OOF! Two lbs up! It killed me to change my ticker, but in the interest of complete honesty and full disclosure, change it I did! Will be changing again next week, (down!) for sure!

I will place the blame, squarely, on PMS for the increase, thank you. Not excusing myself at all, there are alternatives to eating too much and exercising too little! Just need to reverse that equation and all will be fine.

Andria, I'm glad you've gotten yourself looked at and taken care of. Gotta get yourself right before you can really move forward!

wsw... Feel better and come back when you're up to it! We've missed you too! Your royal suite is always there, waiting for you!
PS...Congrats on maintaining, despite difficulties!

Anagram...I always loved my MIL's Camry, swore my next car will be one! Am getting closer to that point, seeing as my ride is now 12 years old! (still going strong, though!)

Arabella... I know only too well the feelings of frustration that can turn into cleaning off other people's plates! I'm glad you found your way back on track!

Kaylets, I'm hoping there was a full recovery and you're enjoying your trip!

Okay, I gotta get the bod outside and plant my tree...a Japanese Lace Leaf. Very pretty. Also bought some Mountain Pinks (I've always wanted these!) and some pansies, just because...

Well...they're not getting planted with me sitting here, clacking away at the keys! Have a great Sunday, all!

Well, after I got my **** together on Friday I let it go again big time and it got uggg-leee. Are you familiar with the concept of "binging?" Long time since I'd done anything like that and it was not fun nor pretty. But there you have it. Anyway, I recovered and have been doing well ever since. Even to the point of limiting my portion size which was something I'd been struggling with (only not hard enough.)

Kat, I bet those pounds are temporary (prolly gone already!) I swear, despite having TOM no longer, I still have all the usual symptoms sometimes. And that's besides the hot flashes!

I love the sound of your mother's day planties! BTW, there's a tree I've been trying to identify with feathery chartreuse leaves -- any idea?

Andria, glad to hear you're breathing easier. You're right -- you've got to do what you've got to do. Breathing absolutely comes first And you'll probably find as the weight comes off that it gets better. I've heard of a number of people whose bronchitis went away when they lost weight. Same as my knees and feet, energy level and general state of being would be better with the weight off. On we go!

WSW Take good care of yourself, Sweetie!

K, I'd better get back to work. Heigh-ho...

Quick check in again! Don't know what's up with me lately- always rushing. Long weekend with DD again. Med problems (his&Hers) causing much stress there which added onto my stress. NOT going this weekend as previously planned (DS coming up and taking me out instead) so that should be restful before I head down again the following weekend.

Going off to dr. soon and know I'll be up. Stress eating, binging all! Again, mostly at night when tired.

Weather's been great though and I've walked a time or two and worked in yard which is looking pretty nice at the moment. Put in marigolds (all yellow), impatiens, something else which escapes me at the moment. Hosed off patio of P/C and plan to spend some time there today after doctor and shopping.

Feeling pretty decent since the weather's good and I have a doctor appointment. Never fails - appointments are never when you need them.

Anyway, love to all lovelies and I'll be back sooner. Catchup after long weekends away becomes tedious sometimes.

Anagram! We simulposted.

OH, what a glorious day! If every day could be like this, I'd be in heaven! Warm, breezy...just delightful! My honey bought me "part 2" of my Mother's Day gift... a new (long handled) spade! (as requested!) Nothin's gonna stop me now!

Arabella... I am painfully familiar with the dreaded binge! Amazing how easily and quickly the downhill slide takes hold and how much harder it is to shake yourself free of it's clutches! :grr: I'm glad to hear that you have though! BTW, that tree description sounds like a Laceleaf... mine is more of a maroon in color though. Very pretty. http://www.worldplants.com/mapleintro.htm Here's a picture... (hopefully the link will work)

Anagram, I was at a friend's house the other day, she had just bought it from her parents, her father is an avid gardener. When we went into the back yard, I exclaimed, "Oh! You have a Patio of Peace and Tranquility!" She looked at me like... "?" She wasn't as impressed as I was. It made me think of you, though!

Andria...I'll be happy to point you and anyone else, (myself included!) anytime, to these extremely wise words:
...reaching a balance means being happy with where I am, not where I might be or could have been. How true, how true. I hope that you are feeling better and breathing easier and finding your balance.

wsw... I hope this finds you feeling better, too. Congrats on maintaining, despite not feeling so great! Come back soon, we miss you too!

Kaylets... Hoping your trip is going well...

Ceara...hey, girl! Miss you too!

Okay...all is well here on the diet front...I did indeed lose those two lbs, can't officially change the ticker til Sunday, though. Hopefully by then there will be two more gone!

I'm heading back outside, kids. Enjoy what's left of your Wednesday!

Ack! It has been days since I've made my presence known in the palace! Sorry about that. DH is on wards for the next two months, and that means 4:30 wake ups again. I'm so exhausted. The good news is that starting July 1, he will be out of his intern year, and there will be no more super early mornings! He will also get two days off a week. This is a good thing.
The main reason I haven't been around is that I still feel lousy, and I'm more inclined to whine about it than not. I guess I still believe in "magic pills" to get the job done and immediately. Everything I've been doing (shots, pills, breathing treatments, two inhalers) is helping, but my ticklish lungs are going to take time to heal back up. I know this. I'm just not that patient kind of girl. Not unlike healing my body from all this weight I've gained over the years, I want my lungs healed right now! On the up side of things though, I get to knock out one of the steroids today. It has been hard work controlling my appetite the last few days with this pill, and I'm grateful to be able to put it aside. Still, my breathing improved a lot while taking it. I can at least get to the top of our stairs without stopping three or four times.
I've got to run get ready for work; no time for replies right now. Please know that my thoughts are with all of you, struggling or not. *HUGS*

Andria

kat - that was always my fave M/D gift. A trip for the annuals and whatever new piece of equipment I thought I might need. Took me a while to come up with that plan but DH greeted it with great enthusiasm (a load off his shoulders) and soon somehow thought it had been his own idea (that happened a lot, I remember).

Andria, so glad your regimen is at least helping. Not being able to breathe easily is a big bummer. I too dread my occasional rounds of prednisone as I fear the wt consequences. However, I did ok the last two times - then I went to Binge City for a while the beginning of the year and just have not been able to get it together for more than a short period of time.

wsw, my friend of the dainty portions, we think of you also - posting or not. Sometimes maybe more when not posting because then I know things are going touch for you. Hugs.

Dr. visit ok yesterday but wt was up, not unexpectedly. Back to territory I haven't seen in 5 years or so - or almost there. I recall all this nonsense starting in January after I had held even over the holidays and all that. Then I eventually started taking stock, joining the singles/widowed/divorced group for dinners, etc, moving toward settlement on lawsuit, generally reworking parts of my life.

Now it's time to get the wt gain behind me before it accelerates or worse. My new insurance plan will cover some Wt. Watchers and gym stuff so I must get to work on some decisions there. Amazing how motivating it is to have stuff more or less "free". (Since I pay mightily for the insurance, it should be viewed more as "getting my money's worth" - I'm usually good at that.)

Have managed some walkies - never quite able to get it back after the foot surgery last year. Still postponing water workouts until shoulder feels totally ready - I thought it was until I did some light raking. Ha! But soon.

Rainy here this a.m. = not much yet. Ready for that too. Love the Patio of P/T story Only a would understand! I blew and hosed it yesterday a.m. and the pin oak took that as a signal to start dropping pollen. I was amazed four hours later to see how unhabitable it had become. Won't do it today, for sure, or tomorrow but maybe Saturday. Putting the potted flowers around made it look better, pollen or no.

When I sell my house, it must be for sale at this time of year. With the pink dogwood, candytuft, pink tulips, pink/red azaleas, etc. all blooming out front, it does paint a pretty picture. I've put in yellow marigolds this year to take over when the pink/white fades. They'll go well with the day lilies and should work with the burgandy mums if they last until fall. Also have a few coleus and impatiens scattered out front. The P/P/T is mostly impatiens as there is just so much shade. Am anxious to see how/if my butterfly performs.

Missing Ceara ;(

Off to the shower - a luncheon today. Improving my social life (such as it is) works counter to jumping on the wagon but then (insert kat's wise words about balance here).

Posting makes me feel more in balance!

What a joy SPRING is!

I would love to drop 10 pounds til then.... I will put my mind to it and know deep down that I can make it happen.

Hi, there, WhoI...

Welcome - yes, you can/will.

Rainy this morning - not as much as predicted thankfully. Steady, soaking.

Feeling quite lazy too. Only two things on agenda - all else "discretionary" - just the kind of day I've been needing.

So ly greetings to all Palace Persons. Am trying to catch the wagon as it rolls by.

I can actually see a wee ray of sun trying to shine through the clouds! Well, everything has been thoroughly watered, at any rate!

Food has been stellar all week, and this morning I find myself up .5! I realize that I really need to boost the exercise up a few notches and add some strength training. Tweaking, always tweaking...

I'm drawing a total blank here. I guess I haven't much to say this morning. I think I thought I did...

Maybe after a cup of coffee...

Oh yeah! HI! Welcome to our visitor, whoIwannabe! Come on back anytime, tell us about yourself!

All right, coffee's done, I shall return...