[gma22]

Good morning to you ladies and Happy 4th!

I got up to go to the bathroom and decided to look at the bank and saw an email from Thomas so read that and decided just to go ahead and post even though it is pretty early and I didn't go to bed until midnight. I got caught up reading a book for one thing.

Thomas emailed me back about plans for his bday dinner. His parents leave the day before to go on their cruise so he will be alone and his mom said we could keep him as long as we wanted. I imagine he likes being alone a bit and he is a solitary kid anyway. He picked out TGI Fridays for dinner so that's where we will be going. We haven't been there in a really long time so hopefully they have some good stuff! We are just giving him $100 for his birthday in cash to do as he pleases. It is easier than buying him something he doesn't want. We may ask him if he wants to spend it at the mall or something and take him after dinner if he likes. I have to find the restaurant out by his house because the only I know is the one over here.

Jack went out to the bbq grill to finish the grates and found a big hole had rusted in the bottom of the grill. So that does that! I am putting my ribs in the crockpot this morning with my bbq sauce. I tweaked the other one I had a bit and really love this one. It is thicker and more to my taste. For one thing, I left out the molasses and like it a whole lot better without it.

Jean: No, this boss is the plant manager. The big kahuna as they used to say on "Gidget." Jack is applying for a foreman's position which they still have stalled doing anything about. Last we heard they had got the list of questions ok'd by downtown and told Jack they would be sending out dates for interviews, but that has to be on hold indefinitely now with the guy in hospital for who knows how long and out for who knows how long. I hope you like your knew microwave. It is one of those appliances I really miss when we don't have one. I have a really big one and use it all the time.

Maggie: So glad Will is doing sort of ok. Ulcers can be really bad things especially if you have a bleeding one, but he is definitely in the right place for the time being. Tell him from all of us here! People are very nice to me using the cane too. It is funny as every time I go to WM they try to get me to use a scooter to shop and I tell them I walk whenever I can. Now we have reserved wheelchair service for check in for the cruise as this is a huge terminal and have been told the walking is difficult up and down and such so we ask they have a wheelchair to get us through to the ship, but then I am on my own. I posted a pic on FB of the ship so to give you an idea of my exercise for the week, here is a picture of it. It is the largest cruise ship in the world with 6000+ passengers! So I will certainly walk off any treats I may eat that week for sure. Who is going to fill in for Will at the pulpit while he is in the hospital?

Everyone have a great holiday and weekend. We are walking the mall tomorrow and commissary shopping Sunday. Faye

[Jean]

Happy 4th of July! It is windy and cool at the cabin today. Hopefully, it will warm up and the wind will calm down this afternoon. We are waiting for Jason to get here; we picked up Ian and Zowie at their other grandparents' on our way here.

Maggie -- Again, I hope Will gets along ok. It's good he hasn't lost his sense of humor. Ulcers can be a challenge; Bob's mom had one and ended up in the hospital a couple times. It was really nice of the hospital clerk to put gas in the car for you. After the guys installed the microwave, I played around with some of the buttons, then started making food for today. All of a sudden it started beeping and no matter what I did it wouldn't stop. I finally unplugged it and the beeping continued. It was the stove timer! I had set it for the dryer so I could hang some shirts before they wrinkled. Did I feel stupid!

"Gma" -- I bet Thomas will love having birthday money to spend! It looks like you will be grill shopping! We got a new one a couple years ago and I was shocked at the wide range of prices. I don't even know how to turn ours on. You are right, we didn't realize how much we use the microwave until we didn't have it. This one has the "buttons" on the door which is different. We use the light as much as the warming up part. That is quite the ship! I am always impressed with the ships that come into Maui when we are there, none are any where close to that ship in size. You could lose Jack and not see him for a week! Have fun at TGIF Friday, and walking too.

I need to check the spaghetti, and get ready for dinner. Hope you all enjoy a nice day!

[gma22]

Good morning to you all. We are going to go to the mall to walk around 10:30 AM. I have to start getting some exercise, but though I am not an alarmist, We have had 3 shootings here in less than two weeks and less than a couple miles from the condo. The last one the guy was out doing yard work and they tried to rob him and shot him. I am not going to make myself a target, fat old lady with a cane. So I have to be content with walking in the mall for now.

We had a lovely dinner last night and my ribs turned out super duper in the crockpot. I didn't know how they would cook, but they were spectacular and my new sauce was really good too. I had a piece of corn with them and Jack had corn and baked potato.

I have to pat Jack on the back as he has lost a total of 23 lbs now. He has 19 to go to be at ultimate goal, but he is 3 lbs under his vacation goal. His tux is going to have to be taken in as the pants are too big. He is going to just wait and wear his suspenders. He said the cumberbund will cover the gap made in the front. They have the metal hook and not a button so they will have to be altered from the back and he wants to wait since he wants to lose more weight and just have it done once.

Jean: Since we really can't afford to do all we want to do inside and have a new deck put on, I want to "paint" the restore stuff over the deck to fix it up before we buy another grill. I also told him if he wants a $500 grill he has to make a deal with me that he will use it and often. We are not going to spend that much money if he isn't going to use it a lot. He didn't grill out at all last year. Hope you are having a good time at the cabin and lake.

Everyone have a good Saturday. I am off to fix myself some breakfast. Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning! The wind is blowing big time, crappy weather and it sounds like the rest of the weekend is going to be cool, windy, with some rain thrown in. We had a thunderstorm roll through last night about the time the fireworks were supposed to start. Lots of thunder, lightning, and rain for a couple hours. Not sure if the official ones went off because it was cloudy; there were several displays around the lake that were visible because they weren't so high. The kids were disappointed. Nothing planned for today except sit and watch the waves roll in. It's too windy to even think about taking the boat out. That's a bummer because the other end of the lake will be calm and smooth. On another note, my mom has been gone 20 years today.

"Gma" -- How awful to have the shootings so close to you! It seems like there are so many innocent people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, even here. to Jack on the pounds lost! It's not fair that men seem to lose easier than we do! We, I should say Bob, grills quite often in the warmer months. He even has pulled the grill in the garage during the warmer winter days. I'd have no clue how to even start it. This weather leaves a lot to be desired!

Maggie -- We are anxious to hear how Will is feeling.

I need to get dressed and unmake the bed. Hope you all enjoy a nice sunny day today!

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! 75 degrees and sunshine.

After temperatures in the high 90s for 2 weeks, it's a relief to have a cool day. Hurricane Arthur brought us wind and rain, but not too much. Just enough for a few streets to flood and lots of branches in the yard. We are an hour from the Outer Banks where hurricanes love to hit and then turn out to sea. It is early for our first hurricane so I hope we aren't goint to have a lot.

I'm officiall retired now and for the first few days I had a huge panic attack - what had I done! Now I'm okay and putting my faith in God to provide the necessities.

I had to take my friend Irene to the US Immigration office in Norfolk last week. When she came back from England, she lost her Visa. They were able to pull up her info on the computer system so she was allowed back into the country. She doesn't have a computer (84 years old) and I helped her apply on line for a replacement and when we got to the end it said it would be 3-4 months to get the replacement card. Problem was, she only came back to put here things into storage and then to back because her sister is very ill (a tiny hole in a blood vessel in her brain is causing strokes and they can't operate) and she is going back to care for her. I called and they said we could go to Norfolk and get a temporary. So, Maggie, you'll appreciate this, we went and when we went through security, the guard called me over and started going through my purse - I forgot I had my Swiss army knife in there. It's small and I showed him the tiny sissors on it which I use for quilting when I'm out and about. He just laughed and gave it back to me and told me to leave it home next time. Irene's passport was given an embossed seal that will allow her to travel for a year so she's leaving again in 2 weeks. It took us 15 minutes at Immigration and 2 hours for the trip there and back.

Next Saturday I'm teaching an applique class at 2B's and then another one on the 26th because the first one filled up and the second one too. They have a few for a third class but not quite enough yet.

Sandy and Shelly and I went to Mathews for the fireworks last night. A beautiful show. We didn't get home until midnight and Casper had me up at first light so I'm tired today. Seems like a good day to read a book.

Maggie, I'm so sorry Will is in the hospital. Sending prayers for his speedy recovery. It's wonderful you have friends to rally round and help you. I loved seeing your bracelet with the new addition.

Jean, busy as always. Watch out - you are in danger of becoming the cat lady! I can't pass up a kitten or cat.

Faye, That's a huge ship. I have no desire to go on a cruise unless I can go on the Silver Seas. Small ship with all the luxuries. I really have no desire to cruise because I panic when I can't see the shore. Here I am, surrounded by water and boats. They are rennovating Newport News to get cruise ships docking there. Good luck with that I say for the docks are in the east end where all the low income housing, shootings, etc. are. They'll have to tear it all down and relocate those people. Talk about unsafe - Norfolk had 14 - yes 14 - shootings yesterday. I'll stay here in York County. Cities are too dangerous. Our development has received the Safest Neighborhood Award for the last four years.

Have a wonderful day!

[Jean]

Good Afternoon! The sun is shining, it's hot, and very humid. We went for a ride to a site for next weeks wedding out in the country, and the car windows steamed up. That was weird! We skipped church this morning; got up later than usual and just didn't feel like rushing to get there. I brought sheets and towels home from the lake so have been doing laundry. Bob is doing cow, dog, and cat chores for his farmer friend and I will be doing cat chores later in the week. I also need to bake cookies for a meeting next Monday. That is not on my list of favorite things to do right now!

Susan -- It was nice of you to help your friend Irene. I'm glad they didn't take your Swiss knife/scissors away from you. Bob got caught with his knife when we visited the space center and the guard just told him to keep it in his pocket. What did you teach in your class yesterday? Wish I could have come. We had another stray cat show up last evening. It is about the same size and markings as the current deck cat I call Little Kitty, so wonder if they are from the same litter. Haven't seen any of her kittens since the night she had all of them here a couple weeks ago.

"Gma," hope the commissary trip went ok today.

Maggie, how is Will today? Better, I hope.

I need to check the dryer and see if it's done so I can start another load. Dirty laundry just seems to always be there "waiting."

Hope you all are enjoying a nice relaxing Sunday!

[gma22]

Good morning y'all. Just felt like giving you a bit of southern this morning. I did a quiz about "how southern are you?" and I am 65% southern though I don't have one ounce of southern blood in me. My family has always lived up north even when they came over from Germany in the late 1800's. I guess I just picked it up.

We got the shopping done and it was nuts there. A lot of people and only two checkouts, but guess we got finished before others as we didn't have to wait to checkout. It didn't help they were stocking all the shelves. So you have lots of patrons, employees stocking shelves and stuff sitting in the aisles disaster waiting to happen.

I am down a lb, but my eating is not good. I am not eating junk food, but my hormones will just not settle down and I get so very hungry. I have been trying to walk at couple times a week right now. We did the mall on Saturday morning and walked the whole upper level, but right before we got to the last cross over before you get to one of the end anchor stores I told Jack to turn around and head for the food court. By the time I got there my blood sugar was really low again and I had to go ahead and eat lunch there. I couldn't even walk out to the car I was shaking so bad. I ate from Steak Escape one of their chicken sandwiches that has a lot of veggies, but it still wasn't in pts. I told Jack the only thing I need to do is take a Hershey bar with me and right before we get there eat it to up my sugar so I can walk through the store or the mall or whatever. I have a dr apt a week from today so we are going to have to discuss this.

Jean: Oh, I am sorry the kids didn't get the fireworks show. It was beautiful here but surprisingly quiet the night of the 4th. I told Jack this was the first year we didn't have Fortune and he was scared of the noise. He was put to sleep on July 27th of last year. Sure do miss the little guy, but the stress of him being so sick had really gotten to me because we were planning our cruise and stuff. My mom died in March. I remember how blustery it was that day. It was so very cold.

Susan: Hope you enjoy your retirement and everything works out as it should. It will be interesting about the cruise ships for sure. Kind of a scary thing for your friend. I know when we did our passports for the first cruise they told us how long it would take so we were glad we went so early.

Maggie: Praying Will is coming along well. Let us know how he is doing.

Have a great week gals. Faye

[Maggie]

♪♥♫ GOOD AFTERNOON IN JULY MAGNOLIAS ☺♫


It is 99˚s as I type and fixin’ to get hotter this day.

Will came home Saturday evening and will have to go back in a week or so for they found an area on his intestine that needs to be attended to. They don’t think it is cancer but won’t know for sure until the biopsy comes back. If it is it hasn’t been there long for he has regular checkups like his doctor had ordered years ago. It is right where the intestine meets the liver. This could all be related to the time the ladder slipped and he fell and landed on his back years ago. We won’t know for sure until after the tests come in. Whatever it is they will be cutting it out. Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers for him. He feels a lot better than before he was in the hospital for he now has enough blood. Being so short of it sure can be dangerous.

We have been out and about doing needful things today. Got the license for the Jeep for another year and other needful items taken care of. We both have hair cut appointments this evening at 6pm so will be out and about again then.

Always remember ~ Never, never, never give up

[Jean]

Good Afternoon! We got up to sunshine and NO wind for a nice change. Now the rain drops are falling; it's very humid and everything is icky sticky. We had a big money morning at church and I was surprised since it was a holiday weekend. The gift shop was pretty skimpy since it was closed on the 4th. I made the weekly trip to the bank, and stopped at the closest grocery store for strawberries which looked pretty sad. They are closed on holidays and Sundays so I wasn't surprised, just too lazy to drive the extra distance to the other store. I bought cherries instead as they are Bob's favorite.

"Gma," on another pound gone forever! There were fireworks all around the lake on the 4th so guess it must have been dry in spots. Beth said there were even more the next night. Jason called on his way home yesterday. They were out in the boat when a sea plane landed. He said it buzzed the boats a couple times so they would get out of the way and it would have enough room to land. That was exciting for the kids. I really thought you would have another cat by now, maybe even a dog.

Maggie, I'm glad to hear that Will is feeling better and there is a treatment plan in progress. Being short on blood is never good.

I need to do some dishes and clear off the counter so it looks like I at least did something this afternoon. Hope you all are having a marvelous Monday!

[gma22]

Good morning to you all. Gosh it is sticky this morning. We had a heat index of 96 around 7 PM last night so we are definitely in the middle of summer here in Elvisland. Speaking of Elvis, I saw on the online news channel for here that the corporation that now owns almost everything has demanded that the corporation that has the rest of his stuff demanded they remove his two planes off the property and quickly. The "family" corporation has no idea where to take them and the fans are grumbling big time about them being removed. This corporation that bought most of it wants the land to build a hotel, restaurant and something else there so they have told them to get the planes off the property pronto. You have to understand that Graceland is in one of the worst parts of Memphis and it is frankly dangerous to be there overnight especially so don't know how the hotel and such will work out once people start getting mugged and such. Every year on his death date and birthday when they have a huge influx of fans, the city provides police officers and they hire heavy duty security, but at other times there is not much security and this is not on the home property but across the street so we shall see. They have a dump called the "heartbreak hotel" in the general area, but not owned by either corporation. It is just a tourist trap along with a couple crappy shops.

I have dusting to do upstairs and downstairs today and bathrooms upstairs tomorrow. I need to get up there early and get the ac back on up there so it isn't so hot.

I capped two large boxes of strawberries, cleaned a big box of blueberries and cleaned 4 ears of corn yesterday. I sure am going to miss summer stuff when it is gone. I have even gotten a couple good tomatoes lately. I splurged and bought a bag of ranier cherries and they are a bundle. I think I paid almost $6 a lb for them but I love the things so they were a treat to myself. We now have fresh fruits and veggies for a bit again. We have been eating a lot more good stuff so we go through it fast.

Maggie: Glad Will is home. So sorry he has to have surgery, but intestines are definitely nothing to mess with. I know! When do they want him back in the hospital? I imagine he is trying to get things done for you before he goes back in because even coming home he will have recuperation time and won't be allowed to drive and such for probably 6-8 weeks.

Jean: We decided a few years ago when Fortune passed we would not be getting any more pets. I get so attached to them and it is so hard for me to have to put them down. With us traveling every year and such it makes it harder too. So, if I feel the urge to have a pet, I will make one of these.

Everyone have a great day. I am going to play a bit of hidden object game then make myself some breakfast and get started on chores. Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning! The sun is shining, breeze is blowing, and it's a cool 65 degrees. Bob said it was a little nippy doing chores this morning. I've got laundry going and am making a path through the clutter. Have boxes set out for the SOS Store, church rummage sale (everything is a quarter so the "junk" is going there), and Good Will for the junk I don't want anyone to know is mine. Now to fill, fill, fill!

"Gma," I was surprised at your description of the Graceland neighborhood. Guess I assumed it would be elite and ritzy! The dog reminds me of Fortune -- cute! Bob was the first one to say it just didn't feel right not having a cat in the house. We've always had at least one cat for the last 45 years. Hope your air keeps you cool while you dust. I have a friend who says she "undusts!"

I need to keep moving. Have a terrific Tuesday and enjoy!

[Maggie]

♪♥♫ GOOD AFTERNOON IN JULY MAGNOLIAS ☺♫


Not much happening around here but the usual. All the buffalo moms and babies were in their watering hole today ~ helps get the bugs off.

The place we get coffee makes the best unsweetened green tea so we have been having it today.

Will is feeling great and mowed the lawn today. It is amazing how much energy he has now that he isn’t low on blood. When they get that growth off his intestine they can do that with just small slits and not make a huge cut. That will cut down on recovery time considerably. It is amazing how small those cameras they can insert in a person so they can be the eyes of the surgeon.

BTW I did show a 4 pound loss or this past week’s efforts. Scale down and cut back.

JEAN You could come help me with getting rid of everything that won't be going into the motor~home when we get ready to leave. It will be easier when we put all we want into the motor~home and the rest can be given away or sold. We have a friend that will loan us a pick up (he has several) and a closed trailer to move some things to Texas that we are going to put in that room that our friend has given us.

DONNA FAYE They won't do anything to Will until the tests are back and he has another talk with the surgeon but it won't be a huge invasion of a surgery but the one that they cut a couple holes and a small slit. If the surgeon needs to get his hand in there (he has small hands) they can make that slit larger. A CAT scan will tell the surgeon exactly where to make the cuts. I don't think that will keep him from driving very long.
Always remember ~ Never, never, never give up

[QuilterInVA]

The Truth About Food Addiction


Author: Casey Thaler
Hypothesis
Is food addictive? Anyone who has ever drowned their sorrows in a pint of Häagen-Dazs will already know the answer to that question. But I am interested in the actual SCIENTIFIC answer to that question. On a dopaminergic and cellular level, does food cause addiction? The answer, quite simply, is yes. But there are a myriad of variables that factor in to this equation. What CAUSES addiction to food? Is it simply overconsumption? Or is it something more? If we look at the clinical definition of “addiction”, we find that it means “the continued repetition of a behavior, despite adverse consequences”. Anyone who has ever been overweight, or obese, or even halfway through that aforementioned Häagen-Dazs, will tell you that they WANT to stop eating, but that they somehow “can’t”. No one CHOOSES to be obese. This is best exemplified by obese children. They are not choosing to be an outcast, to feel different, or to not be able to do the same physical activities as their peers. So what exactly is going on?
Causation
No doubt the “reward” factor of food is driving most of these behaviors, if not ALL of them. As stated in this 2011 study, “palatable food is consumed for its hedonic properties independent of energy status. Such reward-related consumption can result in caloric intake exceeding requirements and is considered a major culprit in the rapidly increasing rates of obesity in developed countries.” Now, if you’re not a science nerd, you may be wondering what exactly is “rewarding” about food. Well, you may be surprised to learn that the underlying brain circuitry involved in eating that Häagen-Dazs is nearly identical to doing drugs. Put scientifically, “human brain imaging studies have shown that food and food–related visual or olfactory cues can activate corticolimbic and mesoaccumbens brain circuits implicated in reward, most notably the orbito-frontal cortex (OFC), insula, amygdala, hypothalamus, striatum, and midbrain regions including the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) (Bragulat et al., 2010; Pelchat et al., 2004; Schur et al., 2009; Simmons et al., 2005). Somewhat shocking, isn’t it?
What Foods Cause Addiction?
Quite simply, most foods in the Western diet. There is a very interesting hypothesis stated in this 1993 paper, that agriculture only developed due to the rewarding properties of food. Specifically, the rewarding properties of grains and dairy. Why else would humans choose a more laborious, otherwise less rewarding way of life? As stated in the paper “‘if agriculture provides neither better diet, nor greater dietary reliability, nor greater ease, but conversely appears to provide a poorer diet, less reliably, with greater labor costs, why does anyone become a farmer?’”. The possible answer: the rewarding properties of cereal grains and dairy. But what is rewarding about eating cereal grains? Well, scientists have found opioid activity in wheat, maize, barely and dairy. They’ve also discovered stimulatory compounds in these foods. One specific compound found by researchers is an analogue of MIF-1, a dopaminergic peptide.
In milk there is also beta-casomorphin 7, which is an opioid. Remember your mother’s suggestion to ‘drink warm milk’ before bed, to help ease the pain and help you sleep? Turns out that that was scientifically accurate. Why do people have such a hard time giving up dairy and grains? It’s because of these addictive properties and compounds found within. Most elements in nutrition have a biochemical and scientific basis. The paleo world is well aware of the other multitude of problems found in dairy and grains, but the wider world is completely unaware that their “healthy whole grains” are causing rewards and addiction in their brain circuitry.
Junk Food
It will probably be less shocking to you to learn that junk food is addictive. The taunting advertisement of “bet you can’t eat just one” from Lay’s® is all too accurate, scientifically. As Mat Lalonde, organic chemist Ph.D from Harvard, has put it, “we are living in a world where food chemists make foods addictive for more consumption”. Re-read that sentence. It is terrifying and saddening. And definitely accurate. Here is a study you may not have heard of – Oreos have been proven to be EQUALLY as addictive as cocaine. Re-read THAT sentence again.
The Chemical ‘Bliss Point’
There are many compounds and elements involved in being addicted to junk food. The first trick used by food chemists is to use a few ingredients, in exact amounts (referred to in the industry as the ‘bliss point’) to make foods hyper-palatable and nearly impossible to stop eating. These ingredients are salt, sugar and fat. You will find that they are nearly always used in combination with each other, which is not an accident. Donuts are loaded with fat AND sugar. Potato chips are loaded with fat AND salt. We will not typically over consume foods that are ONLY fat, ONLY salt, or ONLY sugar. Food companies and food chemists know this, and they use it to THEIR advantage, not yours. Couple hyper-palatable foods with deceptive marketing, ever-increasing portion sizes and an increasingly unhealthy culture, and you have yourself a recipe for where we are today.
Worse Living Through Chemistry
As any obese person can tell you, they feel ‘out of control’ and struggle greatly to change their behavior, despite their knowledge that their behavior is hurting them. That sounds eerily similar to a drug addict’s patterns. What is the biological and biochemical basis for this? Well, quite simply, it is down regulated dopamine receptors, an identical scenario in those who are addicted to cocaine and alcohol, as seen in the following image.
Neurotransmitters And Hormones

Obviously there is more going on here, but the down regulated dopamine receptors are the major problem faced when addicted to food, as obese people are. There is also the issue of leptin resistance, insulin resistance, and a whole host of other problems. But when you change your thinking about food, from a harmless, enjoyable experience, to something that can potentially be playing with fire, you start to see the world for the way that it truly is. Food companies do not care about your health, they care about their profits. Period.
Soda companies may as well be cigarette companies, in comparison to how little they care about your health, how much they care about their profits, and how they will stop at nothing to get your hard-earned dollar. Oh and it turns out that they ARE actually run by former tobacco executives. You may be surprised to learn that food giant Kraft® is owned by Phillip Morris. Yes, THAT Phillip Morris. Here is a quote from the former CEO of Phillip Morris, regarding the food industry: “As Philip Morris came under pressure for nicotine and cigarettes, it eventually started looking at the food divisions in light of the emerging obesity crisis. And there were moments in these internal documents where Philip Morris officials were saying to the food division, ‘You guys are going to face a problem with salt, sugar, fat in terms of obesity of the same magnitude, if not more than [what] we’re facing with nicotine right now.”
We are facing that problem, right now, due to our collective nation’s addiction to food. Here is one other quote from the former CEO, that is truly disturbing: “Within Coke they referred to their best customers not as you might think — ‘consumers’ or ‘loyal fans’ or something like that. They became known as ‘heavy users.’ And Coke had a formula … that basically said, ’20 percent of the people will use 80 percent of the product.’ And, as Coke saw it, it was worth their while more to focus on those 20 percent using 80 percent of the product than to try to generate more consumption by the other 80 percent. So the heavy users of soda became those people who were drinking as many as 1,000 cans of soda a year, sometimes even more.”
Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
So what can you do to stop the addictive process that sometimes occurs due to intake of the foods mentioned? Well, quite simply, eat different foods. Start including healthy fats, such as avocadoes, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil in your diet. Eat lots of vegetables, such as kale, spinach and broccoli. Get complete (meaning they contain all the essential amino acids) sources of protein, and eat them, regularly. This could be wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef or pasture-raised eggs. Since many executives of former cigarette companies are now executives of food companies, I will use the smoking analogy to very simply illustrate my point. How do smokers stop being addicted? They change their behavior, and avoid cigarettes. Change your behavior (consumption of addictive foods and beverages) and avoid these foods.

[QuilterInVA]

Good evening, ladies! Still 91 degrees and it's 8:15 so another hot night. It's been so hot starting yesterday that I just stay in as much as I can. I just can't breath in the heat.

I thought I'd share the article on food addiction because I found it to be interesting. We are all quick to condemn the smokers and drug addicts, but we are little better with our drug of choice - food.

Maggie, I'm glad the process for Will woun't be too invasive. Casper has a friend who comes to see him every day - a rabbit. He comes right up to the steps and waits for Casper to come and then goes into the yard to eat. Casper watches him the whole time he is here.

Jean, I'll send you some heat if you send me some cool weather.

Faye, I'm surprised Graceland is in such a bad place. Maybe they'll clean up the area like they are trying to do here.

Have a wonderful evening!

[gma22]

Good morning to you all. It stayed hot and sticky last night even with a huge thunderstorm that rolled through. I was watching Rizzoli and Isles, the one program I don't miss and of course the last 15 minutes the storm rolled through and bunked it up with the satellite dish. I have two, one hd and one regular so I switched to the regular and went back and forth so I did see most of it. For some reason the regular satellite stays ok when the HD one goes out, but last night they both went for about 5 minutes. That's what you get, but it is better than dealing with the dopes at the cable company and they are more expensive too.

I have the upstairs bathrooms to finish today then I am done with major cleaning for a few days at least. Housecleaning and laundry always seems to be there.

Maggie: Glad they will be able to do his surgery laproscopically. His down time is seriously much shorter by about 4 weeks. I have had both. My gall bladder was taken out lapro and it was pretty easy peasy. Glad he is feeling better too.

Jean: Nooooo, that area of Memphis has been bad for a long time. It might have been nice in the 60's but even when we were first stationed here in the early 70's it wasn't a nice place to be. Of course where I live used to be lovely and it is awful now. I mean 4 shootings and a child being chained in a basement in the last 2 weeks. UGH! I thought the doggy looked like Fortune too, but it is a crochet pattern so I would have to learn to crochet. I do think I am going to make a cat though in gray as we are doing a gray palette when we start painting next year. I just haven't decided between gray and green or gray and yellow or gray and red, etc. It is going to be a light sort of pearl gray not dark though. I even found a good deal online for gray mini blinds for the two big windows. These blinds are originals and kaput for sure, but they are 50+ inches across so are custom jobs. Whoever thought putting one huge window on each side was a good idea needs to be shot. Especially since they can't be opened.

Susan: I think that people tend to have addictions to certain types of foods depending on them. I have no problem if I gave up all dairy and sweets since I don't eat a lot of them anyway, but wheat yeah that one would be hard. Tx for the article. Hope you are enjoying retirement.

You gals have a great day. I am off to knit. Time to start a new ball of yarn. Faye