AAAH ...... a little help from my friends!!!!!!!!!!!!! Says it all. Big groan in my journal. Processing thoughts. Interestingly DH's position was the same as yours Meadow. My response is If I dont do it nothing gets done .I WORK here. There are certian limits to cleanliness for the kids, other peoples kids.It is a little different than just living here. HUGS!!
I will try to come back and chat after church.

HELLO MISS HOLLY!

MEADOW~ I AM GOING TO TRY THAT OFFICE THING WHEN THE BOSS GET'S BACK FROM VACATION! I AM STILL LAUGHING!!! LATELY I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT MY IMAGINARY WATCH AND SAYING..."IS IT 9 AM YET?" OR "HOW MANY MINUTES HAVE I BEEN HERE?". THE OTHER DAY I ONLY HAD TO LIFT MY WRIST UP AND ONE WOMAN WALKED AWAY VERY RAPIDLY. THINK THEY'RE GETTING THE HINT?!

Mornin' everyone,
Friday night I worked until almost 2 the next morning trying to help out someone at work who was having a crisis. Got a nice email from them yesterday (and they copied my boss including the email I sent out at 1am). I don't mind helping like that once in a while, especially when someone appreciates it.

Yesterday DH was painting the dining room so I decided to go out and help him with the yard work. Spent 5 hours outside yesterday cutting up branches, sweeping, raking and all that fun stuff. Then we had a storm overnight and this morning the yard looks exactly as it did before I touched it. I could have

We finished up outside just as it was getting dark. There was a beautiful view of a crescent moon with a very bright Venus to the upper left. DH went to go get his camera. I stepped aside to let him pass and I turned funny and BAM - my leg. I had to stand there a few minutes because I couldn't even move. I must have a weak spot in the back of my knee or in my back. There is no warning of the pain, just a string of and a cry of "I shouldn't have done that" after the fact. Today I am hurting alot. But that pain is good because it serves as a warning to go easy. DH was nice about it afterwards although he did state the obvious in a very very gentle tone - you need to lose some weight as that is putting alot of stress on an already weak spot. It's a catch 22 - you hurt yourself, can't exercise, but need to exercise to lose weight. Maybe a knee brace as he sugggested although if it's my back that's the problem, a knee brace won't do any good. A guess a visit to the orthopedic doc is in order - which of course is going to conflict with the chiropractor. Geez

Linus I'm sorry your life is so topsy turvy right now. Wish I could come over and help out - at the very least could take CJ out for a nice walk. I see he picked up the rules for the man of the house rather quickly! I guess you have to just think like them.

Mel, enjoy this last Sunday. I can just picture you looking at your watch with that look at least you are looking out for yourself. The consequences are just too high to pay when you try to be everything to everyone. I suppose your back gets to be the same thing as a pair of comfortable shoes. Your body gets used to one and likes it that way. Feel better soon.

Meadow - there will be no pancakes at this house soon. DH has had his fill of sugars and declared yesterday that I was not to bring him any more cookies, cakes or candy from the store. Said he will stick with jello or fruit cups. And the leftover Halloween candy is going to the office tomorrow. I do admit to eating 2 small Snickers each day - luckily it had not affected the weight but I agree getting the stuff out of here is a good thing. The cookies don't bother me because I usually buy the ones he likes that I don't. Huge difference between eating carbs/sugars and protein. If I was to make pancakes or french toast, an hour later I'd be hungry again as the sugar train got running. Yesterday I made us a mid morning breakfast / brunch with scrambled eggs, a bit of left over corned beef hash, fried potatoes with peppers and onions and some rye toast. The potatoes and hash were leftovers so there wasn't a whole lot there but it was a decent breakfast. We worked through lunch and that held us all the way until 7pm when I warmed up some beef vegetable soup and made some bisquits for supper. And even then I wasn't very hungry. If only I could stay away from the carbs all the time - that's a struggle.

We had to buy a DVD player too - occasionally we will rent a movie for a Saturday night and I noticed that it's getting harder and harder to find VHS tapes at the rental store. Now some movies only come in the DVD format. Up until now we were watching them on the PC - DH has a nice speaker system so that wasn't too bad and we had to practically sit on top of each other to see the smaller monitor so it made for a cozy "date". Better to have one that works on the regular TV tho. Hope you enjoy yours. And I agree with you - I could go nuts over the Christmas decorations and ornaments. Last year we missed Christmas what with getting the house ready to sell and moving out 2 days after Christmas. This year I intend to make up for it in spades - DH is cringing at the thought

Today's agenda is laundry, house cleaning and groceries. Guess I'd better get a move on here, especially if I moving a bit slower than usual.

Hellos to PW, Holly and the rest of the chicks...

Aaaaah, back into my flannels.
Happy~ it IS nice to be valued for your work!! Sorry about your leg. I have a foot that does the same and it only takes a slight sideways movement. Hope your pain is easing.
Miss Mel~ enjoy your day of rest.
Meadow~ my DD made a beautiful sparkling little christmas angel at her friends yesterday. I think I will be decorating the house for chrismas for Nov 20 when we have christmas with Hubby's family. I am not really mad at him or trying to change him. I need help. He has been lazier than usual. Needless to say today he has done dishes and puttered at chores all morning because he wants to watch the race this aft. I am hardly a slave driver or a ***** for that matter. HUGS. No more pizza honey.

Linus~ I wish I was there to help too.

How are the adventures of Shad going?

PW~ love your little outfit. I dont have the patience to knit. How is your day going?

I wil hvae some pics to post soon.

DS had a sweet and wonderful birthday. It was all perfect!!!!!

Love to all the chicks!

Mel, I have found your wheelchair. It's jazzy. Just wait. Not long now. I'll be home Wednesday morning and should manage to get the pics up by the afternoon if I haven't fallen asleep!!

Time for class. I am to be interviewed by a group of students who are then going to write up the story of my life! Huh!

Won't be back before I go home.

Hi ladies,
Quick post here as I think it's going to be a very busy day on the workfront.

We are having record heat here for this time of year - 81 today, 86 tomorrow and then back into the 70's come Thursday after the rain. I don't like these swings and dips. The warmer clothes are in the closet, the offices are set from air conditioning over to heat so it's uncomfortably warm there too and it just seems that when it's too warm when it shouldn't be it induces all sorts of colds and sicknesses. There's some sort of stomach flu that's going around - right now it seems to be hitting up the kids in school but eventually they will bring it home to mommies and daddies who will pass it along to everyone else. Ugh.

Holly you can get yourself all steamed up but unfortunately there's no rule that can force DH's to help out. Sometimes they get it right away, sometimes it takes years and sometimes they never get it. We can all empathise with you. Best I can say is what the others echoed about teaching your kids well. And it sometimes burns me too that you have to thank them profusely when they do pitch in just a little bit. I told DH one day do you thank ME every week for clean clothes and food in your belly? Um no, ok so why do I have to make a big deal that you did the dishes tonight? But that's men for yah...

PW cute little outfit there - I like the fringe. Imagine how long it would take if you had to make adult size ones I still remember the crocheted vests from the 70's.

Busy day ahead for you too Mel - pace yourself, ok? And stay away from the sneezy looking ones I can only imagine what Shad must have seen in Japan for a chair for you. We will just have to read about it in her autobiography that the class is doing for her.

Ok, time to get on the hamster wheel and start the day's run. Hello's to all the worldly chicks.

I was not angry with DH. I was literally sick and tired. If he is the other adult in this household he needs to act like one. As far as wanting the house tidy goes I am not asking for monumental cleanliness/house like a showcase.....I am talking about putting things away, putting garbage in the garbage, stepping up when I am sick. What is the point of him telling me to rest and relax to get better if he doesn't step up and help, it only creates more work for me. Frankly it didn't make sense.
My dear husband is a simple man and I love that but he is a grown man and he is not stupid.Obviously part of what he likes about me is that I am very capable but he also likes that I stand up to him too. He is a 44 YO, youngest of 3 boys , rural raised, by a Dad who worked away from home most of his childhood and a Mom who's only desire in life was to care for her sons. She didn't have friends until they were grown. She never left the kitchen. They never did a speck of housework.He also had 2 older brothers who looked out for him. He was never ever made accountable. He was a 35 yo bachelor when we got together. He has come a long way baby. He desperately wants the life we have. He values who I am and what I do. He slips into old habits and patterns even tho he knows it is wrong. There is also a laziness in him.He is quite comfortable living like a pig and I am not. There are limits.
I am not expecting miracles. I KNOW who I married but I do expect him to behave like an adult ands suck it up when needed. No one siad it would be easy. What we have is worth working for. LOL! Men!!!

Yesterday delightful. The house is completely tidy and dusted and vacuumed. i took a hour nap in the aft. Slept so deeply i was drooling. DH helped in the moring and went to watch the race. The kids cleaned up the toyroom and watched a movie. It was great. They all went to bed at 8:30. I had an enjoyable evening with the critters.I went to bed at 10.
4 kids all day. Storytime at 10am. Hockey at 4:30.
No headache yet.

Mel~ are you a whirling dervish yet today??/
Happy~ hope you avoid the flu and yikes at the heat on in the heat! I would faint.
AAH, Japanese inventions, cant wait to see it.

HUGS ladies.

Yesterday I spent a bit of time in fitday.com to find out how many carbs, fats, and protein grams I needed, which will be carbs=145 grams, fat=40 grams, protein=90 grams, and cholesterol= 100 grams. I lowered my calorie intake to 1400. I feel comfortable with this so maybe I can make myself stick to this program. I’m going to try to keep my sodium and potassium intake to nearly an equal level. I really need to cut out the soda’s. They put fluid pounds on me. I don’t think it’s sodium related but the carbonation that’s in them. I don’t call 45 grams of sodium that much for a 12 oz diet coke.

I had to kick myself into getting on the exercise “aerobic” bike but once I was there I completed 45 minutes or 300 calories burned. Yes I was up at 4:45 a.m. and on the bike by 5:00 a.m. I meant to wear the pedometer today but forgot to put it on.

I made myself a fill in the blank diet sheet for calorie counting yesterday but the printer at work is out of ink after doing the reports. so I’m doing it by hand until the ink gets here.

Oh--I had Lisa to hand in her reports to Tim this morning. He came back to the plant after I got here and filled me in on what I left him on a note. He told her that a couple of mistakes were already found and that didn’t make her to happy. She thought that she had them perfect. After he said that I went back to look, (I hadn’t been checking her thoroughly) on her sheets. I found a couple of things and that may be what they are talking about. I’m not taking anymore time with her.


I'm getting excited about leaving for Texas Thursday.

Hi to all the chicks.

A few visuals to brighten your day

That was a cute one Meadow Too bad they don't stay that way but then again neither do we

Ceejay - good idea on the diet sheet. I was thinking of doing the same myself. Not only does it help you plan but also makes sure things stay balanced. Sometimes I forget to throw the extra fruit or veggie in there. Are you using them for planning ahead or recording afterwards? Sounds like the truth is coming out on Lisa.

Holly sounds like you have alot of old habits to undo with hubby, not impossible but not a walk in the park either. Good luck.

Mel, don't work too hard on election day out there. I was reading the news - seems like a hotly contested race up your way between the candidates. Hope you can pace yourself and not get burned out.

It's supposed to be 86 degrees here today. That's insane for November. Thursday it's supposed to be more seasonal 60's. We had a short cool shot of weather last week which I think brought out the fall colors. They are gorgeous. I didn't think it would be as pretty down here but the reds and oranges and yellows and deep purples are breathtaking. I love autumn - just not all these darn leaves to pick up!

I was very good yesterday. Took a Lean Cuisine for lunch - it seemed like not enough food but I added a few baby carrots and was just fine. I had a small Halloween pack of mini oreo cookies - just 6 but I treasured each one and was very satisfied. I made chicken tenders with a sauce of orange juice and amaretto for dinner. Ummm. Some brocolli, a bit of rice and I even ate green peppers. I generally don't care for them but the pepper was very fresh and crunchy and I was going for the eat those bright colored fruit and veggies theme yesterday.

The chiropractor adjusted my knee yesterday. We'll see if it makes a difference.

I hear DH up and roaming around which means it's time to get into the shower and off to work soon. Have a good day all...

SO fun to come back read the sayings and doings of all of you precious woman. The pics have been great too! Linus we love to hear from you and about the wee one...the suggestion for the classical music was a very good idea and really helps. Good Luck those tough days seem like they will last forever but they don't.
I had a great trip home.... make yummy lefse and had a lutefisk dinner for my auntie's and it was very nice to be in their presence. Those days are truly numbered at this point in time.
Spent time with my girlfriends, bought some craft items on sale and just had a terrific trip. The pass was very icy and snowy but made it home safely.
I saw my first big elk out the back this morning already. And of course the deer are plentiful. I have been trying to get some chickadees to the feeders but I just don't have enough tree cover.
Mel you sound so busy and do hope your chair is fixed soon. Shad can't wait for more pics and travel stories.
To the rest of you hope all is going well and peace reigns even if in stolen moments in your worlds.
Blessings,
Nae

Meadow---what a hunk of a man!!

Nae--good to see you again. Glad you had a nice visit.

Happy--Concerning the diet sheet. I found out yesterday that I was eating fruit and grain to get in the fiber this will equal to many carbs. It visually helps you to see what you eat and let's you plan better for the next day. Don't know why I haven't done this before.

I'll be leaving for Texas on Thursday. Yipee. I'm getting very excited. I have plans on meeting PainterWoman. We have set up a tentative meeting for Friday. Looks like my sister will be keeping me busy.

Guess I need to get off the computer and eat lunch. It's smelling good.

CeeJay~ I am sooo ahppy that you will see PW. I am also insanely jealous but will live vicariously through you! 2 days and counting.

meadow~ ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You clever lassie!!!!

HI Nae!!

I could have stayed in bed and cuddled with the kitties for a LOT longer this morning. I LOVE going to sleep at night with a kitten attacking my toes.Didn’t know I missed it till the last 2 nights. 5 kids off to school. 4 preschoolers here.3 will nap at 1 woohoooo.DS had a hockey game out of town, another Dad is driving and DH will meet them there. Theyw int be home til 8pm. It will be a girlie night for me and DD!!!!!!
Rainbow is a joy, Clyde is great,good morning with DS, got a bunch of school council emailing done,went to storytime with kids -enjoyable, had a good Avon meeting with my district manager,I have only placed 5 orders and my total is over $400 already( looking at $1500)-woohoo,nice quiet afternoon, went to the rink for 4:30 for hockey practise, got 2 new Avon customers,DS had a fab practise, DD wasn’t whiney!!, came home and DH was peeling his potatoes, i had already cooked chicken so warmed it up, At 7 3 other mom’s came to put 250 covers on the Parent handbook, we finished it in an hour, had lovely convo the whole time, kids went to bed, I rubbed hubby’s side( pulled a muscle, will call massage therapist asap), he went to bed after doing the dishes!, I had a delightful couple of hours in my tidy house watcing the tube!!

Pretty darn wonderful!!

Hiya all,
I have uploaded my pictures, but I won't get them onto the web until the weekend unless I get a sudden surge of energy from somewhere.

But here is Mel's new wheelchair - it goes up and down, tilts and reclines, has weather protection, goes sideways and does everything but open and shut. It's also jazzy with the fibre optic cables supplying colour.



and just in case the rest of you feel left out here is a sample of what is to come

Shad, must mean you are back home safe and sound now? Eagerly awaiting the pictures. Sounds like a very interesting trip. How did your "autobiography" go with the students?

Ceejay before I forget - have a wonderful visit with the sister. Safe trip and give Painter a hug from all of us. It's always good when the chicks can hook up...

Mel, how did the elections go - did the Democrats win?