Surprise surprise the wilderness woman is still around. Welcome to the new people, this is a great site of caring intelligent sweet woman from almost every corner of this planet. You will be welcomed here and it is a safe place to share.
I actually got a trip out of here during Feb. to go see Jesse over in Moscow and his GF. They are doing great but working so hard and $ is always a struggle for college kids. When I got home the temps had dipped to -12 and I was worried about the house. I had a tempory problem with my sewer not draining out of the house and yes I was freaking out..... but it righted itself by Thursday and I was jubliant! I had emptied the turtle tank before I left over the out pipe and 55gals of 98 degree water sort of drove the frost down and then the temp went down and there you have it......
The season of Lent is here and I decided I better try to get out of my little rut and go to church, I know I am upsetting the balance of nature here with all that kneeling.....lol and there was a small earthquake here during the week.... I crossed through the church doors 3 times in one week....going to the espicopal church which is different for this little baptist child but I am enjoying some of the ritual which is new to me...... my brother just has a fit that I am going there...we even have a Lady minister... too she is awesome.....
I have missed all of you but do come here to catch up and I am now up and running on DSL oh life is good. It is so fast and I can actually use my time in other ways other than waiting for hours to load.
My Toby Two and Teeka are doing well. My Teeka has not been sick for a couple of weeks now and is adjusting to the new food. I am so greatful. My puppy Toby is such a joy to my life at home on the hill. As the snow is receding the deer will return and I am afraid he may be a chaser...will have to work on that when the situation arrives. The elk are gone now and I am running my mouse trap line outside the house....sounds funny I know but necessary during the Spring.
I have potted 75 tulip bulbs and they are going crazy in my house. Can't wait to see all the colors. So exciting to watch their rapid growth. My private patient suffered a stroke and passed away this week. she was 87 and so ready to cross over but I will miss her.
Hope this finds everyone well and on their way to better health and happiness. Yes when you encourage us to show our faces it does help.... I know how much you all care and it is appreciated.
Peace and Blessings,
Nae

Peace to you Nae, what a lovely post to read. (((((((HUGS))))))))


............need hugs...............
Cousin and son have left. Whew! what choas. both my kids were in tears by the time they left and I just cried for 20 min. All I can think is what a terrible waste of family time and a day off. we have no hockey.It was supposed to be a family day. My kids were so stressed out.
I put load #2 in and washed last nights and breaky dishes as I cried and Ds is in the tub soakng and DD is curled up with a teddy bear. Hubby has no idea why everyone was/is crying.

7 hours of constant chaos, loud voices on 6 hours sleep is not good for kids or adults. It is not what we would have chosen or wanted.
What is a person to do?
All my plans are askew.My shoulder muscles are all bunchy.

There is skating and hot chocolate at the pavillion from 5-8 tonight. A friend invited us over for after but now I dont want to go. I REALLY want to be alone. Hubby will be pissed because he wants to get lucky.
I have 2 batches of cookies to make for church. I wanted to spend the aft with the kids baking.

Quit complaining......... deep breathe and restart your day dear.

Morning all,
Although it doesn't feel like it, it is still morning. It's raining hard and windy and although I know it is doing the garden the world of good, I would like it to go away so I can get on with things.

No point in painting as it is oil based paint and won't dry before I have to shut all the doors and windows to keep the weather out. Maybe I should go into the spare room and re arrange the 'junk' I have in there. Maybe I should also go and make the bed for the DS2 due to arrive to 'mind the cat'. Maybe I should just curl up in the chair and watch the telly. Nope, Miss Puss has comandeered the chair and since she is at last being quiet I will leave her there. I can always clean the bath and loo and laundry. I can decide what I want to take back with me tomorrow morning at the ungodly hour of 0500 hours. Plan out the electricians job for him and go shopping for lights! Maybe I will just go back to bed and read a book as well. I'm sure I will find something to do.

to Yesican. Nice to have you with us. Good luck on your weight loss journey. I really hope you do well. We're a nosy lot around here. Tell us about the support you need and what you are hoping to achieve. I'm sure it will be fothcoming.

Holly - it's a wonder you didn't turn the tub into an intenal garden. Glad the folks have gone and you are now left in pieces - uhhhh peace.

Rose - last time I went to church there was an earthquake and then it rained for nearly a month. I've now decided that I will only go when at home in NZ. They build for earthquake standards and flooding over there!
Nice to hear from you. You sound all geared up for spring with the tulips. Hope we get to see some photos when they are all a'bloom.

Now we are missing some of our good folk. I need to know if they are okay. Tig popped in yesterday - thanks Tig - nice to know you have not been blown up by one of your own BOM's, but Teel hasn't been seen for awhile, and Linus is languishing somewhere, and where is Painter?? and Happy is obviouly flat stack busy. Don't make me ring you all up (or book a flight to see if you are still where you are supposed to be).

I'd better go check on the lunch for the DS2 who will be appearing shortly no doubt. Catch up either late tonight or late tomorrow.

See you

Well dang (as they say down here or should I say Gawl-Leeeee) I THOUGHT it sounded like a good plan, now she's done gone and snuffed me out

Hello, I am back from busy land. Don't think I've had a week this busy since we moved down here. Suffice to say all has been attended to and I am tired. The next few weeks also promise to be quite eventful. I joined a billiards league and now have to figure out how to shoot pool. I joined a book club with the neighborhood ladies and now I actually have to commit to finding the time to read an entire novel in 6 weeks time. It is spring here - the most lovely time of year. Weather is a bit cool but at times it kisses the 70's. There are all sorts of birds all around all chirping their springtime songs. The mockingbird especially - I understand they can mimmick over 250 songs. They just sing and sing and sing. We have a pair of wrens making a nest on our bakers rack on the porch. They are on the topmost shelf but DH is worried the cats will try and get them once the babies hatch and start peeping. The nest is quite an amazing sight to see. I was planting flowers out front this afternoon and DH said to look up (but keep your mouth closed) - there were at least 2 dozen cedar waxwing birds sitting in the tree above my head. Very cool. I dug up a large fat grub or worm and set it off to the side. It wasn't moving and looked dead. 10 minutes later one of the mocking birds we feed out back slowly walked right up to me and grabbed that grub and flew off. She came right back looking for more.

Today I planted pansies and primrose out front. A nice man at the garden shop told me how to keep my primroses alive this year so I decided to give them a second chance. My dianthus didn't look too perky last year when I planted it but it's coming up gangbusters now and I have a few flowers. The rose bushes are waking up and sending out shoots - time to till and feed. The early cool weather vegetables are coming out. I want to do a more extensive spice garden this year - my sister raved about the dried basil I gave her. I am sore from head to toe from the garden work today - going to go have a nice foot soak and read a magazine shortly.

Lent is here. I have given up Coca Cola and chocolate for Lent. The chocolate hasn't hit me yet but 2 days into it I surely am missing that Coke. A craving only lasts 3 minutes, a craving only lasts 3 minutes... When I was contemplating quitting smoking I kept thinking, I had given up my Coca Cola habit so that showed I could succeed if I put my mind to it. (somehow I started with the soda again). Now I am thinking I gave up cigarettes, I could give up the soda too. We are defined by our addictions I really really REALLY want a soda! It's going to be a long 43 days...

Being rather stiff and sore at the moment, I would sure like to borrow Holly's soaker tub. That sounds lovely. Have fun with the piano too. Nice of Sis to offer it to you rather than just discarding it. I'm sure you and the kids will have lots of good times playing and singing.

Ah Shad, back to doing the mad dash, barely home and then she's turning around and running off again. Doesn't feel like you've had a weekend does it? Sorry to hear that the beachfront apartment is noisy as get go. What I wouldn't give to fall asleep to the sound of the surf - course if everyone's yelling and making a racket that doesn't do much good, does it? Congrats on seeing the scale go DOWN

Welcome back Nae - good to hear from you. The starry skies must be awesome twinklers with -12 temps. Brrrrrrrrrr. Stay warm. I had gone to an episcopal church for services twice out here - was very surprised to see how close they are to Catholics. Way far off from Baptists tho I would think. Good of you to get to church no matter which one you visit. Sometimes good to sit in the quiet, look at the candles flickering and contemplate things.

So Mel, how did the haircut go? Did you enjoy Trigger? What's this with the food - are you on another plan? I must go back and check posts. And what's this with the forms? Did you have to fill out forms to get your food?

Welcome to the group Red, hugs and advice abound.

Meadow--- why is it that I can just picture you doing a mean Scott Joplin on the piano. The ragtime fits you so well. Sorry to hear you are sick. A little Neosporin on that sore nose will keep it from cracking and getting infected. The sore nose is the worst part - hope you feel better soon. Stop by and I'll make us some tea, we can sit out on the patio and listen to the birds sing and watch the pretty orange and pink sunsets.

(Had to post and then go back a few pages to catch up with the news over the last few days...)

Ceejay, enjoy your weekend with the aunt and uncle. Highlights are wonderful for blending in the gray and a good trim always does wonders for the hair.

Madcat are you feeling more rested this weekend or are you still running around like a Madcat?

Hello Tig (she waves from afar - no germies for me )

Linus, Teel - hello from across the pond

Alright, I had better post this before it takes a page on it's own.

Sunday is my 29th wedding anniversary. I can't believe how fast the years have flown. Today hubby and I dug in the dirt together. Tomorrow we are going to dinner and a movie. Maybe I'll let him hold my hand Gosh, I sure hope he didn't get me a card - I knew our anniversary was coming up - I forgot to get a card tho - I might sneak out in the morning under the pretense of getting some coffee creamer.

Have a good rest of the weekend folks.

Quick update - need to get to bed since I must be up at 3.30am

The winds have not blown the orchids away. Here are a couple of pics of the two currently out.

Back to the land of nod. zzzzzzzzzz

Shad~ if I dont post does it mean you are coming to visit????? Not a bad idea at all!!!!! lovely orchids!
Happy~ I am envious of your gardening. Very nice. Happy anniversary!!

aaaaaaaaahhh....a nice peaceful family morning.

Good morning chicks!!!!

Had a good sleep!!

We have choir practise at 9:30 today and a joint service at 10:15. I have printed out some colouring pages for the little ones for downstairs, the older kids are partcipating in the service and all the kids are singing.
I picked up a pretty spring table cloth for coffee hour after church. I needed the boost hope it works for others as well
Having a coffee and then I wil soak in the tub and and get ready to go.

Enormous hugs!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DEAR HAPPY AND DH
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU

HAPPY~ I HOPE THE DAY IS A CAUSE FOR BIG CELEBRATION!! HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME. GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE. SO MANY OTHERS ARE AMONGST THE MISSING. SORRY WORK IS SO LIKE "WORK" HOPE IT STRAIGHTENS ITSELF OUT A BIT OVER THE NEXT WEEK...IS IT BECAUSE OF THE MOVE? ARE YOU SETTLED IT? THE KIDS AND I BOUGHT A MONTH'S WORTH OF NUTRISYSTEM FOOD.( AN EARLY BD PRESENT) I LOST 2.5 LBS AS OF THIS MORNING. I WEIGHED IN TODAY JUST TO SEE IT WAS THEIR IDEA TO SEE IF I COULD JUMPSTART A LOSS BEING AS I HAD LOST INTEREST AND GAINED 9 LBS I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED.

SHAD~ WAS GREAT TO TALK TO YOU AND GLAD WE HAD SO MANY LAUGHS. I SLEPT LIKE A LOG LAST NIGHT. HOPE THE RED EYE BACK TO THE CITY WON'T BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU!! I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TODAY....THINK WE SAID IT ALL LAST NIGHT!! THE ORCHIDS ARE BEAUTIFUL. I THINK I WILL COME BACK AS A FLOWER OF SOME KIND. IT MUST BE WONDERFUL TO GROW UP AND BE SO BEAUTIFUL. HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

HOLLY~ NO BATH FOR 2 YEARS???? AND TO THINK THEY CALL ME SMELLIE MELLIE STILL HAVING FUN TICKLING THE IVORIES?? GLAD THE COMPANY LEFT. THEY EXHAUSTED ME TOO!

NAE~ MY SWEET NORTHERN FRIEND. I AM GLAD YOU GOT BACK HERE AND ALSO GOT TO SEE JESSE AND THE GF. THE TULIPS SOUND WONDERFUL AND I BET ALL THAT GREEN LOOKS WONDERFUL AGAINST THE SNOWY BACKGROUND!!! I CAN IMAGINE WHAT THEY WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN THE COLORS "ARRIVE"! LET US HOPE SPRING REALLY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. i AM SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR FRIEND/CLIENT. VERY SAD BUT I AM GLAD SHE WAS READY. I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN HAVING LIVED IN THIS BUILDING FOR 18+ YEARS.
SENDING YOU MORE

PW IS CERTAINLY TAKING A LOT OF TIME TO MAKE DECISIONS!!! IS TEEL ON THE NEVER ENDING VACATION??? LINUS MUST BE HAIRLESS BY NOW WITH CJ'S TEETHING. THE FIRST 3 YEARS OF JEN'S LIFE READ LIKE AN ALFRED HITCHCOCK MOVIE. CARLA HAS AGAIN DISAPPEARED AND SO HAVE ALL THE OTHERS.....

NO SENIORS CAME WITH FORMS THIS WEEKEND FOR THE ELECTRIC SUBSIDY SO I GUESS THE WAVE IS OVER. THANK GOD. TOMORROW IS THE HAIRCUT IF ALL GOES WELL AND THE BUS DOESN'T BREAK DOWN I REALLY HATE GOING AND ALWAYS HAVE SINCE I WAS A KID. NEVER FIGURED OUT WHY. I WAS DOING SOME SORTING YESTERDAY AND TOSSED SOME OLD PJs OUT ALONG WITH T-SHIRTS WITH ANY KIND OF STAIN ON IT. I NOW HAVE ROOM FOR ALL THE OTHERS!
THIS WEEK IS THE EASTER HATS IN ARTS AND CRAFTS. SEVERAL ARE VERY EXCITED AND PUT NOTES UNDER MY DOOR. WAS THIS SO I WOULDN'T FORGET????
FAT CHANCE WITH THEM REMINDING ME EVERY DAY.
BEST BE GETTING ALONG. LOTS TO DO AND WASH TO BAG UP. HAPPY SUNDAY/MONDAY

Home from church, which was lovely! Drove to next town for a the last few minutes of DS hockey game. DD is quite sick today with a big cough. My folks were at the game and took us to Tim's for lunch .
Tidying all aft.
Beautiful sunshine today!!!

How rude of me to just disappear again! But my motivation has gotten up and left me, and I'm very busy trying to see if I can put back all the weight I've lost before Easter... (The answer seems to be yes, although I'm not QUITE there yet. I'll leave my mendacious ticker as it is as a reminder of where I SHOULD be.) Maybe I should try Mel's food plan for a while.

Anyway, I think I may have to change my descriptor from Babbling Brook to "The Lurker" until this break is over.

Best of luck to you all. I'll be watching from afar and will be back once I get my head straight.

Carla, part of the reason why I don't post on the 21 day thread is because my motivation got up and went.
I still do my crunches, I still go to gym (when I can) I still eat well and I still go out and walk everyday that I don't go to the gym. It's working, but true motivation is still lacking. One gets that way if one hangs about long enough and doesn't try new things etc. I guess I just got bored with it and enough was enough. I still post here. Unweight related things mostly - like the orchids and other pics of dogs, cats, vege gardens etc. - too numerous to mention.
So don't stay away too long, just come on in and describe the method of getting tablets down Zen's throat or the various doings of the flamenco dancers or something else completely unrelated. Believe me I think we can all relate to your predicament at one time or other (except maybe Tig who just keeps on keeping on).

I'm eating a Healthy Choice Morroccan Chicken meal. These things are not too bad. Darn sight better than some of those tv dinners you buy. Seems to be plenty in them - at least for me.

Happy - if you have bifocals, the best way to shoot pool is to get the eyes in position whereby you can see one big ball and one little ball, and one big pocket and one little pocket. You then proceed to pot the small ball in the big pocket. Sooooooooo easy.
I sincerely hope the mockingbird can do a good imitation of Elvis! That would help gardening along okay.
It would be nice if the 2blocks away from beachfront apartment actually allowed me to hear the sound of the surf. It doesn't, it gives me compression braking from trucks, trains grinding along the track, a helicopter or two and the loud racket of young blokes swearing and fighting up the street. The raucous sound of the cockatoos is melodious by comparison.
By the way - Happy Wedding Anniversary -
I went and had a look at your DH's photos last night. Very nice. You can tell him I said so!

Uh uh better go back to work. I thought I would drop in just quickly - it took so long to get out of the Sydney traffic this morning I was later, much later than I intended.

Hello to everyone else. I'll be back to look at all the other posts shortly.

Happy----Hope your anniversary celebration went well. Congrats on those 29 years of marriage.

Shad--I loved the pic's of the orchids. Do get some more of those zzzzz'x.

Mel--Did you get your hair cut? The Nutrisystem program sounds like a good idea. Congrats on those 2.5 pounds lost.

Holly--It sounds like you may have some of my relatives. My dads people love to stay up all night and talk. We were always unhappy campers when they came. (((hugs))) Play the piano--It used to be my nerve pill.

Nae--hello and glad to see you back.

Red--Welcome.

Hello to Tig, Meadow, Carla, Painter Woman.

My trip to Paragould was a relaxing one. There was some excitement Friday night. One of the shopping centers burned to the ground. The fire fighters were on the scene for 16 hours. Luckily, no one was hurt.

Evening all! _ just watching the Oscar coverage which is a tad boring since I have actually seen none of the films nominated. I find myself distressed by how thin some of these actresses are. Or am I just rationalizing? No really, all those jutting bones are just not that attractive.

Odd weekend.. Yesterday, TB and I had a stupid argument over – of all things – design of the invitations. Very distressing since we very rarely even disagree about stuff. We've kissed and made up. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. If I am planning on spending the next 5 or so decades with him I best get used to it and do it effectively.

But I did make it to the gym today and then went out to records shops and bought one Jazz and one Swing CD box set. Retail therapy can be very soothing.

Seems to a general health checkup, motivation challenge and return of the missing this weekend. Lots of posts to read and so nice to see everyone again. And so lovely to see the use of the word "whilst" in one of your posts, Mel. Gotta love that word.

Is there something in the water? Many of us seem to have a case of blahs. Maybe we should all take some medications and have a nice soak in Holly's tub? We just have to hold on. Soon it will be a new season (spring or fall). For some of us it seems it has already sprung. Sometimes we just have to go through the motions day by day and then one day we find we are looking forward and the motivation has returned. We don't have to feel it… but we just have to do it. That is my plan for the next couple of weeks. I'm not feeling the greatest motivation myself – but I'm putting perfection out of my mind and I'm just going to run on autopilot for a bit. Think I'll give up sugar for Lent (a few days in). Go to the gym as I know I must. Eat to feed my body and not emotional needs.

Off the soapbox. Love you all.

Must remember to book a dentist appointment. I am now thinking I don't have a sinus infection but that I actullly have an tooth issue. Sigh.

Good morning chicks

I had a nice day yesterday. We went out to eat, had a nice dinner. Then DH took me to my favorite ice cream place. We each had an ice cream cone and then he sat in the car while I did power grocery shopping. Such is love and togetherness Spring is here. 1) all the birds are singing - really LOUD. 2) trees are in bloom which means most of us are starting to walk around with the pollen sniffles and 3) the spring rain storms are upon us. Quite a light show last night. Driving home last night lightning ran across the entire width of the sky. It was cool looking.

My ear is very sore today. I am not an earring person but DH bought me several pairs of nice earring through the years. I decided yesterday to wear one of my favorites. They have a rather thick and sturdy post and I haven't worn earrings in oh, say 4 or 5 months. One ear was fine but the other was pierced at an angle so shoving it in when one side of the hole had pretty much closed was an ordeal. I could get the earring in backwards starting from the back but couldn't find the hole from the front. Darn near re-pierced my ear but I did get the dumb thing finally in.

Madcat, I watched a bit of the Oscars too. I agree with the boring part. Movies are not as exciting as they used to be. I did see Crash and March of the Penquins. Loved the big stuffed penquins the filmmakers who won for best documentary carried with them. I certainly admire them for enduring such harsh conditions filming that movie.

Shad - loved your tip on how to shoot pool. Will have to try that tonight when I go practice with DH. I do have bifocals but they are "blended" or graduated and there isn't as much of a pronounced difference in vision between big and small - more like kinda blurry and REALLY blurry Gorgeous orchids you have there. When I was buying flowers this weekend for outside planting, they had a nice selection of orchids. Saw them, thought of you and then decided to leave the orchid growing to you!

Carla, I understand (like we all too) too well that the motivation occasionally takes a walk into the sunset. On a regular basis I just get tired of dealing with all of it and I step away for a bit. I think we all agree that we'd rather see you here than to lose you to Lurkerville. Talk about anything you please, it keeps us all chatting...

Mel, congrats on the loss for the week. Good luck with the Nutrisystem. Others have had success with it too. So do I understand you correctly that you hate getting your hair cut? Maybe I should come over with my Wahl hair trimmer and we can have some fun. Hope you had a productive Sunday.

Hellos to Ceejay, Holly, Meadow, Tig and the rest of our missing friends. Come out, come out, where ever you are!

I will join the blah club.LOL!
I hope it is just seasonal.

Busy day ahead of me. LOTS of phone calls to make for Avon and School Council.
I will keep DD home from school. She has a bad cold. 4 kids here all day. I need to find out if DS has hockey practise.
The house is not clean at all.I did do laundry and tidy all day yesterday between church and hockey but 3 other people just go around behind me and get stuff out, leave stuff out, eat....................not a single thing has been put away.
I ask, I make games out of it, I do charts with allowance............it just doesn’t happen.
DH did not do one single domestic thing all day. I am not sure why he gets a day off? Or 2 even?

I played piano for a half hour last night and went to bed and watched some of the oscars. Went to sleep by 10. I did have a nice day at church and my folks took us out to lunch.All the bedrooms are cleaned and vacuumed.

I need to focus on my business. I need to ignore the constant mess.
It is hard to work at Avon and run a daycare when there is not a single open surface in this house. Literally.
I will have to clean in the kitchen just to make breaky and pack lunches.I will have to clear a weeks worth of stuff from the diningroom table to so my Avon work. Crumbs on the kitchen floor stick to feet. DD left paints out in the toyroom. DS’s hockey gear is spread acroos the diningroom floor to dry out.................

I am aiming for only whelmed today and not overwhelmed.

I lost 8 hours of home alone time and housework time on Sat.

I dont even want to talk about my weight. There is no ME time/walking time/time to think.

I spring cleaned for 3 days last week and tossed tons of stuff to clear up soem mess. Looks like I need to toss more.

I haven’t even started taxes.

So, I better get off my sorry butt and just do this. Kids to feed and pack up. A life to live.

HUGS!!!!