Well, it's Friday. Happy? Donno'...

This will be brief since I'm on my way home - the total impact of my lack of grace hit me this morning and I'm sore from head to toe now, in addition to a gimpy wrist. Wake me Monday mornin' k?

Ceara, I'm so very sorry to hear about your dog. I lost my lab Sheeba to cancer in '89 and it was awful... and so hard to remember that it *is* an act of love in saving them the suffering. You'll be in my thoughts all day. Also because of your Granma (when it rains.... huh?). Someone should be smacked for allowing "Typhoid Mary" her "right" to infect others - I mean, sheesh!

Wildfire, yup, Bigfoot hunters regularly prowl the area from BC down to our Oregon forests. Thankfully, there's been no real proof yet!

WSW, you did an awsome thing by being honest about dinner!!! I admit, I've "forgotten" dinner in the past - when no one else knows it's reeeeally easy to do. Bravo you!!!!

Amarantha, I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but when I had a 70 year old guy in massage school with me! You can do it!!!!!

SeattleJo, I agree, enjoy your dinner. One dinner didn't get us here, 10,000 dinners, bad choices and snacks did it! Enjoy, then hop back on the wagon - one will be by every 30 minutes starting at 7am tomorrow.

Eydie, I'd think setbacks are a normal part of maintenance... it couldn't be possible for it to be smooth sailing 100% of the time. Brush off and hop on the above mentioned wagon - again, stopping by your location every 30 minutes.

Everyone, I'm outta here for now! Have a great weekend!

Terri

Hello all!

Friday evening.

Ceara- Our dog had a stroke, didnt know us, parlyzed mid body to legs....
Intellectually, we knew it was best....still, very, very hard. I am so sorry.

**************
Its still bitter bitter cold here. My appetite is screaming... I just kept pouring hot tea, hot cocoa, more hot tea, hot soup, hot tea again, big bowls of hot soup ( Veg w garlic!) for dinner....
And now I am so sleepy I can hardly sit up....


If you have a chance, today's Skinny Daily Post is pretty good IMHO.


Good night.

hi all!

ceara- i am so sorry to hear about your sweet Katie. what a huge loss! i am sorry too that your grandmother is in the hospital, and on top of it, that it may have been preventable. it certainly is hard to deal with knowing when to preserve dignity and when to take that decision out of a loved one's hand in order to protect them. i am sending good thoughts your way. please be sweet to yourself.

seattlejo-hope you have a nice dinner with your sweetie.

kaylets-it is cold here tonight too, not like in the northeast, though. i look at the pictures of all the ice and snow and it makes me shiver!

i am hangin' in there and keeping myself honest by writing in my food journal, etc. i wouldn't mind a bit if the scale would move a little in the right direction, but i have to remember that if i keep at it, the 'ole scale wil eventually start moving again in the right direction.

hi punkin! and to all the rest of the royal court. take care, all.

wsw

Thanks for all your kind thoughts. No it never is easy...I've lost dogs to cancer before, it just never gets easier...

Gonna go to bed...have a 21 day challenge to meet...gotta check in there

Thanks again

Ceara

Hello all!!

Ceara - Meant to say something about your grandmother last night .....
This situation is one I dread .... Its very difficult to know there is little that
can be done for our loved ones when they are so ill.
The rules of the hospitals are very frustrating...
I for one believe our loved ones know when we are there at the bed or even thinking of them....
I am thinking of you, sending warm, loving energy....

I know I speak for all of us when I say we are the arm around your shoulder,
the tightly squeezed hand, the kiss on the forehead.....
*************

*****
Today's thought of the day :

"Live and learn"

Today's question of the day :

"What was the most suprising thing you learned recently?"

*********







Dh got up regular time, I was amazed when I woke up at 7:30....
Its about 15 degrees warmer and its amazing how much warmer the house feels!!
Another lesson in perspective!!!

Starting to feel the deadline for approaching for my Toastmaster Speech Contest....I have about 4 themes but since I have a 7 minute maximum, I have to be very succinct... I will be judged on presentation, preparation, grammar, body language, was the message easy for the audience to understand, etc...

I always find it easier if its a topic of personal interest.... but then again, the most important element IMHO, is what's in it for the audience...
If the audience isn't with a speaker, the speaker may just as well not show up....

On the other hand, if the audience feels a connection with the speaker's message, the energy created can light the night.

I firmly believe, this is the real secret of our thread, the WW's boards, in fact, any message board where folks are expressing being honest.
The act of sharing is a gift from the poster... and we, the readers are the receivers.... and even if only the connection is that we feel gratitude for the gift, we feel honored and uplifted.

But here on the boards, we cannot applaud or smile our appreciation.... we must post
our response....

But the connection is still made!!
We can light up the night!!


******
As long as we are making the best choices, we are doing the best we can!!
And by sharing our journey, we are reminding ourselves and others that we are
more alike than different....

******

hmmmmm....sometimes I can just go on and on!


KETTLE IS ON!

Hey, Punkin, thanks for posting that about the 70-year-old in your massage school! Actually, I needed to hear that ... I was talking it over with my trainer yesterday and think I may really go for it ... am going to make an appointment with the certified massage therapist at gym to ask her some questions, if she'll let me. There are several good programs here that may be feasible. Dunno. I am drawn to the idea!

Wsw: Glad to see thou beist hangin' in there and YES, the scale will move in the way thou desirest in time ... never doubt it! You are doing great!!!! How's the condo situation going?

Ceara: I just posted a successful day on the 21-day thread and congratulated you, Eydie and (modestly) myself on a good first day!!!! We are the Dream Team of Demon Food Slayers!!!! Here's to a successful Saturday ...

Kaylets: I like it when thou goest on and on ... joke, I don't think you go on and on at all; I think your posts are really interesting and to the point ... I admire thee for being able to get up and make speeches ... I hate doing that ... good luck on thy one coming up ...

QOD: Every day is so suprising, it's hard to say ... I'll think of something and get back to thee!!!

MY CLOWN IS GONE! Who killed the clown?!!!! I know it wasn't any of thou but seems to me I DID hear some anti-clown sentiments posted on this board! (That was a joke, not meant to give any offense to any contingent of anti-clown folks!)!!!!

But I liked the clown!

Gotta work and do stuff now! Will be back with a NOLA update soon. I think I'm almost back in Atlanta!

Darlings,

I read through the posts, but don't really have the heart to do a real one myself just now. My son is having some kind of mental episode. I don't know what the problem is, although it really seems like a bipolar thing. Last Saturday morning when we got up, Matthew was already up. Seemed he'd been awake just about all night. He said he'd had trouble sleeping and decided to try to use the time productively. So he spent the night thinking about every problem he'd ever had, every mental block or obsession that had ever held him back, every troubled relationship he'd ever had. And got up with the intention of setting all these things to rights. He seemed normal, just a bit loopy in a way that seemed congruous with sleep deprivation. The same continued for a few days. He was very positive, cheerful, helpful. But then at some point through the week he started to become incoherent. Still I don't think sleeping a lot. Last night was the worst -- I really couldn't communicate with him. I gave him OTC sleeping pills and he said he slept through the night, but is still tired. He's better than last night but not normal. I don't know what to do. If he's not better by Monday, I'll make an appointment with the family doctor. I'm a little leery of trying to get him help from the medical profession, because I think they're sometimes too quick to medicate, but at least our doctor isn't a pill-pusher.

Anyway, that's what's going on here. I had a couple of days trying to soothe myself with food around the middle of the week, but now I've lost my appetite and am just trying to make sure I get some nutrition. I wasn't exercising much either (we also had windchills in the -40s, so that's part of the not exercising, anyway). Today I decided I would go to the gym, and do some yoga. Must continue to look after myself as best I can, or I'll fall apart.

We're going to dinner at the house of a friend who's a psychologist tonight, so we should be able to get some advice.

Lots going on on the thread...

Frogger:

Ceara:

Thanks for that note about sharing, Kaylets. It helps to be able to tell someone. I know people go through these things in life, but it sure seems to take all my energy just to try to get through it.

Love to all!

Hello all!

Arabella, I sent you a PM... also an email... I forgot to say you are in my thoughts and all of us are here for you.

*****

Went out to pick up some meds for the dogs and the difference of 18 degrees in temp is amazing.....
We have a storm coming in this afternoon... appears to be small but there is supposed to be ice too...yum, my favorite...


Did finally find licorice tea in my local grocery store by Stash....pretty reasonably priced compared to the other teas... Tried it w/out Splenda first but with made all the difference.

Dh and I are going to the vegetable store b/4 the storm comes in. I am thinking I'd like to try some recipes tonight and could use sweet potatoes.

Till later!

Oh, migosh. So much going on with our royals.
Wood Nymph - so sorry to hear of this episode with your son. Hope things are calmer now. But still seems like some investigating to be done. So many things can go off in our bodies and affect our heads.Hope all the health problems are waning and glad for all the good news.

ESPECIALLY the impending motherhood of Queen Frogger. aren't you especially happy now that you've been eating more healthily? I'm sure the court will find some way to work out a challenge re your health and weight challenges as we move along.

things are warmish today but cloudy. Had finally reached the point of relaxing a bit and enjoyed visit with DS. A little foggy headed today (and the last couple). Like fighting something off - or maybe just a migraine.

Could get a laptop I guess (dh suggested one). But things were just so overwhelming for a while I just couldn't take on another challenge and this route had sufficed in prior years. Of course, I didn't have the royal personages then.

Anyway, am trying to keep up and thinking of all of you. Know I've missed a lot, esp. personal replies but I'll be up to form when I get home. In meantime am trying to enjoy every day with dh and appeciate all the good things in my life. Forgot to bring my week's total miles to post on that thread.Noted the 21 day challenge but problem enough to keep up with this thread. would be on that one if I were at home. Does hard candy count? I've had no other in the last 15 days so could probably do six more easily enough. Even had no Ice Cream for more than a week but some Klondike slim things found their way to my freezer (of course, when ds was coming - he ate none, I've eaten 3).
Heading off to a mall this afternoon. Beach walked this a.m. Can report progress getting my head straighened out a bit, exercising, relaxing.
Take care all, it'll be a while as library is closed Sunday and for MLK holiday.

My goodness, seems our little court is all upside down with everything going on!

Ceara, I'm so sorry to hear about Katie. As much as you know you have done the greatest kindness for her, it is a hard burden to bear. Take comfort that you gave her the best life she could have had and that she knew she was loved. She will be waiting for you. Hope that your grandmother recovers quickly from this illness she got from Typhoid Mary. Very unfortunate, the whole thing.

Arabella, hope your friends may be able to give you some insight as to DS's behaviour. I'm not a fan of the medical profession either, but if your doctor is a good one it might be best for DS to see him, just to talk about what is going on.

Punkin, how are the aches and the wrist? Hope you are taking full advantage of the weekend and lounging about the Royal Sleeping Chambers.

anagram, a laptop is an excellent idea! You know, if you don't want to purchase one you could always lease one for the time you are in Florida.

Cerise darling, how is the WW going? I was horrible yesterday! Don't know why I thought I could bring pizza home after work (as we do every Friday) and only eat one piece. Trying again today, though. Even went out in the snow and messy roads to buy fresh salmon for dinner.

Anyhoo, I'm off to chat with my dear friend. I honestly don't know how I got through that year and a half without him. Life is much brighter these days.

Take care, all.

Yowza, it's good to see the wandering Anagramatic today ... sounds like you are very busy but happy! Maybe leasing a laptop as Wildfire suggests might be a good idea ... I wonder if it'd be expensive? Anyhow, I'm glad to see thee. Re the 21-dayer, there are four of us doing it to date, as K hath lept into the fray as well to defeat the Bad Food Demon!!! Everyone is choosing their own demon to challenge themselves with ... candy seems high on a lot of our lists!!! So hard candy would only be candy if thou deemest it candy for thy challenge ... we are sending for the Bad Food Police candy expert to get a ruling for Kaylets on whether Godiva or Belgian chocolates constitute "crappy candy" ...

We'll I am tired from all this healthy eating and walking to NOLA and such!!!! Will arrive in Atlanta in a few days and hope to see some of you'all there!!! We've not heard from the intrepid SJ today but again thanks to her for the neat challenge!!! I swear I was only going to do 30 minutes in the gym and I thought of the NOLA challenge and added another 20!!!!

Not sure if I'll weigh in tomorrow or wait a week as my jeans feel tight. Will think about it later, Scarlett! Avanti!!!

Hello all!!

Another lazy morning taking my time to get up... everything outside is so quiet because of the fresh snowfall, it was very easy to take my time getting up.

Then, DH had a great breakfast nearly made...
I suggested homemade waffles as I thought we still had some in the freezer. We didn't so DH made fresh... we also have fresh raspberries which he heated in water and splenda for the topping.
With the tofu scrambler and 2 waffles w/ the raspberries, a 7 pt breakfast but so satsisfying. It looked pretty, tasted great and I know it will stay w/ me.


***********
Today's thought is :

" Use what talents you posess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those who sang their very best."
--Henry Van D*ke

Question of the day :

"Do you use pennies?"

*********

Till later!
KETTLE IS ON!
Kaye

Yowza, I did get on and thanks to the NOLA and 21-day challenges, I'm down 1.5!!!! It may be a fluke, but I'm taking it!!!!

On day 3 of my candy not thingie ... wow, feel really better ... finished work (up at 5 a.m.) and will have a little exercise in for the NOLA later ...

Homemade affles sound good K ... I find making everything possible homemade has had a big impact on my weight loss and health ... except I don't know how to make waffles ... I always have too many pennies so I generally tell the clerks to keep or donate 'em!

I'll be back! (Arnold voice)

Refuse to edit "affles" to "waffles" ...