Happy~ I agree with you. we are quite strict by todays standards and live a very simple life compared to most yet we have an abundance of things. I try to aim for a balance. Other parents think I am really tough. I do not. My son is challenging but it is more his personality. My daughter just goes with the flow. My reference to family was to my parents ,that is what gets under my skin. Even more noticeable as I am a parent now.
My nuclear family is very open with expressing love and gratitude etc.

To the Dump, the dump the dump,dump dump.........
Spring cleanup day!!!!! The trailer is full for trip 1! I am feeling all the bunged up karma flowing away!!!!! Weeeeeeeee

Going to get my hair done...ALONE! DD is at a sleepover DS is hanging out with Daddy!!!!!!!!!!
Rainy day. I got lots of cleaning done yesterday. More today. Paint those darn stairs.
Had a big long sleep.
I didn’t eat icecream for lunch but I did eat WAY too much bread. One step forward. Another one today.
I will pop back in this rainy aft for personals.

Have a groovy day chicks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello, I'm new and have been invited to pop my head in here, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm having a very productive day today with exercise and chores so I'd better dash off and do some more of them! I've done some painting and I've mowed the lawn, but there's cleaning to do. Oh, and I ran 5k this morning :) I'll be back though...

:wave: Welcome new bunny YP1 - nice to have another runner on the thread. Good for you Holly - no ice cream and a whole load to the dump.

I'm right behind you... it's also a rainy day here and by the end of the day, house will be clean, laundry done and a number of boxes in the garage emptied and cleaned out.

Gotta run...

YP1 ~wow!! that is beyond productive!!! Tig is a runner too and her hubby Slim.

Weehee Happy, happy unpacking!!!! Glad you are feeling better too! Busy week for you. Hope the work load doesn't double, ack!

Shad~ our temps are about the same. We did drop to 0 one night but it is back up. Still too cool to plant veg tho. Hope your weekend is peaceful!

Meadow~ how are things today? Masbe we need a buddy system to give each other a kick in the pants!

Teel~ glad you are getting things sorted out at home!
Linus~ how's the packing, family and wee baby??
Mel????? Getting worried here! Hope all is mending.

Hello to everyone else!!

Spoke to Mel yesterday after playing phone tag for a couple of hours. She is okay and is presently braving a series of doctors all of whom have varying reports of nastiness and osteoporosis. From what I can gather, the pap smear is fine, there is osteo developing in the spine, the trauma from the accident is slowing going away but it will be a long haul and she is being advised to try doing the normal things but only until she tires or gets numbness or pain. Not to stretch it. I fear our Mel will be able to come to the forums, make an entry and maybe copy that entry to the journals. I do not think she will be able to make the 101 comments, dispense sympathy, sing or otherwise chat as she did. For her age and the disability she has, she is apparently quite strong, but that is nowhere near where the rest of us are as you all know. We will have to learn that to have Mel with us and not commenting is far, far better than not having Mel at all. And if we want to keep her with us and posting, we will have to accept that she can only do so much and not take offence at her not replying to a question or commenting on an action.
Welcome YP1, so good to have you on board. I see you are in Leeds. I remember being there once in 2000 I think it was. I see you run, well good for you. I run only on treadmills at the moment. I will get back to running outside, it is a vastly different animal from the treadmill and here I can only go out in winter. Gets too hot in summer even at 4.00am. Look forward to you coming back to get to know us.

Happy, I have to agree with you about the way children are brought up. Now I know there are some good ones out there - plenty of them, but the minority always make it bad for the majority and so we view them all with suspicion and they give it right back. I despair of some of the loutish behaviour now apparent in our city streets and the nightclubs - how anyone can enjoy those I don't know. But then I was raised in gentler times and our endeavours - the things we invented, discovered, got away with, the boundaries we pushed were the springboard for the things the kids are doing today. Unfortunately and ultimately, we are the perpetrators of todays crime waves - we invented so many 'fun' things that the kids have never had to use their imaginations, never had to do without, never known what it was like to have to put your mind to the problem of how do I get/ make/ imagine 'that'. Mind you the so-called 'do-gooders' who told us we could not smack the child, chastise the child or make the child eat/ do/ say what was within the bounds of propriety, honesty and good old fashioned courtesy have a lot to do with it as well - not to mention dishonest politicians, weak judicial systems and making the police force more or less ineffectual. BRING BACK COMMON SENSE is what I say.

Steps gracefully off the soapbox to let someone else have a go.

Another blooming beautiful day in the great south east. From my spot at the computer I can see the 'Radio Times' rose in all its pink glory greeting me for the day. There is no breeze so I can't smell it's luscious perfume. The temps are about 15 and will rise to 25 and I am having a barbecue lunch for friends on the patio. We will have herb crusted leg of lamb, roasted pork leg roll and a marinated chicken along with caesar salad, mixed green salad with fresh herbs and potato and onion bake. I have to use up the cos lettuces in the garden because they are about to run off to seed. I have some herb and cheese bread to serve with it.
Part of the reason for lunch is just because and the other because Russell is going to write the story of what was in my shed but is there no longer for the insurance company and Tim will sign it as my Justice of the Peace. Then maybe I will be able to replace (some of) the things that were stolen. Next week if I can find some time, I had best get someone around to put in a gate down the side of the house so the shed can not be easily got at. There is of course the other side of the house, but as yet I don't want to go to that expense. I will make do with temporary arrangements until I get to the front yard project - hopefully sometime this winter. Meantime the shed is locked on every conceivable portal and it is a pain to always have to wander out the back with a set of keys on my person.
Yesterday saw all the washing done, folded, ironed and put away. I also chipped off some more tiles in the front door foyer and brushed down the walls in the foyer and front room ready for the undercoat which I am about to go and do when coffee is finished and this novel is also done.

Which I think it is. So off to the paint brush and roller. Tonight I shall have stark white walls and windows, grotty floor and door (a new front door is on order) and the shower screen finally fixed in place instead of temporary, smell of paint and barbecue and be a really happy fulfilled Shaddie pup. This will be a great leap forward in the project saga of the HOUSE which has been going on for far too long.

That is good news about Mel. A little Mel is WAAAAAY better than no Mel at all. Maybe it is her time to receive all the comments , support and songs!! Big warm hugs and LOVE our Melly!!!!!!!

Shad~ you sound wonderful!!

Honies, I'm Home!
 

Before I forget...Hello and a big welcome to YP1 and what is your first name?!?!!?? :?: or nickname? Should we call you YP for short!? :lol:

:wave: You are Mel-less no longer. The ***** is back! :rofl: Albeit maybe not in the same condition but back nonetheless. I see sister Shad has told the Good, Bad and Ugly. She has been a rock in my life as are you all. Spent some time crying and genuinely feeling sorry for myself but today I decided that was enough. 2 days of Drs and painful poking and prodding was what started the crying. Now it's time to grin and bear it and get on with my life. Came home with new prescriptions for back and such. they even sent me home with 120 codeine for JIC!!! And this Dr hates narcotics of any kind! :rofl: Hope they all do what they are intended to do. Not the codeine, the others. lol I use a chest strap to hold myself in the chair now so I can type. Relieves the pressure of trying to sit up and use my arms. They also are sending me something that looks like a giant enema bulb!!! :faint: :rofl: It's for putting air into my lungs and expanding the lower region so breathing should be better when I get going on that 3X's a day. Some of the Drs I have not seen for 8 years and were impressed with my weight loss.....of course they poo poo'ed the "diet" and said I am probably at a permanent plateau. We will see....ever the optimist am I. :lol:

I have missed you all very much. I didn't dare turn this on and when the kids were using it I stayed in the other room watching TV. It's the first time that I actually stayed off when told!!! Guess the fear of God got me this time! :lol3:

Poor Willy feels so much better now that I went shopping with him twice. He uses the brake a LOT more than he ever did!!! I am still tense when riding now. Got the fear of ever feeling that kind of pain again in my head yet. Guess it will fade away eventually.

I read the pages and am so sorry for your losses of life. Hugs to you and hope all is as welll as can be expected. some struggles going on too and hugs for them too. I well know the feeling! such busyness and activity too! New houses, new people. Let's try not to scare this one away! :rofl:

I must go and find something to do that doesn't involve arms! :yikes: :dizzy: Take care my Worldly Chicks and Have a great week. Thanks for all the good wishes. :lol:

:?: Where is Nae?!?!?! :?:

Hi -call me YP, that's what I usually go by but it wouldn't let me register a 2 letter user name. It's nothing to do with my real name, but on the first message board I signed up on on the internet many years ago I chose a 2 word name with the initials YP. It made sense in the context of where I was posting, but elsewhere it's just too confusing. So I ended up calling myself YP, which is what everyone on the original board calls me anyway. And the P stands for Pie which probably isn't the best thing to post here under in case it sets off cravings!

I've spent the day fighting (and beating cravings), but I've got a horrible feeling that if I've got any unhealthy food in the house I'll be finding it later. I think I'm safe though, so as long as I can resist walking up to the shop for chocolate I'll be fine (and that's exercise anyway...)

Evenin' Chicks!

I have been in a bit of an emotional train wreck. i journalled about it yesterday, a couple of entries.
Lets just say I have had some closure with one of my "what's eating me" issues. I am working at releasing it......fly away..........
My emotions have been all over the place today. Swinging from extreme happiness to deep anxiety. Church this morning was very emotional and powerful for me. I am feeling incredibly close to my husband and children. I went to give my Grandma a perm today and was there for 3 hours. It was peaceful being there. I actually fell asleep when she was under the dryer. I feel sad but haven’t put my finger on why. I am focussing on the positive things in my life, like you chicks, and the appreciation I get from our minister, and school principal for the work I do those places.It seems that every time I let go of part of my past I find a new deeper connection with my husband. I love that.
This is the life I dreamed of as a little girl and the life I waited for and then fought for....dreams do come true. I will let my heart be filled with the blessings of my marriage and sweet babies.

Peers in at the worldly chicks and sighs...
 

MEL! Welcome back to the fold!! You were totally missed :) So good that you are taking good care and things are looking up for you. It takes a strong person to realize that they need to take it easy and give their body time to catch up with their mind. Good energy for your continued recovery :D :goodluck:

YP-Welcome to the bunch :dizzy: I hope you win your cravings battle and went to bed instead :p I ate five oreos with double filling and great big gulps of tea. I'm a work in progress :devil:

Holly-it isn't easy being human is it? So much ticking over in our heads. All that swirling bunch of unexpected feelings and odd turns. I hope the sun shines on your side of Canada and your Monday is a glorious fun filled day. Don't take any guff from the little ones, smile and say no! They love boundaries :cool:

Shad-I appreciate very much you keeping us up on Mel's journey to wellness. It is awful not knowing and wondering. Your barbecue sounded majorly yummy, I hope your friends were hungry and helpful with the clean up ;) I had some "yellow tail" Australian wine last night, a merlot, thought of you :) Your home sounds like it is looking sparkling and pristine in its transformation to perfection. Well done you! Determination not only with the workouts but the environment sprucing up :cheer:

Happy-Sleep apnea, hmm, I'm glad yours isn't too serious. I've heard that can be quite an awful disruptive thing. So you are recommitting to the weight focus? I wish I was a better encourager. Thank you so much for your kind words about my decline into cookiedom. I am struggling with trying to focus on me and being kinder to my machine that keeps me upright and pumping, got to generate the cells to function at a higher rate and on better fuel :o :p You know how that is :s:

Well I went up to investigate what was happening with the house. The builder put the bathroom sinks at the side of the counters by the wall instead of in the center of the vanities... looks awful. The counter tops have to be replaced and redone, big waste of money. Of course, the builder is a buddy of my husband's so I am not to say anything about it looking ridiculous and what was he thinking and are you an idiot, nobody can wash there face in those basins, their elbow will hit the wall!! The guy who was hired to put the moldings in banged up all the newly painted walls downstairs and in the stairway. I am not to complain or say anything about that either because he is a good friend of the builder and the guy my husband is going to hire to smooth out all the dirt and stuff outside the house. Do you ever feel like you are being muzzled and like a volcano about to blast molten lava everywhere?! This is why I had the five oreos when I came home. I tried to resist by eating a sandwich and having a cup of tea, but my undeveloped coping skills required sugar. On the good side, the tile guy, also a good buddy of my husband :^: has done a beautiful job of putting in my tile floors. Even the hall and kitchen which are straight rather than on an angle like the other rooms looks good. He did a little detail work where the kitchen table is to go with a square and some cuts, so it doesn't look so plain. The cream aluminum siding I chose looks really good, like a pale butter yellow on the outside of the house. So there are a few things going good. :twirly: :yes: Maybe I will have more positive stuff come out of this building/moving experience, I'll keep you posted :p :corn:

There now, I told you she would be back didn't I?? A bit sooner than I realised but hey, I am not complaining. Good to see you back Ms Mel.

Still eating the left overs from the barbecue. We had a good time but as usual I stuck far too much meat on the weber. I also had the fire a bit hot and the lamb wasn't quite as succulent as usual. The chicken was beaut tho. We had a good laugh and chat and drank some fairly vibrant French red.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed the Yellow-tail Meadow. Love the shape of the logo on the label. Always gives me a smile. Sometime or other you will get the urge to lose weight again Meadow, just hang in there. I admire your patience. I think I would have administered the cut to the proverbial to the builder and belted the idiot supposed doing the trimmings and probably kissed the tiler - bless the man. What the heck did they think they were doing. No wonder you are feeling a tad stressed. Bet this never happened to AB when he was getting a house built!!! Have a couple of {{{{hug}}}} - sounds like you need them.

Holly - hugs to you as well. You've taken enough cr*p from the family. Time to let them go stew in their juices. Sounds like a nice quiet time with your Gran. You obviously needed the nap.

YP - Hope those cravings go away. I always find it best not to keep the bad stuff in the house because I know I will eat it.

There is some Camembert in my fridge just yelling my name. QUIET YOU! We didn't end up with cheese and crackers yesterday - just as we didn't eat the dip and veg to start with since there was so much food for the main course. What on earth I was thinking about I really don't know.

Okay, now my job is a bit strange I know and I whinge a fair amount about it, but todays little effort fair took my breath away.
Last week I worked long hours to get the documentation and movies done for training purposes. This morning I have my boss lady talk to me about my time sheet. Apparently I was supposed to ask permission to work over 42 hours per week. WTF!!! Do they want this bl**dy job done or not!. They've let the time go through but if I don't ask next time they won't pay the extra. Fine by me. I can work 42 hours a week without tears. It just means that they won't get the job finished on time. The man from the ministry can't believe it. He shook his head, and put his hands over his ears and eyes and muttered something that sounds remarkably like WTF is this project coming to! I wonder how they expect me to train for 7.5 hours a day and then organise the data and exercises for the next lessons. Osmosis????

Back to the gym tonight. Did 50 mins of weights, resistance and cardio. I would much prefer to do this in the mornings however if I did it would mean getting to work late. So I go in the afternoons and put up with the macho male of the species sleeping on the machines that I want to use. Well not exactly sleeping but you know what I mean. I have to admit that most of them are fairly okay, just a bit thoughtless. I really need a shower right now, but will finish here first and then go sort out the list of jobs for the week. I'm getting a bit slack on the household jobs at the moment and there just isn't enough time in the weekends to get everything done.

Have we lost Nae?? I know Tig reads and only comments once or twice a week - Hi Tig but it's ages since we heard from Nae. I hate missing good friends.

Well gotta go. Will be back tomorrow. Seeya

Hi Friends
 

I am so sorry for being MIA for so long, it has been quite a month for me. Miss Mel, it is soooo good to see you here again and hope that you are gaining some strength and getting some relief. Welcome to the newbies here this is a great spot to rest and laugh and gain inspiration from when needed.
Shad, your thoughts and concern for the gals here is always so great...thanks for being our best cheerleading and encourager...you are the best. Wish I could come and sit in your beautiful garden and drink a bottle of good French Red too!!!!!!!!!!!
LInus, you are so patient and have gone through so much I do hope the move is terrific for you and your family....how are you feeling and how is our little bump doing?
Since I returned from my trip I had been planning a surprise wedding reception for my mom and Andy.... my sister and Andy's daughter did lots of preplanning and we held it the first weekend in May. It turned out great we served over 90 people and my mom was so happy and surprised. It was a lot of work and I think I am still on the recovering end. Makes it more difficult when I have to travel. Anyway, mom and Andy came this weekend to Salmon to be with me and we had a good time. I am so happy for both of them.
So now I am back and trying to get organized and into my routine again. I need to get back to some good eating patterns and I had my old old bike redone to ride so I am going to try to ride at least 4 days a week.
Meadow hope the house turns out and you can relax a bit and look forward to the move...change is always a challenge!
Holly you sound good and the issues with families never goes away we just learn how to cope in different ways.... just remember changing others is not ever going to happen but being able to love sometimes the unlovable is a valuable gift we can give to ourself.
Happy you new place sounds so nice and the garden must be exciting to see what is going to bloom next. I am sorry you suffered so with you cold hope you can enjoy the coming summer without and discomfort.
Tig what is on the race curcuit for the summer for you and your hubby?
Teel, you sound so busy and it great to be looking forward to a trip soon. I think the planning and dreaming about a vacation is enjoyable. I can hardly believe I just got back from one with all the events in my life since my return.
If I have missed someone please forgive me.... I am going to be around now since I am hoping my life slows to a slower pace for a few weeks.
Losing weight and facing the difficulties that come with it .... is much more bearable when friends like all of you are there to understand. I take such comfort just knowing when I got back....... here there all of you would be!
Thanks for being great inspiring woman the help encourage each other!
Many Blessings,
Peace,
Nae

Thank you for sharing your wisdom dear friends!!!!
A new day, fresh start and a clear head!!!!!!!
I had a short deep sleep last night. Woke up with a huge realization.
If my aunt and parents have a problem with me from when I was a child and are still holding a grudge they really need to look to themselves. They obviously did not handle it effectively and certainly did not bring my failings to my attention or discipline me or teach me a better way to be. I have raised myself since I was 10 years old and I learned mostly through trial and error.I did okay as far as I am concerned.

My weight is way down,228 again. I am feeling great and in control. Food has been good, easy actually. No snacking, no sweets.

I do have a bit of an emotional hangover.
Storytime today. A full house of kids(8). It is very tidy.Good place to start from.
I did get the 2nd coat of paint on the stairs!!!! Feeling good about that.

Love to you chicks!!

Holly~ I have only one aunt left now but even SHE has never recognized me as the adult I am. they always judged me by my youth and Gram spoiling me. so I was outspoken in some ways then that they didn't like. Well too bad.....that was then and this is NOW! ((((((HUGS)))))) sending you hugs for the woman you have become!

Meadow~ Oreos of all things!!!When I crave things I like bakery stuff and cakes and candy. Bread and pasta. etc Hope the stress with these idiot builders lessens and then you can concentrate on yourself better. Trying to keep your mouth shut while injustices are going on is a tough thing. Especially when it's your family"s money!!! Hope it's all over soon. Remember that YOU are worth taking the time to get healthy and eat right!

Happy~ You sound like you've been through the mill! Glad the visit with Mom was good and how did she like the house and area?! You and the DH were very nice to help her out but I agree with you about the kid. He needs a cuff along side HIS head! :lol:
Hope you are feeling much better now too. good luck with getting a "re-start"! Hang in there and think Healthy Heart!!!

YP~ Hope the cravings calm down and you didn't go down to the shop!! Hang in there.

Shad~ did they not realize that there would have been no deadline if you didn't work the 50?!?!? WTF maybe they have no conception of the length of time things take......they just issue orders! :faint: I did come back earlier than expected but I missed you and the others after we got off the phone. just can't seem to stay away:rofl:

Nae~ Was wondering yesterday where all your posts were!!! :lol:
Very nice idea of you to give that party. Mom and Andy must have been so pleased. Hope you find time now to get yourself going and a routine of sorts. That's what I'm trying to do now! :lol: Good to see you back!

Teel~ I am soooooo jealous even more now cause you get to see the new house up close and personal too! :lol: Also glad to hear about the shelves and such so you can get full use of the cupboard now. I could use an airing cupboard too! Have fun with the decorating.

Tig~ Are you chasing Slim down the beach?? I loved the fort idea and hope the Thugs enjoy themselves thoroughly. I always wanted one with my brother. Ever the Tomboy was I. always trying to prove friends, relatives and doctors wrong! Have a wonderful visit. And a new DIL to boot!! Good luck! Give her some marmalade to take home! :rofl: :ol3: :lol3:

Linus and Bump~ Please take good care of yourself whilst moving!!! We all know how you can throw yourself into a task!!!
aunt Fannie will be watching and clucking over you!

Today I am cooking but simple stuff. Going to get back on plan and pre-package my meals again. Also makes it easier during the week.
I start the back medicine on Wednesday. Hope there are no side effects! There is a list a mile long of them and also Do's and Don't's. :yikes: This chronic backpain is going to take some getting used to. I said in my journal that "no wonder senior citizens get cranky"!!! Walking around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame all day.:rofl:
HEIGH HO IT'S OFF TO THE KITCHEN I GO!
Have a wonderful day!

Mel~ it is soooo wonderful to have you posting!!! Thank you for your kind words. Actually thanks to ALL of you. I love and appreciate you very much.

I just recieved an email from my sister. About once a week I email family to let them know what we all up too.None of them ever reply. I did email about being sad about the anniversary of Ben’s death.
I am on a low dose anti depressant.
This is just crazy to me...maybe I am crazy.
Here it is!

Hi,
How’s it going? I have received some interesting information that struck close to home. I felt I needed to share it with you. I hope you use it to better educate yourself and don’t dismiss it.

Someone had just recently been dignosed with having anxiety and being borderline clinically depressed. They were put on antidepressents. Unfortunatlly they were the wrong meds or they were miss diagnosed. The person ended up in the hospital on life support after trying to commit suicide.

With doing further reseach I have discovered that this is a serious side effect of most antidepressents( mine being probally the highest ) I couldn’t remember the name of your medication so I couldn’t check it out. I hope you are still working in close contact with your doctor and trust his diagnose.

I would being lying to you if I didn’t let you that a few of your group emails you have sent out have worried me.
They sometimes are a little manic and I am concerned about your well being. I’m here to help and support you anyway that I can even if its just listening.

Talk to you soon, have a good week with all the little monsters. Are you planning to come to the cottage at all this weekend?

Tata for now
B

Teel, Thank you so much for sharing your story. It touches my heart. I am well through the worst of it at this time but part of my healing has been about standing up for myself and others do not like it. I have done what I can to reach out ,there is nothing more. I am sad but okay with it. My husband and children and I are doing great!!!! My families I babysit for truly love me ,I love them. I have true and wonderful friends here and a few in "real life" . I am blessed and I know it!!! The journalling and threads have been a great gift to me. I cherish them.

We had a wonderful visit and the newest DDIL is wonderful. Lots of fun. The four of us went to DisneyWorld and rode all the rollercoasters and other fun and water rides. We also did a couple of days at the beach with only a teensy pinkish on the Maine relatives who returned home this morning.

Rather than go to the race on Saturday, Slim and I ran in the neighborhood. I ran just shy of a 5K, but got the time in and worked on my technique. I'm trying to improve my pace. Our next race is May 28.

The thugs come back again this coming weekend. :dance:

I've been reading and lurking almost every day. Hugs to all who are struggling right now. And extra hugs to those who are overcoming the struggles!

Welcome back Nae and Teel and Mel -- Tig the lurker too! Thanks for the explanation about your friend Teel, I never would have figured it out without help, dumb as I am. Good to hear your plans for your mom's reception came out well Nae. Now just ease on down. Mel - are you getting your rest? Good thoughts to you? And Holly ... well all I can say is that sometimes people who care sure can't express themselves very well. I wouldn't put much into your sister's email. Thank her for her concern and respect the memory of your dear friend Ben. Sometimes we lose people in our lives and no amount of time or antidepressants can ease our tears. You are not crazy, if you are than I am too and ... well... geez sometimes that just makes me and you more fun, eh? Maybe that's why the little kids like us :)

Shad, I ALMOST can't believe that about the time sheet. Almost but I do. When did the working world get so crazy? I am very frustrated with my job too. How do they even expect that one person could handle so much? What happened to the "we believe in the importance of life balance... - just a bunch of hogwash". I tell you, it just brings down the whole attitude. :bomb:

Ok, I'm going to bed. 5 deep breaths and maybe I can sleep through the night and face another route of seismic challenges in the morning... Night chickies...

Anne, great to see you. I was wondering where you had got to around the site, haven't seen much of you for ages. Actually I was thinking about sending you an e-mail just to keep in touch. May still do so. Thanks for the bluebells in Glenariffe - yes I really remember that place. Time to come back for another walk down and up all those steps I think. Maybe next year.

Happy, so many people frustrated and unhappy people in the workplace. My man from the ministry has been quizzing me on Technical writing over the past couple of days. He is thinking ahead and has found that he doesn't want to go back to the days of old and is thinking of the next thing. Good for him, he is around late thirties I guess and coming to the conclusion that the project work is getting him out of a rut and into some other way of life. Mind you he will get a bit of a fright out in the wide, wide world away from the cushioning the Government gives.

Tig - sounds like a great time was had by all. Glad you got on well with the DIL. The thugs sound perfectly normal to me.

Hugs for Holly - hope you come to peace you deserve soon. Teel's story is an unusual one. You have to admire her for having the courage to tell it. I know she was very down to it a while back. It's good to have her back and smiling.

Nae - so good to have you back and chatting again. Sounds like you have been a busy little bee. How nice to put on a reception for your Mum. What a lovely person you are.

YP - where did you get to today? Did the cravings get the better of you and have run away with you?

Mel, hello friend. It's so good to see you back.

Nothing much happening today. DS2 is getting all the bits and pieces ready for the wee man who is coming to service my car over the weekend and I have had to find the paperwork for him. I've cleaned the bath and loo since I got home but thats about my day.

My bedtime cuppa is ready so off I go and will soon be in the land of nod.

Hi Mooz :wave: thanks for the quote and the lovely pic. Will try to focus on the positive today...

Am going on a facility tour tomorrow. Have to be at the meeting point at 7am - from there another 2 hours by car to the box plant. I'll be keeping Shad's hours - up way before the sun and the birds. :yikes: Not too easy for a night owl like me. I'd snooze in the car on the way up if I didn't snore so loud and scare my coworkers :rofl: So it's going to be a very early to bed night tonight.

Hope you all have a good day!

morning
 

Hello, hope everyone is fine to day. The rain has been so great the last few days maybe we can avoid some fire damage this year with the moisture. I finally got around to getting my tomato starts in pots on the deck but I have tons of other seeds to get going..... I am more of a container gardener here in the wilderness and sage brush country I live in.
My big effort is to try to drink more water during the day at work...so I have a nice bottle not too big at my desk. I am constantly trying to get my patients to drink more. The old pratice what you preach theory going into action. I have my bike fixed now and am going to take it with me to work in my van so that I can find some flat roads after work for a little spin when the rain stops..... my hill is tooooooo steep for me at this age but there are nice country roads around the office. So more water and more exercise for this week.
I need to also concentrate on the time right after work...not just come straight home ..... do some decompressing ...... it is the danger time for eating stupid stuff and not really thinking about it...... :dizzy:
Loved the pics that mooz posted....oh my heart was like you need to walk that forest someday! So many places I want to see and hills to hike.
Hope everyone has a great day and lets work toward the goals we set before us....but just simple things......
Take care everyone....
Blessings,
nae

Well, that spoke to me Mooz! Thanks!
Life goes on.......
I had a meeting at the school at 7 last night with our new principal about the handbook and then scooted to the church for a congregational meeting. We are sorting out some communication issues. Setting up a person to connect with who will connect with the minister.It might end up being me with a team.
Out of the blue after the meeting my co SS person, started talking about what a loving and patient parent I am and how lucky my son is to have me for a parent.She said it bring tears to her eyes to see how much work I put into keeping him grounded and connected and happy. She went on to tell me how much my home reflects how much I love my husband and children and how it is like walking into a warm hug when you come in the door, it is an oasis of love.
My heart needed that!

My daughter was up sick to her tummy from 1am on. I am tired. Lots of thinking time. DH and I were up late talking too. He said all the right things.He “gets” me. That’s a good thing, lol, cause he is stuck with me. We really connected.
I wrote my Grandma a card and mailed it,telling her how much she means to me and how much I love her. I put her pic on my desktop on the computer to remind me of what matters.
I blocked the other’s email and IM.
There is a layer of sadness but not pain.
4 kids today, including DD( should be in school). She just woke up and is laying on the couch.
I really didn’t eat yesterday. Some fruit and crackers, lots of water and tea( chamomile). Unusual because I eat a lot when I am sorting through big emotions. Maybe it is really shifting.

My love to you glorious women.

Hi, sorry I'm still here, just trying to get a handle on who's who.

I did beat the cravings quite impressively, and I've been eating relatively decent stuff, with no chocolate thankfully! This time next week though, I'll be well and truly off plan in a taverna in Greece hopefully though!

(OK, I'll try to be better than I usually am on holiday, but I'm not going to be strict. After all I know I can get it back off again...)

Morning all,
I'm sitting here at my desk watching the good people of Brisbane go about their daily business and a few leaning on the railings having a smoke and not doing any business as well. The cop shop down the road a bit is busy, some action going on there today - makes a change!
I shouldn't be doing this, but hey, by the time I get home brimming full of ideas of what to say in my posts, get my dinner, feed the pusscat, do the daily chores and turn on the computer and tv, the ideas are gone and the brain is saying things like - get off the grass, I want to go to sleep, not think anymore.

Good to see you again YP - it seems we have the habit of frightening off folk - don't know why, we are fairly harmless and always friendly - apart from the odd times of strife and passion - usually to do with religion or politics when we get into strife, so I try hard not to make comments about presidents, prime ministers, mp's or the church.
Actually I did put together a piece on who was who at one time for some one else. Wonder if I could find it again. Basically we have Canadians (Holly and Meadow), we have Americans (Happy, Mel, Tig and Roseblush), we have the Brits (Teel, Linus and now you and on occasions Mooz from Northern Ireland). We know the Poms are not to be confused with the Scots and the Irish or the Welsh if we had any with us. And now you come from the North which is not to be confused with the rest of England either. There's me, holding up the flag of the Antipodes and the weight of you lot up top - being a New Zealander living in Australia. Sometimes there are others but they come and go. I'm sure you will sort us out soon.
I went to your blog earlier and see you are a traveller like me. That's great. I wish sometimes that I lived withing flying distance of a place to go to for the weekend like you have. Here is takes five hours just to get to the other side of the 'island' while flying. 24 hours straight driving and you should get to Perth or somewhere in Western Australia.

Holly - so nice to get a great compliment like that. Should lift your spirits tremendously.

Meadow - thank you for the nice words in my journal. How about just pretending that I am standing behind you bullying you on to exercise and eating well. I'm the voice over the shoulder when you shop and the pain you feel behind the ear when you pick up something off the shelf I don't like. Get on the bike and give me five minutes - that's all, I'm not asking for a lifetime commitment, just 5 measly minutes 300 seconds if you like the sound of that better.

Teel, I hope you took some pictures of the place before he started as well. I like the before and after shots to show me how well I have done and how different the place looks. Have a good time with the folks tomorrow.

Roseblush - you do need to walk in that forest in Glenariffe. :dance: Not someday either - one day soon. It is a beautiful peaceful place - one of the Glens of Antrim in Northern Ireland. Mooz lives at the end of the last of the Glens - 7 or 9 I forget how many there are. Lovely, lovely place to visit.

Happy - enjoy that tour of the facilities. It may give some insight into why you are doing what you do. It is also a day out of the daily grind of the office - not to be missed. Sleep well my friend.

Better get off here and go do some work. A is yelling for my grammatical skills. Prepositions, adverbs, future imperfect, pronoun, noun and verb. Best I go remember what they are. See you.

Shad-you know I wish you were behind me telling me to "put down the cookies and move it!" Rub off on me will you? Please!! Too bad my head voice doesn't have a sterner disposition :p sigh, only had three cookies today, two less than yesterday. When they are all gone, not by me alone, stop that laughing... I will channel my frustrations and feelings of lameness into some other focus. Rotten sugar, temporary relief with not much satisfaction.

YP-OH! off to Greece! Nice, very nice. I hope you have a splendid time and get lots of time on the water enjoying the scenery. Shirley Valentine movie just flashed through my head, I love Pauline Collins :)

Holly-you know you are fabulous as a person, mommy and wife. Nice to hear it said by people outside the circle though isn't it? Sounds like more responsibility is headed your way, do you want it? Remember you can say "NO" it will not hurt but a second and then you can plan your own schedule of stuff to do:D

Happy-are you in the car? are you still driving? Yikes, keeping Shad hours would do me in, I hope you had your vitamin this morning and are keeping your energy up with a nice crispy apple. Back away from any sugar offerings, don't let them catch you ;)

Teel-your builder sounds so helpful and listens to you. You are very lucky! Mine is a big headache that I'm not allowed to talk to in case he winds up hospitalized as a result of some of my punctuation :lol3: What a clever idea to make a cubby hole to put your scooter in, very cool.

Mel-did you get out today? How goes it? Did the sun shine? Breathe.

Linus-Hey, what are you and the little passenger doing? Are you sleeping any better? Hope you are eating better anyway. ((((Good vibes))))

Nae-:waves: Drinking more water and riding the bike four times a week sound like doable goals for a go-getter like you! Good luck! I am cheering for you :cheer:

Tig-Way to go with the 5k just because you can! What a glorious thing to know you can run and sweat and feel good doing it! Revel in your accomplishment and pat yourself on the back for being such a wonderful, fit person who uses their body and pushes the limits. Does it feel great to know you can?

:kickcan: I am trying to get my head and my body in sync, funny how they thwart me. You would think they would be on my side :devil:

Beautiful sunny Wednesday morning!
Power snooze!! I love deep sleeps!!! No barfing children!
Yesterday was great. Fun with the kids. I started to dig a new flower bed along the shed.I will mostly put day lillies in I think and let them spread. It is 40 ft long and it is messy and ugly right now. It is more of a border to make it look nicer.
I found a roll of garden edging that at my Grandma’s that bordered her beds for ever and I will use it !!!
Got the floors washed yesterday. Went bike riding after supper. Still not eating much. Weird but nice. I went to the fridge a few times last night and turned around and sat down, uninterested. I had a small supper. Is this how other people eat?? Wow!!
No plans for today!
5 kids for the morning. DD and me for the aft.
I may go out an bask in the sun.


Here is today’s epiphany...I am honestly and truly the happiest I ever remember being in my entire life and parts of my extended family think I am abusive and off my rocker. Do ya think they would know happiness if it jumped up and bit them on the ***??? I dont think they want me to be happy.......It would be better if I was stuck with my head up my butt and be the same as them. I just realized how much I shake up their shaky foundation and they are scared and isn’t fear what all the negative stuff in this life boils down to?

another Humpy Wednesday
 

Yesterday I had a chance after food shopping to see another Dr for a 2nd opinion of how to handle everything. We seemed to be on the same page.....time is needed for the bus thing and "get used to it" was the advice for the back. He was also impressed with my outlook, health and weightloss. We have crossed paths before but never as Dr/patient. I need to keep spreading out the heavier tasks and not do too much all in one day. Take the pills when I cannot stand it or so I can sleep if it worsens. He finds that if our roles were reversed that he would not be as happy as me. I told him that if I were a man I would be happy just to pee standing up and not worry about what position the toilet seat was in!!! He was cracking up and when I left there were a lot of nurses wondering what was going on. :rofl: I came home happy and changed chairs and went for a lovely ride. Weather here is just right....not too hot or cold.
I need to get cooking this weekend and decide on another routine.....something to fit my new needs.(sigh)

Teel~ Hope the friend is better and sure she is with visits from a good friend as yourself.

Nae~ Good to see you here and getting ready to ride!!!

Tig~ I will cheer you on for May 28th :encore: thanks for the hug.

Happy~ Hope work eases up a bit.....are you sure you and Shad are not working for the same company??

Shad~ Hope you get a break too. all this lamb talk is making my mouth water.....could I be the 102nd use for the leftovers?!?!? :lol3:

Holly~ Just always remember that YOU matter!!! People who love and RESPECT you will let you "grow" to your heart's content and be happy for you. :D

Linus??!?!? YP?!?!?!? :wave: hello to you too

Miss Mooz~ Always a pleasure to see you here and thanks for the Motivator!! A good reminder. Loved the bluebells and wish I was driving through the hillside myself!!! :encore: Take care.

Well kids......... :ink: That's all folks :ink:

Holly, go plant those day lillies! We have a number of them that popped up behind the bushes. They are so pretty, it's a shame they are covered by the bushes. What were they thinking when they planted them where they did? :dizzy: And I think you are right, some people who are miserable love to be miserable and hate anyone else to be happy. Foo on them! As you know attitude is everything...

Meadow, are those cookies gone yet? Take a walk outside and hand them out to the neighbors -- anything to get rid of them. I admire people who can pour mustard or salt on things so they don't eat them. Me, I just can't bring some things into the house. Period.

Nice to hear that you're out crusing again Mel. Talk about someone with a great attitude - it's you!

Well I got up at 4am today. :yawn: actually I woke up 15 minutes before the alarm so it made getting up easier. Ok, so I will admit that yes, it is nice to get up early, get things done and still have the day well ahead of you. So Shad's got a definite point there that can't be argued. However, I got home from my trip and had to take a short nap as I was really sleepy. Maybe I could force myself to be a morning person, but do I want to? :rofl:

We are having some landscaping work done out back. They removed the old broken railroad ties which they said were full of termites :yikes: Now there's a stone wall that curves around the back and a nice stone pathway. Some new grass instead of the mangy mudfest and it's looking quite good. They even tilled an area for the climbing roses, clematis and will till the garden area for me. Not sure I'm going to get anymore veggies in - most of the plants are long gone from the nursery, but I can transplant my tomatoes that are in sore need of a bit more room and a nice trellis to climb on. The yard is starting to look quite the peaceful Zen garden that I hate to leave each morning on my way to the car and another fun day at the "zoo" we call an office.

Keep the faith chickies, I'm off for 40 winks...

Happy~ I gotta dig up the rest of the bed first!!! It is a long weekend for us here. Queen Vic's Birthday. 3 days of gardening and good weather coming up!!!
Teel~ you sounds wonderful!!!! Nice it was a lovely visit. I am glad you stayed in bed and rested this morning!!

HUGS to everyone!!!!!

Teel~ Glad the day was OK and hope the weather warms up! :yikes: It's cool here a bit but great "driving" weather! :rofl:
We both could use some "magic" pills! :lol3:

Holly~ Hugs back to you!

Happy~ I will think of you at 7am when I am rolling over! :rofl: Woman....get those buns exercising you Southern Wench!!! Termites! :faint: YIKES!!!! Hope they left the property with the ties!!! :rofl: Happy gardening!

Shad~ I was a good Sis today. :rofl: Hope your day was better and you didn't bleed the company for too much overtime. glad you got permission from the High Mucky Muck. WTF :rofl:
Bet you'll be glad to see the weekend come!!!!

I went shopping and the PRICES are just getting more ridiculous all the time. Tuna steak is over $8 a lb now and there were no grapefruits in sight! I got ground turkey and chicken breasts instead along with strawberries, grapes and apples. I am going back on my plan on Monday so I'll cook over the weekend and get ready. I really want to see if I can jump start the metabolism one last time! ROFLMAO One more load of wash bit the dust today and I should be done with the Mountain of Wash by Xmas!!!
:merry: One can only hope! At least all the sheets and knickers are done!!! Those are the most important. I also spent a lot of time outdoors but this damn wind was a bit much today.
Have a great night:flow1: and good Morning Sunshine!:flow2:

Meadow~ I am not sure how I do this but I mised a bunch of posts somehow! Hope the body and mind got in sync today or at least made a great attempt at being friends!!!! good luck....I too go that route from time to time!

YP~ Good to see you back and have a wonderful time in Greece. I envy you too as I had always wanted to go there......or Egypt. I think I have had many past lives! :rofl: Hope it's a grand time!

Now I see Shad wad daydreaming ou the window and saw uniforms and I missed it all!!! How can that be as I usually smell a uniform at forty paces!!!

Holly is amongst the lilies and I am just glad that I am NOT pushing up daisies! :rofl:

OK I am really going this time! Love to you all one last time!:encore:

Oh give me a home, where the wild critturs roam, and the flowers and veges will grow.
I don't wish to see On Demand or SAP
As long as I last on this earth.

Sorry, having some 'magic moments' here between, SAP, OnDemand, the Portal and Microsoft. Apparently (according to St Guru upstairs) Explorer is having a rights to territory and space battle with OnDemand and the Portal has corrupted the bus (hello, earth to guru). I just got a message that said - aborted, Pure Virgin Function Call. Excuse me? I wouldn't have thought that virgin and aborted went in the same sentence! Oh I see, its a fancy way of saying the system is stuffed! Hmmm. Now why didn't I think of that.

Didn't post last night because of having to have a 'few words' in my journal. There was someone who needed a bit of a speech. I think, there were a few raised eyebrows judging by the comments as well. Also last night was a series of storms and hail stones. We never got the hail but the young guy here at work was telling me the hailstones damaged his girlfriends car. He lives a bit north of the city. I went to the hairdresser and got the wool shorn and the rain was so heavy I could hardly see to drive. Thunder and lightning were the order of the day.

Having some problems here with bodily functions - sorry if this is too much information. But it is becoming painful. I've tried to be good and I haven't really worked out what is causing the problem, but it is a dratted nuisance. Time to get it sorted before it gets too painful.

Weight is up and down again!!! I know I shouldn't worry about it every day, but it is a habit and I don't care too much until the end of the month. I seem to be static again.
JASON !!!!!!! Mind you if I didn't eat the birthday morning teas, and I didn't munch from time to time then maybe..............

Holly - way to go on those day lilies. You can get some really lovely ones now, lovely colours etc. Need a picture of the fruit salad basement and the day lily border one day.

Mel - glad to see that you have decided to behave today. Haven't been in to look at many comments so far, but haven't seen you there either so that's good. Have a good drive in the park or shop or whatever you are doing today. 1 load of laundry per day is plenty for anyone.

Happy - landscaping sounds good. Pics when done please - got some bird pics from your DH this morning. Love those woody woodpeckers, what marvellous colours and feather patterns. You watch the sunsets, I'll keep you posted on the sunrises - that way we will always have something to talk about. It's our differences that set us apart from each other. Still I'm glad you did see some good in the early part of the day.

Teel - good to see you up and about and I'm glad the visit to the folks went okay. I love going to the beach and cliffs when the wind is blowing hard and whipping up the waves etc. It's a purely primeval elemental feeling and I come out of it all hyped up and ready for action. Pity there are not many cliffs around here. Have to travel to find a cliff or two, or go 'overseas' to Moreton or Stradbroke Island. They have the odd one or two.

Right better get off here and find out what A wants me to do next along with 4 chapters of G's work and a whole heap of my own.

I'll leave you with a couple of quotes which seem to sum up the situation.

In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.
Whatever women must do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.
and:
A man's got to do what a man's got to do. A woman must do what he can't.

So as the saying goes: The impossible I can do straight away. Miracles may take a little longer.

'Bye

Weekend is ALMOST here. The Dearest Thugs will be picked up by Slim tomorrow afternoon at the "Half-Way Point" so their parents can work on their house over the weekend. So far they've done Painting, Cleaning Out the Toys and .... hmmm... I don't remember what the Excuse for This Weekend is. :rofl:

I have been so consumed by the project at work that I've really gotten behind in my treadmill time and running time. I know that my Sweat Time really makes a difference as far as my ability to deal with the stresses at work. Good thing that tomorrow is Friday so that I can ponder that Exercise Fact. (Okay, I don't know what that means either, but it sounded, well, Profound. :lol: )

It's great to see you back, teel & mS'Melly. I'm missing Linus+Bump. Is something going on that Linus is reluctant to tell us because we were so Fussy last time? Somebody check, please. But don't promise that we won't be Fussy. :D

Shad, I love that you are so handy around your house. You are absolutely my hero. If I come to visit you, I won't be afraid to pick up one of those tools to help out. And you can always count on me to clean. I drive my cleaning ladies crazy when I clean after they do. A good day for them is when I can't find anything - well, much - to clean after they've been here. A Comment - about to your too personal in reference to body functions: If it weren't for running, well... So you are doing great with your food and fiber and water. I spend a lot of my time in meetings. Running is the only thing that really makes a difference for me. It must be gravity and moving the lackadaisical intestine around... okay, TMI. But still, 5Ks are worth more than just a t-shirt! :rofl:

Dear Happy, Holly, Meadow :hat: I'm fading fast so just wanted to give you a special salute.

To every one else: :cp: Keep after it. Reat, as Linus says. :cheers:

Being a woman makes me want cookies
 

Just a quickie because the kids are hounding me today. I got my period yesterday so I am blaming hormones as well :p Funny how the cookies don't appeal anymore. The power of the human innards :lol3:

Mel-good to hear you are out and about allowing your hair to fly in the wind. Sounds like a grand time. Sorry the tuna steaks are so dear, there must be a shortage, blame the dolphins :rofl:

Shad-you sound done in! rotten tech stuff, silly people I hope your weekend is marvellous and you get lots of sunshine.

Holly-doing anything for the long weekend? I'm not:p nothing much ever happens here. My clematis "nelly moser" is blooming like I gave it manure (I didn't) huge blossoms. Gave one with a couple of the "joseph coat" rose blooms to my daughter's teacher, he was looking done in and in need of something to cheer himself up.


Teel-talk about a flying visit. Was there a timer on you guys. It all sounds like you had a check list and were like the "carry on gang" scrambling to fit everything in. Poor dear with the tummy passenger giving her the urps. That must have been fun on the car trip :) Hope you are relaxing and taking it easy today.

Happy-OH! a landscaper... I want one!! How terrific, does he listen to you? What a handy kind of person to have. I am picturing gravel pathways, hostas, bluebells... wait, wasn't that Mooz's field? You going to create one for yourself? Your garden is sounding like a park to me, just beautiful. Congratulations on moving to such an awesome place.

Got to go, I'm getting as bad a Mel :p

Meadow~I will be gardening, gardening ,painting the storage area floor??? and gardening. May 2-4 is all about the veggie patch.Still digging the new bed. The oldest bed is ready to divide and share. I planted my first clematis last year and it did nothing. In fact it looked dead but it springing to life!
A little more even keeled today. Literally 1 hour sleep last night.I was directed to a "therapy" site for disfunctional families. I read A LOT gave me some peace actually.
Season finale of ER tonight, Carter's last show...SOB!!

Tig~ waving back. Have fun with the thugs.
Mel~ consider yourself bombarded with snowballs.Christmas???? Already??? Can I have summer first????
Shad~ I have pics I need to mail them to a friend to get scanned. I am very last century in the camera dept.

HI to everyone!!!!!!

Morning
 

Hi Everyone, shad the critters live here with me on the hill....come sit awhile and let that tension roll right off your back. Love the quotes. My Quad friend is speaking for the graduating class this year and I heard her speech yesterday...wow everyone could use a copy of that one for inspiration and possibilities.
I have been doing great on the water this week....hurrah for me! I have a nice bottle that actually hold 16.8 oz so I have been drinking and filling it 5 times during the day. Today I have to fast and only have ice chips til I get my blood drawn at the Health Fair.... I am working too so I will have to slip out of the office somtime this morning and go get poked!
My buddy Bill, a former patient came up yesterday and is going to help me spray for knap weed...it is a blight on the western landscape so that will be nice. Bill is the greatest guy...... I wish I was older or he was younger.... but his intelligence and kindness are so attractive to me.... whenever I am with him it is always so interesting....thinking of having him up for dinner on Sunday.
Mel so glad you got out and went shopping and those dr. should be impressed with a great courageous and spirited woman like you. What are yo cooking for the coming week?
Do hope that LInus is fine and that the move goes smoothly....report in so we can stop worrying about you and Bump!
I am riding in a bike fun thing on Saturday....hope I can still walk after it. Trying to figure out a pack so Teeka can ride along. We'll see! I got my old schwin running good now.
Am anticipating the birth of my robins under my deck this weekend too I think. I love having something so great in view and the mother sits so patiently even when I am out on the deck banging around with my plants. Hopefully the nasty racoons will not come a callin'.
Everyone take good care this weekend.
Blessings to all,
Nae