ANN--Just a skeleton crew here these days--mostly Candice and sometimes me, Barb occasionally and that's about it.

Getting down to 45 degrees tonite! My caladium have already taken a hit. They're not happy even when covered. Just north of us had already had frost and a city in N MN had 27 a few nites ago. Is it really October and we just don't know it??!!

It's gonna get warmer next week Siwa! My tomatoes are getting cold!

Still eating well and walking........15,000 steps............

I made that recipe Lizzie! Choc PB??????????????? It is not very sweet is it? I used splenda in mine.

Candice: I decided that the next time, I would use the sugar as in the recipe, and also add some splenda, to see if that would sweeten it up a bit. I do rather like them tho' . so time will tell if the splenda will be the solution.

I can't believe that you gals are having frost already. does that mean another hard winter? Sure hope not. See y ou later. Ann

They make a nice healthy sanck I think:D

I did a tad bit of work outside and then walked the TM but could only do about 45 min and my hip started bothering me. I stretched it out and then got an old walk areobics tape out and did it another 30 minutes, hip still hurting......standing in place walking seems to bother it so I tried to just keep moving about the living room and finished the tape. (suppose to be 2 miles but my pedometer said only 1), anyway I'm at 17,000 steps and that is good!

I think I better up my pts with the activity I am doing....my WW pedometer says I have burned over 700 calories. What ya think?

It did finally warm up. 81 yesterday--MUCH better! One caladium didn't perk up so I think it's gone. I covered them nightly but the sad one is on the edge so perhaps that pesky cold air sneaked in. The cats have been catching baby bunnies lately. Another one yesterday. I really don't like to see them suffer but...........the entire neighborhood gardens are better for it. We're practically over run w/rabbits and deer. Many neighbors have even seen a coyote walking our street and into a neighbor's garage when left open.

My dad is having angioplasty this afternoon. I'll be going to sit w/my mom during the procedure. They were told it will take 2 hours but when DH had it done it was over almost before I could get to the hospital. Sometimes my mom doesn't get things right tho so we'll see. I figure I'll be coming home just about rush hour. Lucky me!

ANN--I can't believe the frost either!! That darn Canada keeps send cold weather our way.

CANDICE--I got a cookie recipe from a friend that is low cal. Don't know the points but if you like coconut then you'll like this one. They looke nice too--all puffy and light colored. I tasted them and I like them a lot. Let me know if you're interested.

Coconut............oh my gosh do you really have to even ask.......


:Yes please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A couple of the Curves ladies talked about WW Core program so I thank you, Candice, for giving more info. Now on to the good stuff--ie the cookie recipe! I don't know the calorie content or the pts but eh cals can be figured quite easily cuz there are so few ingredients.

Angel Macaroons

1 pkg One Step angel food cake mix
1/2 C water
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 (7 oz) pkg coconut (2 C)

Heat oven to 350. Cover baking sheet w/foil and grease lightly. Blend cake mix, water and almond for 1/2 minute on low speed. Beat 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape bowl and fold in coconut. Drop by tsp 3 in apart on foil. Bake 8-10 mins until set/ Cool thoroughly before removing from foil. approx 6 doz

Too easy and SOOOO good! pretty too

Thanks siwa...sounds good...do you know why they say bake on foil? Do you think I can use my silpat sheets......

Had a really bad day yesterday, that bone crushing pain so was on heat most of the day, and no exercise. WE gotta get the lawn mowed but still rain ......

Don't know why it says to bake on foil. I've not used silpat. Can you grease it? I think the greasing is important. I'd just go ahead and try a couple on the silpat and see how it works.

It's just not right that a person can gain wt so fast!! I'd lost 5 lbs which took 1 1/2 weeks and then in just one day 4 of it came back on. I ate more than normal but I didn't think I ate THAT much! Back to the cucumbers and veggies today.

The silpat is already greased so it might work fine. I want to make them after the cool front goes through here so I don't heat up the kitchen! :D

LOL....yes that weight does weem to find us rather quickly! Maybe it is sodium causing your gain? It ust seems it takes so long to lose a half a pound and it comes on in blink of an eye!

Hi everyone: I haven't been around much since we have been having a lot of thunderstorms and the 'puter' has to go off. we have had a roofer come and give us an estimate, and we are waiting for the insurance adjuster to come and give us the final word. So far, we are not leaking at all, and that is very good.

Siwa: the cookie recipe sounds great. i love macaroons and so will surely try them.When do you leave on your trip? Hope you have a great time.

Candice: Did the macaroons work with your silpat? I'm sorry that you have such times with pain. Wish I could load you my Homedics body relaxer pad. I got it this summer, and it is wonderrful. Has heat as well as vibrating massage. You can pinpoint the spots on the body you want worked on. My DD had one and i liked hers so well that we went out and found one too. Go on line to Homedics.com and I think you can find it. We both like it. After a bad day, it sure makes one feel good.

Our area is getting cleaned up slowly but surely from 'Charley'. He was a bad one and now they are talking about Frances. Pray that she just goes out to sea and quietly goes away. Florida just couldn't handle another storm. And we surely don't want anyone else to have to go through that either.

Hope you all have a good weekend. Ann

Lizzier..we ahve one of those heating vibrating pads and it does not do the trick. Even makes the upper back worse, DH does not like it either.

Pelvic pain back....can't sit too long!

Just home from a couple relaxing days at the cabin. Today was marvelous weather there. Ate bfast on the deck--fried fish, pancakes and fruit medley prepared by DH. Bigger bfast than I usually eat but once in a while is OK. The fish was caught the last time there and frozen. I sat on the deck for several hours pouring over books lent to us about Russia. Making notes of things we'll want to see and do. We leave Sept 8. Just over 1 week away. Getting anxious. Don't know how easily we'll find internet in Russia but will prob be able to send from Belgium or Amsterdam where we'll be for a week on the way home. Looking forward to that just as much as Russia. Getting my "travel haircut" tomorrow so I'll have a week to get used to working with the new length. No radical change, just the usual.

Good morning all:

Siwa: I can imagine the anticipation you are experiencing regarding your trip. Will you be gone 3 weeks? There is certainly a lot to see and experience.

I gave your recipe to a WW friend and she put it in her points finder and says that the Angel Macaroons are 1 point per cookie. How big are they? I haven't tried them yet, but surely will, as I love coconut.

Candice: Hope your backpad isn't the Shiatsu type. I couldn't use that kind. It felt like someone had rocks pummeling my back. this one is just a gentle vibration, so really like it. It remeinds me of the Morfam vibrator they use at the massage therapy to finish the session, or I have had that at a chiropractors also.

Barb- Where are you?

And what has happened to Kate and Alice. Anyone know?

'See' you later. Ann

Yup, we'll be gone 3 weeks. 2 weeks in Russia and 3rd week stopping off in Belgium and Amsterdam on the way home.

Looks like Frances will indeed visit FL.

Well Monday I had my yearly female exam, all ok but still pelvic pain and she thinks it is interstitial cystitis, related to "summer eating" (too many acidic foods). She did not run a urine culture, she was running behind and we forgot so off to my family doc today for that and too check out this hip pain. I shopped after my appt. and did over 23,000 steps! Today I did the TM and my Body Electric workout dispite my having to pee all the time and my pain. I'm at 12,000 steps now.

Lizzie..that is great news ont he cookie front..I got the stuff to make them, can't wait!

Siwa...my garden is done I I think, just a few green tomatoes left. Got get busy getting some clean up done in the flower beds. I bet you are excited...I would be!

Summer's last hurrah is here now. 80's and humid. Good for ripening tomatoes just as we're leaving. Sept is a bad month to travel but it just gets too cold any later in the year to be comfortable in the part of Siberia where we'll be traveling.

CANDICE--Interstitial cystitis. I had it several years ago and didn't have pain w/it. I don't remember having a culture to determine the diagnosis--just the symptoms was enuf for a urologist to diagnose. I understand the treatment is easier now, that is, prescription drugs. My treatment was a little more involved and I hated it. I tend to have urinary problems often and that is the absolute WORST place to be touched, in my opinion. I'd rather have a daily gyn exam than a urologic exam just once. I've never heard of it being related to "summer eating". Sounds like and "old husband's tale" to me. Try looking at info on the internet.

CANDICE--check out the IC site
www.ichelp.org

Thanks Siwa....I will go check it out..I did a search for it and read lots..I think my Fibro makes the pain thing worse in my pelvic area...I will see what your site has to say.

The doc has me on a trial of Mobic (anti-infamatory drug) but the first one I took caused gastrointestinal symptoms, headache and anxiousiousness, the up side is that it did help with my pain a little. I just cannot tolorate many meds.......so I only got 7,000 steps done and nothing extra in the workout department. Not sure if I want to take another Mobic or not........Blood work and bone denstiy scan next week. I have not been to my family doc in 2 years.....I have not been sick at all just lots of pain! Two years ago I was 10 pounds lighter but the doc told me to gain a few back...that I did with no effort! Ha!

CANDICE--Of course it was easy for you to gain the wt, you cookie lady, you! LOL

I'm signing off for a couple of days. Tomorrow we will be going to a shelter where we can take our dog. No more sitting at home. Frances is a strange critter. Up and down. so we don't know just how long we might stay there. We are putting plastic over our beds etc, just in case that our roof might leak. Since we lost so many shingles from H. Charlie. This has been an unusual mess. Have a great Labor day weekend, and I'll check back when we get home. Pray please! Ann

A quick hello. We have been without power for 4 days, but we are okay. No more additional damage to the house. Just a few more shingles lost. The shelter was an experience. No food in the house, as we had to toss most of it. So going out for breakfast and some shopping. Not too much tho' until we see where Ivan is going to go. More later. Ann

I've been thinking about you Ann, you have been in my prayers, and it looks like you might just get a visit from Ivan too.

Sorry, I've been MIA but sometimes I feel like I don't have anything to say. I guess SIWA is away on her trip by now.

The angle cookies sound wonderful. I think I'm going to try them. I wounder how the come out nutritionally, as opposed to points (grams fat, carbs etc)

CJ I see you found the graphics. Isn't it fun. I could spend all day playing with them. I went to a meeting of the Dallas Chapter of the Sjogren Foundation and the doctor that they had was very good. He said the pain with SjS, Fibro, and RA is basically the same, but what makes them different is that with the SjS you have the dryness, with Fibro you have the trigger point pain, and with RA you get the deformity of the joints. He said that basically that's how the make the difference in Dx of the three. He said the pain, and the lab results etc, were pretty much the same. I thought that was interesting. (and I can quit worring about my hands swriviling up)

Well, it's time to get read to go to the health club for my walk and my water class. I'll try to check back in quicker next time.

My hips have been so bad, just can't sit at the puter too long. got to the dentist, had my bloodwork done and bone density, go back for results next week.

Gonna make those angel cookies, just haven't felt like it. DH ahs a Birthday Mondaya nd I am not doing anything specail for him since he works that evening. Of course he is pouting around! Men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I went to the store an bought the angle food cake mix and the coconut, just need to get myself up and make em.

I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy next Thursday so I've had to come off my arthritis meds, so I'm really hurting today. What will I feel like by Wed?

It appears that we may have 'dodged the bullet' with Ivan. But the poor people up in the Fl. panhandle will probably be the ones to have to put up with the difficulties of Ivan. I think we folks in Central Fl. just were not ready to have to go through it all again. Not much other news from here. I decided that it might be safe to add a few things to the freezer and refridgerator. Didn't want to take any chances before.
I will be having a colonoscopy the end of the month. Not a fun thing, but necessary I guess as a dianostic tool, and in a precautionary way. Hope Siwa is having a great time. I have to make cookies for a Memorial service next week, so I'm trying the angel cookies. More another time. Ann

Outside painters are finally here, so I can't sleep much in the day, they make too much noise!

BArb....I hear ya with the pain, my MIL has to do the same thing with her tests.

Lizzie, I have not made the cookies yet either, but gonna. I am still blaoted from the mobic, just can't tolorate many meds.

Made the cookies but only got 4 dozen so not sure they are sitll 1pt. They are really good! Thanks Siwa for the recipe!:D

Hi: I made the cookies for the service today, and they were all gone. I got 54 cookies, and I think I made them too big. So I figured maybe a point and 1/2 for the larger ones. Nest time, I'll make them a bit smaller. But they are really good. A lot of people wanted the recipe. They would work well for diabetics who are allowed Angelfood Cake in small amounts.

Not much happening here.

Barb: I loved that Charlie Daniels piece.

I'm set for a colonoscopy next week. Oh joy!!!! 'See' you later. Ann

Barb: This must be the day for you!!:eek: Hope all goes well.

Candice: did you make the Angel cookies yet? They are really good. Hope you are feeling better.

Siwa: You must be having fun on your trip. Waiting to hear all about it.

Not much happening here. Today is my birthday, not saying how many, orther than 39 and holding. Going out to dinner tonight, and I have to be good since tomorrow is my weigh-in day at Curves.

See you all later. Ann

Where is everyone? since my last post, we have survived yet another hurricane. Jeanne was not nice at all to many people. we were without power for 2 days, and there are still many people who still don't have any power. It is very trying, and then of course all the doom and gloom people keep saying the the hurricane season isn't over until Nov. 30, so there might be more. We all just say Enough is enough.

Barb - I'm doing the colonoscopy thing tomorrow a.m. Hope all was well with you.

Candice - Are the painters finished? How are you feeling?

When is Siwa coming back? I'll be anxious to hear all about their trip. Ann

We're home again, at last. Gone just 3 weeks and it feels like 2 1/2 months. Didn't make it to a cyber cafe while gone. We saw a few but never went in. I'm kinda tired since my body tells me it's 2 am but trying to stay awake a little longer to adjust to MN time. That means I'm trying to do 2 Wednesdays.

ANN--I was thinking about you with all the hurricanes. We were w/o news and didn't know where they were coming ashore. I guess Ivan hit Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL pretty good. That's where we were last winter. We hadn't made a decision of where or if to go this winter so no down payments made or lost. It certainly seems like this is a tough year for the coasts--gulf and atlantic.

How about Alice and Bernice? Anyone hear how they fared with the hurricanes?

We had a lovely time visiting friends in Russia and the Netherlands. Those Tsars certainly did lead a lavish life. It's easier to understand why the revolution took place after seeing the excesses of their lives and knowing that the common folk were starving. They had huge diamond studded decorative combs for their horses hair, for goodness sake!! Unbelievable--the carriages that put Cinderella's to shame, the jewels, the huge palaces with gilt rooms galore, the jewel studded gold wine goblets!! and on and on. Lovely to look at now but not nice to think that so few lived so lavishly while most suffered. I always disliked history while in school but learning thru travel is wonderful. I learned SO much on this trip and had fun doing it.

Today's Russia is a lot better than we knew about. The food was excellent and the people smiling and friendly. Still I'm SO thankful that I was born in the USA. We are so fortunate!

Glad to be back home where I can just sit and not walk for several hours to see the sites.

Lizzie...glad you survived the hurricanes and yes I made the cookies just before you did! How was the colon test?

Siwa....your trip sounds just wonderful.....that situation sounds like Iraq kinda. We had a freeze last night! Had to use the furnace for the first time this fall.



The yeast thing is much better but still itch but no pain down there for once! Now I'm sitting here with an ice pack on my head...I banged it on the fuse box in the basement cleaning up after a sick cat, hit my head so hard it knocked me off my feet, I scraped my left arm from the elbow to the shoulder and cut my finger (on a rusty old bed frame), twisted my right side so I bet Im gonna be sore.....I am trying to stay awake for a few hours to make sure I do not have a concusion or anything like that..then I will take my meds and try to get some rest! I'm getting pretty darn sore now.....I fell on my but and have no cushion back there! Maybe I should go bake something?????? ;)

Doesn't anyone ever post any more? Why not? What's wrong?

We went to our cabin earlier this week to see the leaves and they hadn't changed yet. They are a little late this year. We usually see nice colors about the 3-7 of Oct. So we're going again on Sunday-Tues. It's so nice to be there when no one else is there. Peaceful! Lots of leaves have changed around town and it's 100 miles south of the cabin. We haven't had a freeze yet. Threatened to one nite so we picked all the tomatoes and now we have 4 large bowls of them. Need to do something with them fast or they'll be too far gone. I heard that while we were gone there were also lots of tomatoes. Luckily we've had a mild fall to they were finally able to ripen. Seems like Aug and Sept were reversed--temp wise.

Somebody, please write something.....anything.

Hi :

Things have been a bit hectic around here since H. Jeanne. DH had an appointment with the Neurologist about his back pain which transfers to his hip, and that appt. was changed due to the storm. Then my test was done and I got the news that surgery is pending. One polyp wasn't a nice one. And this was just a routine colonoscopy. But everything was found early enough so that forseeing some unknown problem, all should go well. Just have to get it out of there.It does mean a few changes in my life for a few weeks.
Siwa: Sounds like you had a great trip. Maybe the leaves won't turn too much since this has been such a wierd summer all over the place. Were you able to salvage any of your tomatoes.
I have made the Angel Macaroons twice now. The first time I made them too big. The second time they were just right, and I even got about 10 more than the 6 doz. I have passed out that recipe to a lot of people since they sampled them. The 2nd time I couldn't find a 7oz. pkg. of coconut, and could only get a 10oz. one. So I put in the whole thing, and I liked it better as it had that much more coconut in it.

Candice: I hate to think of frost. We are now having nice weather. A bit cooler as we begin to get into the fall season. It is very pleasant - the kind of weather I like. Hope you are doing well, and not over-doing. I think that you often push yourself, and then have to pay for it with aches and pains.
What do you think of that diagnosis from Dr. Lizzie?

I keep wondering what has happened to Bernice and Alice, and Kate. I never had any email addresses, so can't try to make contact that way. How about you gals - do you have new email addresses?

I'll keep you posted as to what, when and where , when I get the news. Ann

See You All On #11

Now after I said that I can't remember how to start a new thread. It's been so long since I've done it and the site has changed since then so.........it's up to someone else. But whoever it is, please remind me how to do it.

ANN--When is your surgery scheduled? Are you telling us that a polyp was malignant? What kind of surg are you facing? It's good to know those macaroons are making the rounds. RE:TOMATOES Was I able to salvage a few? is an understatement by far!! There were several waiting for us on the counter when we arrive home. Many more on the vine that we picked AND then it threatened to freeze one nite so we picked ALL and we ended up with 4 huge bowls of tomatoes--4 kinds. We're down to 3 bowls now since I declared it was mandatory that we all eat tomatoes at all 3 meals every day. The mild lingering fall weather made up for a cold August.

We're going to our cabin tomorrow for a few days to see if the leaves have changed yet. Seems like they're changing around here a lot. Predictions are coming in for our winter and one weather man predicts 74 inches of snow. 55 is normal. To top that we may not go south this year. Will NOT leave DS in charge of the house again. Don't need that stress. That makes a good argument for townhouse living but just not ready to give up the garden.

Siwa: I found the secret, so go to #11. Ann