen under control. Will aim for the gym this afternoon, and to vacuum the front room and the bed rooms. Think I will make spaghetti tonight...not sure yet tho.

Hugs to all...have to rest had another bad night.

Kalimera (good morning) ladies!

Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement! Last night, I went to the gym and did 1/2 hour of cardio and 1/2 hour of weights and abs. I told my trainer of my weight loss and he immediately took me over to the free weight rack and handed me a 20 pound dumbbell! He said, "This is how much weight you've lost! Congratulations!" No wonder I feel lighter and have more energy! My legs are a bit sore this morning, as is my back, but it's a good sore (I think). Today is my 13th wedding anniversary, and we were going to go out to dinner...but DH is pretty sick, so we'll go later in the week.

Mel - you sure are going through a lot. And while it seems silly that you're being put on the same treatment that hasn't worked in the past, I'm going to cross my fingers for you that this time it will work. That is a mighty strict diet. I hope it helps you. Shad suggested using salsas for flavor. I love doing that. I'll use a mild salsa full of tomatoes, onions and cilantro instead of salad dressing. I also love a nice corn, black bean, onion and cilantro salsa! Yummm. And black beans are SO good for you (which is a bonus)!
Hang in there, sweetie. You've got a lot to deal with, and you've got all of us to help you through it. You stay in on this stormy day, wrap yourself in a warm cozy blanket and relax.

Shad - That is an adorable picture of Shad sleeping. I wish I could paint. Oh well, we all have unique talents and someday I'll figure out what mine is! And I also love the backyard of our fixer upper! Pansies and geraniums -- two of my favorite flowers! As for greek salad...that sounds good...except for the feta cheese and olives - I'm not a big fan of either. But I'm sure there'll be plenty of other yummy and healthy food here in Athens. I do have a small veggie container garden. Actually, I usually plant 2 or 3 tomato plants and 2 or 3 cucumber plants (my two favorite veggies) in large pots in my backyard. They do wonderfully in containers! Since cucumbers are usually a spreading vine, I grow them vertically up tomato/pepper cages.

Carla - How fortunate you were to have been able to live in Greece. I've only been to two other countries - Canada and Hong Kong (back in 1980 when my father was transfered there with his work). I love traveling to see new places and experience new things!

Rennie - Lucky you...spending the weekend exercising with hubby. :wink: I follow an eating plan that might be similar to the "Rennie Plan". Now that I'm eating the recommended portions of healthy foods and doing a better job of balancing carbs with protein, I feel like I'm eating a ton of food, and I eat small meals/snacks every 2 to 3 hours. I'm not feeling deprived at all. Before when I tried dieting, I always felt like "Oh what's the harm in cheating a little, I can always get back on track", and of course I never did. Now, I think of the real damage "filler" food (aka junk food) can do to my body, and I'm not even tempted to indulge. It's just not worth it.

Annie - Good luck with your doc appt! There's a woman who works at my gym who had WL surgery (not sure what kind). She says she's got a small "pouch" for a stomach now. She had her surgery 3 years ago and has lost over 200 lbs. She looks great and she says she feels wonderful and very healthy. I've got to hand it to anyone who does the surgery...it must take a lot of courage. I'm don't think I have that kind of courage. I got a chuckle when you mentioned how Bella was covered in mud and let you know she didn't like her bath! My dogs hate baths too. They don't snap, but it takes all my strength just to keep them in the tub!

Happy - Cream puff at State Fair? Tempting, but I'm not sure - it'll depend on how well my weight and my BS (blood sugar - not the other BS) are doing in August. I was thinking the other day that as summer gets here, the frozen custard will be a lot more tempting. You've had frozen custard, haven't you Happy? For those who haven't, it's like ice cream, but SO much smoother, creamier, richer and more fattening. Can someone please hand me a towel? Excessive drooling has caused quite a mess!

Ellen - sorry that you had a bad night. I hope you can have a relaxing day today.

Patty and Madcat - It's great to have you back!

Ruth, Holly and anyone I may have missed, I hope you are doing well!


Terrific Tuesday to us all!

Hugs,

Doc appt went well, just healing, muscle spasms and colon spasms, nothing to worry about.

Happy Anniversary Michelle!!