Ramona-How beautiful. Your mother will love it. She will somehow know. God bless you.

Ramona, such a lovely message... your mom is still with you in your heart, thank goodness the two of you had a good relationship. We never truly know what it is like to lose a dear one we treasure until the time actually comes... then it is so much worse then we ever imagined. Bless you sweetie, you are a wonderful daughter.

Ramona: What a lovely sentiment. I believe your mother is smiling down on you daily!

Today the attorneys at my office took us out for a very nice luncheon at the "Country Club" for Administrative Day. It was a very nice time and the weather couldn't be better also. They also gave us each a hanging planter, very lovely.

Sherry & Gayle: The two of you sound like you are about the same size I am. I am 5'4" so it is hard to hid any extra pounds so it sure shows. I eat, eat, eat these days and have let myself go so horribly.. and OMG my clothes don't fit and I only have a few outfits I can squeeze myself into (size 18). (I refuse to buy any larger sizes). Maybe we can all jump back on this new WOL Plan and get back on track together! What do you say?

Shelley: How are your folks? Are they doing okay after their move? I am sure it is nice for you having them fairly close now. You sound like you keep a tight rein on your eating habits. Great Job!!

Sherry: I hope you are taking care of yourself. You have been sick so much this year. Please, Please take care of yourself. We all love you dearly!!

Debbie: How are things going your way? I keep hoping to make a trip to see you and Sherry, but with all the family stuff, I don't seem to get very far from home. I think of your often.

Dee: How are things with you? It is starting to warm up here a bit in Ohio (I hope it stays that way this time). Are you feeling okay these days?

I am writing this at work so I better sign out of here before I get into trouble. It is good to be back with all my friends again. I will be with my mom & dad spending the night tonight but hope to be back here again tomorrow.

Have a great night ladies.

Wow it is great to come here and read all the new posts.

Ramona what a special message. Did you write it yourself? It is beautiful. I will give my mom a big hug for you when I see her Mother's Day. Know that I will be praying for you to be touched by your Mother's spirt. How do you feel about Ben moving?

Gayle I don't remember if I commented to you about your friends picture that fell and your dream about her. I believe we are able to dwell with our friends and family in the after life. I am sure that she was sending you a message telling you that she is still with you. I hope that your mom does well with her treatments. I am sure that they will not pusher past her limit. You sure have had a tough time the last few months. My prayers are with your SIL. It has to be one of the toughest things to go through.

Sherry how are you feeling today? I was called to be interviewed for jury duty just after I had heart surgery. I was able to get out of it because of health reasons. I really wouldn't have wanted to go anyways. I am to emotional. I would have done it for my civil duty though. Sherry you need to get a plan and start feeling better about yourself. Why not do a food journal for now until you are feeling better. I find even if I am not trying to lose weight at the time if I have to be accountable for what I eat I eat less. Won't hurt giving it a try.

Shelley so how is that vacuum? Do you like it? Do you have big plans for Mother's Day? Are your parents happy with their new place?

Carol I am glad to see you have been posting lately. It sounds like you had a wonderful time at the luncheon. My back is still really bad, it is just as painful as before surgery. The good news is my leg works much better and I walk with only a slight limp. The only trouble I have is with stairs, hills, curbs etc.

Well I am going to have a little rest. I wasn't counting on posting but there was just so much to read today that I had to respond. Thanks to everyone that contributes here by posting and keeping us going.

Dee-I just received it today. It's wonderful! At first it wasn't sucking up the water to dry it, but I didn't have the tank on correctly. It takes time, because first you vacuum an area, then wet scrub, then wet pickup. But it's all with 1 machine, and no mop and bucket. I like my Swiffer wet jet, but I didn't like the way that it cleaned as well as this. This seems to do a great job. Well worth the $135.00 spent.

It's so nice to see a few posts today! It's been awhile since we've had so many different postings in 1 day.

I'm not sure what I want to do for my mom for Mother's Day. If I invite her and my dad over, then we'll have to invite evil MIL. I'm thinking about just going over to my parents for awhile and sending a card to MIL. I haven't even gotten her a card yet, so it may have to be a phone call. Of course not from me, but from Mike. LOL!!

My parents are settled in and adjusting well. We went to HomeGoods last Saturday and bought a small throw rug and a tall magnifying mirror. Would you believe the mirror was only $11.00? It was so nice that I went back and bought one for myself. The only thing is, when I looked in it I scared myself!! God, I am so wrinkled!!!

Carol-I guess I didn't realize that you are a legal secretary. It's nice that they took you out. Isn't it fun to get gifts from your bosses? I know what you mean about not being able to hide the lbs. when you are under 5'4". Every little ounce seems to show. But also, when it comes off, it shows quickly.

Well, all we need is a post from Sherry and Debbie, and it will be almost like old times! I sure do miss hearing from everyone everyday.

Doni- if you're reading this, why not let us know how you are doing? How is Catagan handling her womanhood??

Better go-dinner's calling.

Just wanted to let you all know that I will be gone for a while. Rick's closest brother was killed today in an accident cutting a tree in North Carolina. We are waiting to hear about the arrangements now.

Oh Ramona! How awful. My prayers are with you and your family. Love to you all.

Oh Ramona.....I'm so sorry to hear about yours & your husbands loss of his Brother. How terrible! Please take care and give Rick an extra hug from me today. :angel:

Ramona, how very sad. Please give Rick my sympathy along with the rest of his family. I will say a special prayer for his family today. Please let me know if there is anything I can do.

Love, Gayle

Ramona my heart and prayers goes out to you, Rick and his family. What a tragedy. Will that change Ben's moving plans? What about your neices wedding, will you be able to attend?

Shelley I didn't realize that the vacuum also washed floors. Am I understanding right that you like it better than your swiffer wet? I really like the swiffer wet. I have all hardwood floors so I am sure this new vac of yours would work great. Did it clean everywhere or did you see that it missed alot of corners? Mother's Day has always been a big deal here. Larry treats me royally. Lots of presents and mucho pampering. we usually go out for brunch with my mom and family then if the weather is permitting me go to a park and then Larry makes me a gormet meal. My gifts are always pretty and special. We haven't seen Larry's mom on Mother's Day in years. We have issues with her and try to see her as least as possible. This year his sister is having a BBQ for her on sunday. We haven't decided if we are going. I don't want to but I left it in his hands. It is up to Larry to buy her a card or gift. She isn't my mom so I don't do it. In most cases he never does either. So I ask why do you have to get the card and gift for your MIL? I use to but I figured if he doesn't care enough for her why should I?

Well better run. Hope you all have a fairy tale mother's day.

Dee-Good point! Maybe I shouldn't be the one to get it.

This is called the Hoover Floormate. Go to www.hoover.com and you can see the different models. There is a better one than I have that I believe has some removable parts that might be able to get the corners better than this one. This is very slimline though, so it does a real good job up to the wall. The only room I had a problem with was the bath. The cabinets are a bit too low and the unit gets stuck underneath if I try to clean those edges. It did fine under the lower kitchen cabinets though.

I only have a minute but wanted to let you know I am thinking of all of you. I spent the night at my parents and was up all night so I am pretty tired right now.

Ramona: My heart goes out to your family at this time of your loss. My prayers are with you.

Diet out the window again today. I think that might be a good idea Dee about journaling even if I am not watching what I eat so closely. I may just have to give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion.

Gotta run for now, still at work, but I know I won't have time to post later.

Love & Hugs
Carol

Thanks Shelley for the info. I will check it out.

Carol as of monday I am going to start journaling again. I am just getting out of control again, eatting all the sweets I can.

Hope you all have a marvelous mother's day.

Perfect for mother's day! Thought I would share ~~ this is one of my favorites.


For those who are lucky to still be blessed with your Mom,
>this is beautiful. For those who aren't, this is even more beautiful.


> The young mother set her foot on the path of life.
>"Is this the long way?" she asked.
>
> And the guide said "Yes, and the way is hard, and you
>will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better
>than the beginning."
>
> But the young mother was happy, and she would not
>believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with
>her children, she fed them and bathed them, taught them how to tie their
>shoes and ride a bike, and reminded them to feed the dog and do their
>homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them and the young Mother
>cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."
>
> Then the nights came, and the storms and the path was
>sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother
>drew them close and covered them with her arms and the children said,
>"Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."
>
> And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and
>the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all
>times she said to the children, a little patience and we are there."
>
> So the children climbed and as they climbed they
>learned to weather the storms. And with this, she gave them strength to
>face the world. Year after year she showed them compassion, understanding,
>hope, but most of all......unconditional love.
>
> And when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we
>would not have done it without you."
>
> The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the
>years, and the mother grew old and she became little and bent. But her
>children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother,
>when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, "This is a
>better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now
>passing these traits on to their children."
>
> And when the way became rough for her, they lifted
>her, and gave her their strength, just as she had given them hers. One day
>they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and
>golden gates flung wide.
>
> And Mother said: "I have reached the end of my
>journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my
>children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and
>so can their children after them."
>
> And the children said, "You will always walk with us,
>Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."
>
> And they stood and watched her as she went on alone,
>and the gates closed after her.
>
> And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us
>still. A Mother is more than a memory. She is a living presence. Your
>Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk
>down the street, she's the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you
>pick and perfume that she wore, she's the cool hand on your brow when
>you're not feeling well, she's your breath in the air on a cold winters
>day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a
>rainbow, she is your birthday morning. Your Mother lives inside your
>laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. A mother shows every
>emotion........ happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger,
>helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow..... and all the while hoping and
>praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She's the place you
>came from, your first home, and she's the map you follow with every step
>you take. She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy,
>but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space.......not even
>death.

Ramona, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. You are in my prayers.
It was so nice to see all the posts. I started posting a few months ago but I never seem to stay on program. I can lose 10 pounds and then gain it back twice as fast. I get so discouraged. I felt like such a failure I was encouraged that I was not alone.
I am having a problem with my hands. They are falling asleep at night and I wake up and have to shake them to get the feeling to return. I went to the doctor and he said carpal tunnel, but also did blood work. My thyroid was reading 9.8 when it is usually 4.5. I have had hypothyroidism for many years. It was totally controlled up until now. I hope this will explain why I've had such a struggle losing weight lately. It also could be the cause of my hands going to sleep. If it's not one thing it's something else. I hope everyone keeps posting and excouraging each other, it really does help.
Take care And HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY EVERYONE!!!
Janice