Worldly Chicks adamantly abstaining and active in Athens for April
 

Well here we are. It's not quite April yet - even here, but I'm on my way to bed and there didn't seem to be a better time - even if Ruth is up and at 'em already - must be the accountant in her - everything is accounted for by the end of the month!

Wasn't too impressed by the building we got this time. Doesn't look so hot from the outside! Bit of a fixer upper if you ask me. It's only about 400 years old too! Don't make em like they used to!!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../Athens2-2.jpg

But the view is great. Take a look out the window. Don't think I would stand on the balconey if I were you. Let me get it checked out first.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../Athens1-2.jpg

Athens - have fun. We've a lot to achieve this month.

I don't know ladies - all this talk of home renovations last month and she goes and gets us a "fixer upper" building. Think there's any relation to that? ;) :dunno:

Anyway, I agree - the view is spectacular. I have always said I'd live in a trashbag and cardboard box if only I could live on the beach, listening to the surf.

Thanks for getting us here Shad. It's going to be a good month for all of us. I can just feel it.

The floor people are coming this afternoon to take up the old floor. I sure hope that they ordered the new one :lol: The new front door is at the store waiting for pick up and in true fashion with the service down here, we have not heard a peep from the man who is supposed to install it. I told DH I did not want the floor ripped out for weeks on end. He stopped at the store yesterday to see what is going on as they are the ones who subcontract installation but the main guy wasn't there. Would also like to get this done before rainy season gets here - and it seems like it's on the doorstep - to minimize tracking yuck throughout the house.

We must be getting more weather as I have a big headache this morning and am feeling poorly. Didn't sleep well either. It's like you're on the verge of coming down with something.

DH bless his heart - decided to come with me to the shelter yesterday. Mind you it was a rainy day and all the cats were passed out. Some of them were lying entwined with one another - it was so cute. They all woke up when we walked in - something to entertain them I suppose. We cleaned and swept and petted and played. I think they enjoyed it.

And now it's time to get to work and earn some money for all I spent this weekend.

Happy Monday ladies - enjoy the Greek Isles - no uzo (sp?) until this afternoon :lol:

Good morning ladies -

Or should I say Uuumpah (sp?) ! Thanks, Shad, for the gorgeous photo of the Acropolis! I'm not familiar with greek food, except for baklava - please chickies don't let me even start eating that! :nono: I won't be able to stop.

Sorry about not checking in over the weekend. Just enjoying the last couple days on the beach in Maui. Actually, I started feeling a bit under the weather Saturday afternoon, nothing serious and I'm feeling fine now. I think I just needed a weekend of R&R, except for the occasional load of laundry! :lol: I did get a great workout on Friday! 45 minutes of cardio and 1/2 hour weights. I love how energized I feel after a great workout!! I had a really good scale this am. :goodscale: I'm down another 2.5 pounds, for a total of 20.5!!

CeeJay - So nice that you had a pleasant visit with your sister and her family! And you get to see her in a month or so! That's wonderful!

Rennie - I just love living out in the country. I live in a small subdivision, but just at the end of my street is a dairy farm and about a mile down the road is a horse ranch. Lots of family farmers around me. But we're only 5 minutes from grocery stores, hardware stores and even a couple department stores. Have to drive 1/2 hour to get to a mall though. But that's okay. I've got everything I really need very close by.

Shad - Kitties just don't like to take pills. No way, no how. I hope she'll be done with her antibiotics soon. Shad, I agree with you about getting to the gym. It's something that I have to do. I don't always enjoy the exercising while I'm doing it, but I really like how I feel afterwards! And I'm really enjoying the results - both in terms of weight and blood sugar! That's so awesome that you are now in a size 12 from a size 18! :congratulations: Exercise really does take off the inches. I can definitely see the difference in how I look, and while I am still quite fat/overweight, I am looking better than I used to. Thank you SO much for all the great info about the Barrier Reef and for the photo! What a marvelous place! Are there any fishes or salties out by the Reef that like to nibble on humans? While I don't fancy being a meal or even a snack, but still I hope that DH and I can get there one of these years. Would you mind PMing me Patty's phone number, please? I'd love to give her a call. Thanks! As for going green and organic, Aus, NZ, Canada and so many other parts of the world seem to be doing much better and embracing it more than the US. I agree with Happy that the USofA seems more like the USofG - US of Greed.

Mel - Glad the eyes are doing a little better. I hope your eye doc appt. goes well. :hug:

Patty - I'm so glad you're back! I've missed you! I know you've had a very rough month. I hope you're doing better and I look forward to hanging out with you in Athens!

Happy - You had a rainy weekend and we're getting our rain today and tomorrow. Up to 3 inches. There are worries about flooding near rivers. Hopefully there won't be any damage like down south has experienced. I hear ya' on all the yard work to be done. I don't even want to think about that. I've still got a bunch of inside work to do. I had hoped to get some stuff done this weekend, but just didn't feel very good, so nothing much got done. New door, new floor and new glasses?! Definitely spending the bankroll! Are you working from home while your contractors are doing the floor? That would be great! Maybe noisy, but at least you are there if they have questions or something. Hey Happy, maybe you and your DH could start a hippie astronomy commune. And me and my DH will come join ya'! What d'ya' think? Please post photos of your flowers when they bloom. I think we're a month or two before anything starts blooming here. I've fallen a little behind on my 100 Days...just the writing, not the reading. I'm sticking so closely to eating foods that are OP that I'm not eating much filler...though I am much more aware whether I'm eating out of emotional or physical hunger. I'm also reading Linda's other book "Life is Easy; Food is Hard", which I would highly recommend. It really delves deeper into emotional eating. Good for you for keeping up with the volunteering at the Humane Society, and good for your DH for joining you! I'm sure the kitties really appreciate your love, your care and your dedication to them. :) I totally commend you for getting into Flylady. I found that really hard to stick with, but maybe once I get my house in shape for my MIL's visit I'll be able to keep it up using Flylady. Although in my straightening and organizing, I cleaned up a major hot spot last weekend and it has stayed clean for a week! :woohoo:

Ruth - Glad you enjoyed your quilting class. My stepmother makes lovely quilts. She even made me and my sister each a quilt out of or father's ties after he passed away. It's a lovely and interesting piece of art and a precious heirloom for us. I'd love to see photos of your quilts. My stepmother has been encouraging me to try quilting, but I haven't found the time yet. Maybe after I get done spring cleaning, which I hope to finish before next winter! :rofl: I think it's great that you're going to check out the program Holly is doing. I've learned that everyone needs to find a program/philosophy that resonates with them. We're all individuals and certainly programs are not one size fits all! :lol:

Carla - Glad you had a nice stay in Victoria and that your job went well.

Holly - I had a good chuckle when you said your DH didn't turn off the hockey game. Good for you on doing so well on your program and doing lots of journaling!

A big Hi :wave: to anyone I may have missed.

Here's to a great week for all of us!

Hidee Hooo Girlie Girls...........

Hmmm, missed my flight to Athens and had to go stand-by, which was quite all right as I sat next to the hunkiest hunk and fantasized the entire flight. ;^) I can dream...

Shad...I know what you mean about animals that don't cooperate and bite and claw at you. We call our Jack Russel HELLA DOG. I did give her a bath over the weekend and she only snapped once.

Ruthie...wish I lived close, I love quilts and would love to learn how.

Happy...it is rainy and damp here, however it is SUPPOSED to get to 60 degrees today. Come on sun.

Carla....Nothing like Re-grouping after a trip. Takes me days to get back in the routine.

Diyana - Goddess of Exercise...stay away from the baklava, besides it has ants all over it.

Holly....glad you are getting to write, I know you love that, and are so good at it.

Hello to everyone I missed too!!

It was a lovely weekend. Spend Saturday cleaning up yard of trash and dog do do. There is the cutes 3 mo old boxer that moved in next door. Brown and white, named Lilly. Bella, the hella dog ran up and down the fence with her for about 4 hours on Saturday then came in a passed out. Hella Dog is 8 yrs old but thinks and acts like she is a puppy.

Saw the move "Drillbit Taylor" w/Owen Wilson. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Some people were laughing, I only broke a small smile here and there. It is definitely a rental movie. Thank the Lord we went to the 5 buck before noon movie to see it.

Spent yesterday afternoon with my momma and poppa. 78 & 80 respectively. We (DS & DD) played cards with them till everyone got to arguing. I just laughed at them all, it was so dang funny to me. DD accused Dad of cheating, so hilarious. He wasn't and DD was just teasing him.

Went to bed at 9, woke up at 2:30, couldn't sleep so watched 2 episodes of MASH and 1 episode of Beverly Hillbillies before I could get back to sleep then alarm went off at 5. I could sleep then. Hit the snooze like no other.

Well, it is lunch time, gotta go do some errands. Have a Marvelous Monday Ladies.

Love and Hugs

Just stopping in for a quick whine... (And so Shad, Mel, Ruth or anybody can give me a smack where it counts).
WHY does a @#$%ing number make so much difference to me?
I knew I was fat before I got on the scale this morning. But the number was up almost 10 pounds... which, of course explains why I'm not feeling BETTER as far as lets and joint pain goes... but aside from that.... why does the numerical change make me think I should go stand in front of a bus?
No I'm not going to DO that... but the mental pain of thinking that is just as bad as the other.

DH asked me yesterday, in jest (after I cussed out a TV ad for lap band surgery -- the speaker seemed smug and it made me mad) "You think you might have an issue about your weight?"

Well, D'oh.
Cripes. Tearfully -- and back to "anorexic thinking" i.e., don't deserve to eat.

Sorry to scare those of you who know my chosen profession. All I can say, I guess is that it takes one to know one.

But here's a painting I did (more of a self portrait than you might know)... when I had more self acceptance on board.http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2124/...983bb8c7_o.jpg

Off to the line at the post office.

Darlings... just a check in to let you know that I didn't miss the flight to Athens, but they did seem to have misplaced my luggage.

I am going to try to make it here a bit more often and I'm also thinking of going back to journal again. I was once a success story and now I'm just another "Beautiful Loser" (thanks to Leonard Cohen for the term), actually I would be happy if I was a beautiful loser. But I seem to be a beautiful “think about it but never actually lose any weight –er” these days. It’s so stupid. I know what to do; I just, well, I’m not doing it.

Painter, there is no black and white thinking here within breathing distance of the Parthenon. See how the golden light warms the ancient marble? Socrates and Plato tread across these floors and here we can celebrate not only the body but the mind as well. I know what you mean and though I’ll say “It’s just a number” doesn’t mean that I don’t understand the urge to go stand in front of a bus myself on occasion. Just remember that you are more than just a number on a scale. Courage woman! No one who can paint like that should feel bad about themselves.

Thought I would pop in and say hello. Sorry I haven't been around the last couple of days. Have had a busy weekend taking down winter drapes and putting up summer curtains. It is amazing how long that takes not that it is that much work.

Chat later

Oh Rennie....I NEVER take down winter drapes and put up summer curtains. It is the same drapes/curtains till they get replaced. hahaha

Painter...give yourself a break. Altho the picture made me laugh. You do NOT look like that, get back in the truck and get focused. Extra Hugs to you, my friend.

Love and Hugs

Well sure Rennie - the idea of just swapping curtains seems like no big deal except it involves 1)finding the step stool, 2)up the stool, take down winter curtains 3), down the stool, grab dust cloth and window cleaner. 4) up the stool, wipe woodwork and clean glass. 5) down the stool, go back and get the paper towels 6) up the stool, see dust bunnies on high woodwork and fan, decide to get the duster thingee on the stick. 7) down the stool, pick up duster thing and more window cleaner and towels. 8) up the stool, clean windows. 9)down the stool, see streaks on windows, decide to try to clean them with newsprint. 10) go find old newspapers 11)up the stool, clean windows with newspaper 12) down the stool - still streaks, go get vinegar water. 13) Windows finally clean, down the stool and get the new curtains. 14) up the stool, hang them. 15) down the stool, admire work. 16) look at curtains with cocked head, decide they need some pressing. 17) up the stool, grab curtains, wonder where the iron and ironing board is. 18) down the stool, grab ironing board, plug in iron. 19) iron curtains, back up the stool to hang them again. 20) down again, decide they don't look "crisp enough", pull them back down, add water to iron for steam (unplug iron FIRST). 21) give them the once over, hang again. 22) admire your handiwork and realize that you hung one of them outside in on the curtain rod :mad: 23) FINALLY get it right. By now it's 3 hours later, you're exhausted and you're wondering why :lol: Chalk it up to a good workout!

Madcat - great to see you again. :hug: Journal as in journal your food or journal as in 3FC journal? Either way, like it or not it's pretty obvious to me that you have to write stuff down and do the dreaded planning if you are going to be successful. Or at least then you know why you did have a problem.

Painter - that's quite an interesting painting. I am strangely fascinated by the belly button. :) Good job. And I'm sorry the scale was unkind but!!!! you need to follow the Bob Greene thing. Weigh once and then put the silly thing in the bottom of DH's car trunk. Then get your notebook out and plan your meals. Very thoroughly plan your meals with healthy things in good portions as well as working out some occasional treats. Your objective should be to just get this day right. Don't worry about tomorrow at this point. Just today you're going to eat what you planned. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 healthy small snacks. If eating out is a temptation then for this week, make a vow to yourself that you won't eat out. Each time you are about to put something in your mouth - ask yourself - can I make a better choice than this? If the answer is yes, then do it. If the answer is yes I can but I doan wanna, then put yourself in timeout for 15 minutes and try again later. We all know that we give the scale too much power and there is this permission / failure thing that we have going on that says when we fail, we give ourselves the authorization to get mad, be bad and get all pouty over it.

I promise that if you do this for just 1 week, I will do it right along with you. Ok? :hug:

Annie - Do you have Michael's craft stores out your way? They give classes all the time. Might be able to pick up some quilting tips there. I've also seem them as special education/community education offerings. Maybe there's one close by right around the corner. I agree with you - the quilts are gorgeous and I always admire them when I see them in stores and craft shows.

Michelle - got a laugh out of your comment of finishing the spring cleaning before next winter :lol: I can sooooo relate to that! And :congrat: to you on 20 pounds down - WOWIE KAZOWIE - that is fabulous :celebrate: take a bow girl!

Ok, lunch break is over - back to work for me too. :wave:

Thanks Happy, and we do have Michaels here. I would also love to take knitting lessons. I can crochet, but not knit.

happy
I feel so much better now with that great workout I got and I didn't even know it lol.

Annie
Mother never did either. I think when I left home the same set of curtains was still on the window from when I was 8 years old lol.

Painter
I happen to like your painting.

happy
I feel so much better now with that great workout I got and I didn't even know it lol. I have not cleaned windows yet, it isn't warm enough to pull them out and clean them and then put them back in yet but I did get all the wood work done.

Annie
Mother never did either. I think when I left home the same set of curtains was still on the window from when I was 8 years old lol.

Painter
I happen to like your painting.

Hey ladies --

Super duper quick check in before I leave for the gym.

Annie - Bella sounds like quite a handful and a lot of fun! Just like Bella ran along the fence with Lilly, my 3 Miniature Schnauzers run along the fence with our neighbor's dachshund. They have a blast! Thanks for the warning about the ants on the Baklava! :lol: I would love to learn how to quilt, crochet and knit. I love crafts - I just don't know how to do many of them. :rofl: I wish you lived closer, and you could teach me how to crochet! :)

Painter - As the other chickies have said, don't give the scale that much power. :hug: I step on the scale only as a guideline. If it's up - I see if it's TOM, or what other reasons (too much salt, etc.) or do I need to watch portions more closely. If you are doing all the right things...planning healthy meals and snacks and sticking to eating them, then you know you're doing right by yourself. We just gotta keep doing the best we can for ourselves, and make better choices when we can. Please don't be so hard on yourself. To paraphrase Madcat, no one who is so talented should feel bad about themself.

Madcat - Welcome back! It's really easy to know what to do - I've known what I needed to do for years. Finally, I just started doing - of course, it took my doc telling me that I now have a disease which can't be cured but can only be controlled (and I'm hoping to do that without meds).

Rennie - I'm with Annie...same curtains year round! So you got way more exercise than me this weekend.

Happy - Thanks for the kind words. I had set a goal of being down 20 before I see the doc on 4/18; now I'm hoping for 25. Either way....I think he'll see from my weight, blood sugar and (hopefully) lower cholesterol that I'm taking this seriously and I WILL get healthy. :)

Well, gotta get to the gym!

:grouphug:

Forgot to mention...

Painter - I love your painting. It's gorgeous. It reminds me of the Goddess Venus of Willendorf (one of the earliest ancient Goddess images that archaeologists have found). She was back in the day when being a little curvy was a good thing. So chickies....take a look at the pic below of Venus of Willendorf. Do you have the body of a Goddess! I know I do!! :goodvibes:

Maybe I should change my avatar to Willendorf!
Thanks for "listening", y'all. I stayed "on plan" and am off to see late in the day clients. I guess I'll live.

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!! :rofl: :rofl:

I READ EVERYONE'S POSTS AND EVEN CONGRATULATE MICHELLE ON HER LOSING YET MORE WEIGHT!! WELL DONE HONEY! :encore: 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!?!? :tantrum: :faint: 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! :lol3: :lol3: 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! :rofl: 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!!!!!!!!! :lol3: :lol3: 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!!! :dance:

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.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...pingdogs-1.jpg

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.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...nada-spain.jpg
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 - :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :tantrum: 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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cry:

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!!!!:belly:

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. :rofl: 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. :hug:

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. :bravo:

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

:wave: 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! :yikes: SISTERLY LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDS :love: BUT IT'S FUNNY HOW THE BRAIN KEEPS RUNNING ON SOMETHING EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE! THANKS! SWEET DREAMS NOW :cloud9:

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 :belly: AND YES CARLA, WINTER WILL COME TO AN END!! :sunny:

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! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

RENNIE~ I LIKE FRUITS. :hun: AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE 2 LBS. :cheer2:

I CANCELLED SHOPPING. BURNING EYES AND RAIN :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! :moped:

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 :hug:

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

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 :lol:

Painter - hope you had a better day yesterday :hug:

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 :hug:

Rennie - congrats on earning another peep. :cheer:

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. :chicken: Loved the Shad painting too!

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

Painter~:hug: 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. :drool: And black beans are SO good for you (which is a bonus)!
:hug: Hang in there, sweetie. You've got a lot to deal with, and you've got all of us to help you through it. :grouphug: 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! :rofl: 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! :hug: 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! :lol: 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) :rofl: 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. :drool: Can someone please hand me a towel? Excessive drooling has caused quite a mess! :lol3:

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!!

7 Small Steps to a Healthy You
By Sally Hammond

You look in the mirror one day and everything is wrong. Your hair, your teeth, your skin, your shape. Especially your shape.

So you write a long list, and you make a pact with yourself that tomorrow you'll start a new whiz-bang weight-loss and life-changing plan. According to your calculations, you will be trim, taut and irresistible in three months.

Three weeks down the road, things are worse. What went wrong? Basically, you fell victim to the "END" (Everything Now Dilemma).

With END you have so much on your mind at once that you get confused, you forget a thing or two, you get rattled and then you give up. When you take one thing at a time, your chances for success get much better. Here's a seven-step plan that will help you to take it day by day.

This is as simple as the days of the week because that's how it works: seven days, seven steps. Each day you add one thing, so that by the end of the week you are juggling seven balls without dropping one. Here's how:

Monday
Back to work or school. Resolve that all you will do differently today will be to make sure to eat two or more pieces of fresh fruit. Any time, any way.

Tuesday
Today you will set some goals. Plan where you would like to be by the end of the month, then the end of the year—both in your private and personal lives. Write these goals in your diary or stick them where you'll see them.

Wednesday
Water day. Eat that fruit, keep your goals in mind and drink six or more glasses of water. Add variety with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Or sip on herbal tea if you prefer.

Thursday
Add in some exercise. Go for a (20- to 30-minute) walk. Walk in the park, around your neighborhood or head for the mall and do some fast-paced window shopping...but don't forget the fruit, the water and to review your goals.

Friday
Fruit, walk, water, goals ... it's getting easier. So this is the day you give your diet a spring cleaning. Eliminate foods that are not helping you stay trim and healthy. You know what they are.

Saturday
Pay day. Well done! You're still drinking plenty of water, including fresh fruit in your diet, exercising, eating well and generally staying on track with your life. Spoil yourself with a special treat. Go on, you deserve it. Have some frozen yogurt for dessert, take in that new movie, or plan a weekend away.

Sunday
Traditionally a day of rest. And you can rest, too, since relaxation is key to maintaining control over your new healthy regimen. Take time to lie in a hammock and gaze at the clouds. Put on a facial mask, take a long, luxurious bubble bath, read a book or play with your pet.

Now that wasn't so hard, was it? By the end of just one week you are happier, brighter, healthier and ready to keep going—because you know it takes just three weeks to create a habit..................
Except you will have created SEVEN by then :cheer2:

http://www.123glitter.com/anniversary/2.gif

MICHELLE~ HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. YOU ARE REALLY DOING SO WELL!! :encore: HOPE THE HUBBY FEELS BETTER. GOOD FOR YOUR TRAINER! HE SOUNDS GREAT!! YOU DESERVE TO BE REMINDED OF HOW WELL YOU'RE DOING!!

ANNIE~ I AM GLAD IT'S SPASMS BUT THEY CAN'T BE FUN EITHER!! GET WELL SOON :hug: BY THE TIME I CUT OUT ALL THE BAD FOODS, I SHOULD BE 100 LBS!!! :dance:

HAPPY~ STAY CALM :yoga:

ELLEN~ SPAGHETTI!! :hun: WHEN IS DINNER? I'M LEAVING NOW!!! :scooter: HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER TOO! :hug:

Annie - I'm so glad that the doctor appt went well! :) I hope the spasms subside and you feel better soon. Thanks for the anniversary wishes!

Mel - Thanks for the anniversary wishes! Thanks also for the 7 Small Steps. My trainer is really great. He's very supportive and motivating. And at the Y that I go to, they provide their trainers (they call them "coaches") for free!

di
It really does work for me. I eat all the darn time. The only problem I have found with this way of eating is that I HAVE to make sure I take something with me when I go shopping. Generally I am out 4 to 6 hours food shopping and such. If I go more than a couple of hours without eating I start to feel yucky and after 3 hours I start to get a headache. Make sure you take something with you if you aren't going to be home. Even the reduced fat townhouse crackers work to keep things going until you can get home to eat. I am dedicated lol I get my exercise anyway I can hahaha.

Annie
Glad to hear the doc had good news for you.

Michelle
Happy Anniversary

Happy
I am going to have enough there to start a volley ball team by summer lol.

Melody
I am defiantly the tortoise and not the rabbit lol. I will get there but it is going to take time.

Happy Poisson d’avril day! (In the French-speaking world people stick little paper fish cutouts on other people’s backs on April 1. No idea why, but here's a fishy angel for all the worldlies…)

Stopping by to say hello.

Mel-Like the 7 steps.

Morning all

Thank you Carla for the blessing of the angel fish. To get a meaning for the day, I went to my source of inspiration (Google) and found the following:

Poisson d'Avril
01 April
Why do you have a fish on your back?
April Fools Day celebrations in France demonstrate the uniquely absurdist French sense of humour. It's customary to give your friends little chocolate fish. The classic April Fools Day prank is to stick a paper fish on someone's back. The unfortunate victim is then taunted with the phrase "Poisson d'Avril", or "April Fish".
Where did the celebration come from?
In late March the Romans honored the resurrection of Attis, son of the Great Mother Cybele, with the Hilaria celebration. This involved rejoicing and the donning of disguises. Hilaria means joyful celebration, and it is a word that has passed down to the English in the word hilarious, so these cheerful springtime celebrations have been with us for some time.
Where did the practical jokes originate?
A modern theory goes like this: In 1582 France became the first country to switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar established by the Council of Trent (1563). The New Year was moved from the end of March to January the 1st. Those who were unaware or disregarded the change and continued to celebrate the New Year between March 25th (Lady Day in England), and April the 1st, became the butt of various jokes.
But what about the fish???
This may have origins in the abundance of fish found in French rivers during early April after the young fish had just hatched. Much like March hares have a reputation for being mad, these Poisson d'Avril had a reputation for stupidity, being easy to fool with a hook and lure, so it was illegal to fish them. It may have become customary to fool people in celebration of the abundance of foolish fish.
So now you are all suitably educated.

Off to do some shopping shortly. I'm almost out of vegies and fruit so have sort of made a menu for the week and will shop for that. DS2 needs some snacks and things so better oblige there as well.
Need to get a new bathmat as well. I did buy one the other day but the DS2 stepped all over it with his dirty feet and now it needs a wash. So I figure if I have two or three of them then I can swap them about and keep the tootsies warm after my shower.

Annie - hope you feel better soon.

Happy - don't get back on the merry-go-round and move so fast. What gets done, gets done. You sounded much better yesterday. It's not my painting of the Shad. I got it off the internet and it just looks so much like the shadster who used to do strange things like curl up on chairs or stretch out on beds - and the guilty look on his face when discovered was hilarious. Wish I could paint like that but unfortunately all my painting is done from ladders and scaffolding, and no my second name is not Michaelangelo and my ceiling looks nothing like the Cistine Chapel.

Michelle - Happy Anniversary.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...niversary3.jpg

Also :congrat: on the weight loss. Anytime you want to have a look at what 20.5lb of fat looks like, go to the supermarket and pile up the amount in pounds of butter. You'd be surprised at how good you feel about it. Mind you all the shoppers will probably look sideways at you but most people are good if you tell them what you are doing and look happy about it. Rennie should try it too.
Painting pictures is not my talent either. That wasn't done by me. I can't take the credit. Wish I could.

Well I better get on with it. The man from BHPB just rung to say the project is going ahead in Jakarta and he still has me on top of the list. He will be back to me in a day or so. Wish me luck. This job will not only swell the bank balance, it will swell the frequent flyers points (watch out you lot, I might be back) and give me more status in this company which means more work. I'm off to shop.

Here's a little Greek recipe that may be Mel-friendly. It's usually used as a sauce or a dip for meatballs or any grilled meats or vegetables.

Tzatziki (cucumber dip)
1 med cuke, peeled and chopped (English cukes work better)
1/2 pint plain yoghurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped dill or mint
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp vinegar

Combine all ingredients; chill at least an hour to blend flavours.

When I've made this, I find it tastes best with the heavier Greek yoghurt. Also, for a thicker tzatziki, it's a good idea to drain the yoghurt overnight, and also to drain the chopped cuke. I don't think the vinegar or garlic is absolutely essential, and I've never put dill in it.

Tomorrow: Keftethakia. But for now, it's time to turn on the idiot box and head off to Australia with the Biggest Loser.

Yay I made it back here!!! Not doing too bad on this end...should have tried to exercise, but these nights have caught me off guard. Will continue regaining my routine in the morning and head off straight away.

Michelle~I always use something familliar to gauge how much I have lost...at my peak I had lost the same as one of my children! I know what 1 pound of lard looks like, and so I am happy when I lose one!

Annie~Glad you are doing well...take care and mind what your body tells you!

Mel~ loved your 7 steps...esp the day of rest! I did make spaghetti, but have very few leftovers...one of my small changes. BEen married for 7 years and I still cook like I am at home with three brothers and two sisters!!!! Have to moderate some things!!! otherwise DH and I both eat too much!

Rennie~I am trying to adopt that outlook! Need to make what I am eating healthy, and then eat every few hours...still pluggin' along like the little engine that could!!!

Carla~right back at you!!! Hope you didn't have any fish stuck to your back today! Oh, I think the mint would be so much better than the dill!!! the recipe sounds delish!!!

Ceejay~ :wave:

Shad~thanks for the education! enjoy those fruits and veggi's I am so looking forward to summer to get some fresh veggi's! So hard to find any cheap at this time of year...mostly frozen for now. :(

:wave: and :hug: to everyone else!!!

have to get my boo-tay in bed!!! stayed up way to late posting! Have a happy Wednesday all!

upswife
You know it took that little engine time to get where it wanted to go but it got there lol.