Candace, I am so sorry about your Mom. I'll keep her in my prayers.

Ann, I am not liking this cold very much. It's not too bad when the sun is out because the sun is warm. I was heading to the store early one morning and the weather report was on. The guy was warning everyone about wind chills. I started laughing because they don't know what wind chills really feel like down here!

Barb, The last year or two we were going through the same thing with our business as you are with your's. Luckily we didn't have any employees to let go. We thought we have our business until we retired, then if DH felt like it he could do it part time. I can sympathize what you'e going through. I hope that things will turn around for you.

Hi Bernice, Kate, Siwa, Elaina

Alice

Hi all,
Barb: I'm sorry to hear that you had to let some people go. That is hard when it's a small business...everyone seems more like family then. You did a good thing by not comforting yourself with food though. An eyelash scarf is made with a certain type of yarn. I guess the best way to describe it is kind of feathery. They're quite popular around here....it must be a northeast thing. You've done so well with your weight loss. Keep up the good work!

Candice: I'm so sorry about your mother. I know it must be difficult not being there with her. I hope you're feeling better. I had the ultrasound today and they didn't find kidney or gallbladder stones so that's a good thing.

Alice: I'm reading Distant Shores right now. A friend lent it to me. It's written by Kristin Hannah. I don't think I've ever read anything by her before. The story is good, but it's a little slow. It's very cold here...wind chill in the minuses. They're predicting a big storm over the weekend. Have you sold your place in NH?

Siwa: Tell us all about the Red Hat ball! You were so lucky getting the dress in time.

Ann: I've been trying to think of bird songs and all I can come up with is Bye, Bye Blackbird! When is the show? Have you gotten back to Curves yet? I bought Leslie Sansone's Fat Burner DVD and have been doing it on days that I don't get to Curves.

Elaina: How are your workouts going? I've been really into the exercise and have still only lost 3#. I keep telling myself that I'm building muscle and that it weighs more Are you losing weight?

Hi Bernice: Hope that you had a good week!

Have a good weekend everyone! Just hate not being able to post more I really need to do something about my home computer.

Kate

Hello Everyone,
i been real busy lately trying to get things done before i go away.... i didnt tell you, i'm going to New Orleans with some friends! We leave early on Monday morning. i'm excited and nervous at the same time. i really hope i dont gain weight while i'm away. i been trying so hard, dont want to ruin the good work. my friends i'm going with keep telling me about all the delicious food they have there. lol.
Lizzie: i went to see the movie Sideways. i like it, it had some very funny parts in it. i also want to see the Aviator . i would see it tomorrow but it's almost 3 hours. maybe when i get back
Kate: i've just been doing an hours worth of cardio everyday on the elipticle. havent been doing the stability ball. maybe when i get back i'll buy one for at home and try to get more into it. my weight loss has been very slow too. i dont like the scale at the gym. i dont believe it. one day it said 192 and today it said 195. i dont feel like i've officially weighed in till i go to weight watchers which i'd like to do when i get back.

Hi Everyone. Haven't been online for a while because we are in company mode in fact friends left yesterday and another group flies in tonite. Also haven't felt well kind of the 24 hr virus with abdominal cramps and headache with back pain. Starting to feel better, weather here is gloomy but warm and after watching the weather channel I am grateful to be here.
Alice as soon as the friends leave in about 8 days I will contact you again and perhaps we can meet again. Will check in again soon. Have a great week end. Bernice

Hi all: Just a busy time. I'm cleaning closets, and drawers, etc. getting rid of stuff. we are having a Flea Market sale here in the park in Feb. and I am hoping that some of my trash will be someone elses treasure.

The weather forcast is for possible freeze again tomorrow night. They are saying possible the coldest night of the season. We'll have to break out the long woolies.

Kate: We have found lots of Birdie songs and some clever ones that I had never heard before. Such as 'Shady Lady Bird' and Baltimore Oriole. The Oriole one is written by Hoagy carmichael, and was in the movie 'To Have and Have Not" I don't remember ever hearing it, but it is a good one.

Bernice: Our company is not coming until March. At least that is all we know about now.

Candice: Hope that things are going better with your Mom.

Barb: Sorry that you had to let some people go from your business, but do also hope that things will begin to pick up soon. Being in business for yourselves, has to be a bit stressful. Glad you haven't got into the stress eating.

Siwa- How did the red had party go?

Elaina: Did you have a great time in New Orleans? It is a swingin' city I think, and they have some great food.

Alice: HOpe this cold doesn't come all the way down your way.: We arae here to escape freezes.

Have a good weekend everyone. Ann

Good morning!
Lots of snow here, but it is warming up....in the 20s
Ann: Wish I could ship some stuff to you for your flea market. I have so much stuff to clean out. Most times it seems like an overwhelming job, but little by little I'm trying.
Bernice: That 24 hr. stomach thing has been going around up here too. Luckily it's stayed away from me. Have fun with your company!
Elaina: You must be in New Orleans now. Hope you're having fun. I've never been there. You'll have to tell us all about it.
Alice: I finished Distant Shores. It was pretty good, but didn't end the way I thought it would. I notice that she's written a book about a mother and daughter finding each other. That relationship situation always interests me since I was adopted. Aren't you glad you're not in NH? New England got hit pretty hard with this storm.
Siwa: Still waiting to hear about the ball!
Barb: Hope that you're doing well.
Candice: How is your mother doing?

I've lost 2 more #s!

Take care all,
Kate

Good morning,

Ann, did you get a freeze? It's been down into the 30's at night and it's been in the 50's during the day. We did have a freeze warning for Sun. night. I came to FL to get away from all that! How are rehearsels going?

Elaina, hope you left for New Orleans before the big snow storm and hope you're having a wonderful time. A friend of mine went to New Orleans last year and she said the food was fabulous.

Siwa, how was your Red Hat Soc. ball? Did you have a good time?

Bernice, looking forward to hearing from you.

Barb, how are things going with your business? I hope work has picked up for you.

Candice, how is your mother doing?

Kate, congratulations on your weight loss. You're really doing great. What eating plan are you doing? Last night I finished reading The Kills by Linda Fairstein. It really was good. I'll look for Distant Shores. I can see where a mother daughter relationship would be of interest to you. Did you get a lot of snow with that storm? I do have a cousin who lives in Ptown and haven't heard from him yet. I've called another cousin who lives in Southeastern MA, a friend who lives near the northshore, and I've been in touch with another cousin who lives in NH, not far from where lived. Thankfully they all are doing ok.



My ILs are coming for a visit sometime this morning.

Have a good day everyone.
Alice

Hi: Alice: We covered all our tender plants Sun. and Mon. nights. Now I don't think we will have to do it again for a while. We usually do get some cold weather in late December and january. They say that the cooler temps make the citrus sweeter. Don't know if that is fact or fiction.

Kate: I have been inspired to clean out closets, etc. by watching Clean Sweep on TLC. When I see what horrible clutter some people are being rescured from, I know I don't want to get that bad. Our home is not large, and we don't have a lot of storage space,and I find myself just adding and adding stuff. Now I am sorting and sure do hope that my trash will be someone elses treasure.

Hope everyone is doing well.
Siwa: How was the party:
Candice: Hope there is improvement with your Mom.
Bernice: Don't let y our company tire you out.
Elaina: How was New Orleans?

Have a good week. Ann

Hi ladies--

The Red Hat Ball was a smashing success! and it was so much fun to boot. They're already setting a date for 2006. There were 270 in attendance from 4 states on a VERY cold January day. We had 2 ballrooms reserved--one for dinner and dancing and another for vendors of Red Hat merchandise. All vendors reported good sales so they like us and will return another year. Instead of them paying to rent space we asked for merchandise donations fo $100 from each vendor that we gave as prizes throughout the nite and that was a real hit. The items were quite nice. The food was served buffet style and was very good---buffet warmed food is not always the best but this was truly good. We had salad, bread, veg medly (not over cooked) wild/white rice, mashed pot w/skins, fish, chicken and pork (all prepared creatively) and a fantastic, huge dessert tray. I chose lemon merengue pie--tasty. The DJ was good and played music we all enjoyed. There was plenty of dancing. The hotel surprised us with an interesting ice sculpture set up in the bar area. It was a 3'+ sculpture of a curved nature into which was poured either a red or purple martini and chilled its way to an opening under which a martini glass was held. This was used by those who ordered one of the 2 specialy concocted martinis. I didn't have one but I watched the process. The array of gowns and hats was astounding. While talking to some ladies I found myself looking at their hats and dresses and not looking at their faces. I appologized but we agreed that we were all doing the same. Amazingly enough one of my fellow group members had the exact dress that I did. Hers came from northern MN and mine came via ebay from NC. We couldn't believe it! We have a tap dancing sub group and they performed a number. They were so well liked that an encore was asked for. Since they only prepared on number they danced the same number again.-----It was a total success.

Kate--We only got 8" of snow in that great storm that swept the northern parts of the nation. Sounds like your area had more. Until then we'd only had a dusting--unusually low for us. Now it looks like winter. Did you lose the 2# in one week? I've been trying and trying to have a 2# week but all I can do is 1-1+. I tried uping my exercise by walking 1/2 hr in addition to Curves every day but still no luck. At this rate of 4#/month it will take the rest of my life to get to my goal and at 80+years who cares how much I weigh!

Good morning!
It was an icy ride to work this morning. I was so glad when I got here. We're getting some freezing rain. They couldn't call off school because the kids are taking state exams.

Alice: I see that you've lost 5# too Good going....we're on our way! I expect to mean and lean this summer I've really just been watching what I eat and exercising a LOT, 6 days a week. I give myself Fridays off. I keep thinking that I won't be able to give that up and wonder if I can commit to that for the rest of my life. What's the secret to updating the weight grid? I tried, but it didn't take. I want to be sure everyone knows that I've lost 5# At some point I'll probably start counting WW points again and then maybe switch to phase 2 of South Beach. Boy, MA sure got hit bad. Glad that your cousins and friend are doing okay. The one in Ptown may not get shoveled out til spring. I went to school in E. Brewster....just love the Cape, but it's changed a lot in the 40 years since I was there.

Siwa: The Ball sounds like it was fantastic. You do such fun things. What's next on your agenda? Are you traveling this winter? I did lose 2# in a week. I hadn't lost the week before though. The slooooow rate can get frustrating since I could put on 2# in a day without trying too hard What's the deal with that. I'm with you, who will care at 80. But have you ever noticed that some people who were quite heavy all there life suddenly lose weight when they get along in years?

Ann: When is your flea market? Do you have to take back all the stuff that doesn't go? I'll have to check out that Clean Sweep show. Anyway, hearing what your doing is giving me incentive to get started again. I cleaned out my coupon box I'll take your cooler temps over ours. We're supposed to go back to the teens again over the next day or two. Can't wait to see what our heating bill is going to be for this month.

Hi Bernice, Barb, Elaina, and Candice

Take care,
Kate

Good morning everyone,

It's finally getting warm again! Yesterday started out very chilly but warmed up very nicely, as there was no breeze.

Kate, to move the weight grid, you have to start the process all over again, with your new current weight, at least that's what I did. Then you copy and paste the new grid where your old grid is. But, make sure you get rid of the old one first before you put the new one in. Otherwise you'll end up with 2 grids. I am basically doing the same thing you are for losing weight. I'm not following any particular diet. I'm making better choices, eating when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm satisfied. Along with that I'm exercising with WATP tapes 5-6 days a week. I think the reason that people lose weight as they age is their appetites have gotten smaller. I can tell my appetite has changed since I was in my 20's & 30's. I can't eat as much as I used to. I did get an e mail from my cousin in Ptown. He said they had 3 ft. of snow, 6'-8' snowdrifts, and they were still in a state of emergency. He also said they were expecting 8 more inches.

Siwa, I'm glad you had such a good time at the Red Hat Soc. ball. It sounds like a lot of fun. A friend of mine belongs to a chapter in NH and she has such a good time. I agree, who cares what you weigh when you're in your 80's. I'm almost at that point now in my 50's.

Hi Bernice, Ann, Barb, Candice Hope you're all doing well.

Alice

Hi Alice:
Thanks for helping me with the weight grid. I did it! Your poor cousin....that's a lot of snow! What are WATP tapes? I've been switching between Leslie Sansone's walk aerobics tape which is very old and her fat burner DVD. I can get through the walk aerobics one with no problem, but the other is more challenging and I haven't added the weights yet. Hope that you're having a good week!

Hi everybody

Kate

Barb

Hi everyone...

Kate, you're doing great with exercise. Going to Curves and doing Leslie's tapes. I have one of her first walk aerobics tapes she made. WATP is Walk Away the Pounds. They are a set of Leslie Sansone tapes. There is a 1 mile, 2 mile, & 3 mile tape. One set comes with 2 lb. weighted balls, and another comes with a toning belt. I have the set with the weighted balls. I also have a 4 mile walking tape of her's, which I've never opened. I am working my way up to that tape.

Barb, love your checking in picture! You post the greatest things. I wish I could do something like that. But, even after all these years I'm still computer illiterate.

Hope you all have a good day.
Alice

Yesterday was our 39th wedding anniversary, We went to Saltgrass Steak house and I didn't eat OP at all. I even got a Brownie Sunday "to-go"

Barbg