Hello all!!!

Sorry I haven't been on lately. I have been busy getting everything ready for the wedding. I'm getting so excited!!!!
The pastor finally called on Saturday and we meet w/ him on April 10 to write up the ceremony. We're also getting our marriage license that day since they are good for 60 days here in VA. Friends here at work are going to help me make bows for decorations and help out with making boutinerres also. I still have to find shoes before I can get my dress hemmed up!!! (And I have to find someone to hem it up too!

Good news about the house as well. FI mom called the mortage company and told them we will close in May, she and his step-dad are closing on their new house the end of june. They will rent our house back from us for a month while their house finishes. I'm excited about that too. I just hope we can afford a house. Oh, and I'm getting a raise! $20 a paycheck (weekly) so that should help a little.

Will be posting pictures tommorow of my finished toss bouquet that I made myself and possibly bows if we make any today. I'm trying to get a picture of me in my dress too so you ladies can see.

Weighed in this morning just because I had a second and still weigh the same. Hoping for a 2lb loss this week. Seems to be my goal here lately. Will weigh in again on friday morning to see how I did.

Guess I had a me post today as well.
How is everyone else doing?
Hugs to all!!!!!
I'll check in later on if I'm not swamped here at work.

I have placed another set of cards near the No Guilt and Fresh Starts cards. These are "No Guilt for Me Posts" cards. "Me Posts" are, I think, part of what we're about. Me Posts are great stress relievers and are much preferred to eating for stress relief. (MMM - bread w/honey? sounds like a stress reliever.

Weighed in - no loss, no gain. I am certainly plateauing and need to change something. However, don't plan a major push even if it means not making my Easter goal (I can't see how I'd make it now anyway). Dh will be going to hospital next Wed. for a procedure on Friday and hopefully to come home that weekend. So I'm going to keep on doing what I'm doing and hopefully a bit more but no major changes, pushes, etc.

Sorry DS is still not seeing the light, Kaylets. I'm sure he is feeling stress - but also not able to see he's causing same.

Frogger - don't remember mention of house before but I just may have a blank spot (or several hundred). Sounds exciting. Any progress on transport?

On wrong screen to see earlier posts - will respond to those later today. Must get in gear.

Bright spot - I am forcing an amaryllis in my kitchen and expect it to be blooming (two blooms) by Easter. Also I have forced a bouquet of forsythia and that's brightening up my mantle. If Spring won't come to me - -

Actually it's supposed to be really nice today. Good day to have the locksmith coming to work on back door. (Long story - seems like the house decided to go through a rebellious period and I'll be working the rest of the year to get things repaired, replaced, etc.)

Sorry I haven't posted. I went to CA for 3 days and then I came home and had to clean house. Now, griffin has what sounds like croup. Not fun. I am gonna be having to play mom/nursemaid all day. I would rather be excersicing! It's amazing how good excersicing can sound when faced with such unpleasantries! Punkin-did you find the cat???

Flower = hope griffin isn't ill too long - as I recall he's very young and it's even more distressing to have a young'un ill.

Empress - glad you're semi=back. And glad you're liking your new gym. Hope it's not making those muscles too sore. But as long as you're feeling good about it, I guess they're ok too. How's that Promotion Talk coming along?

Kaylets, I remember that snow on Easter too. I even think I remember it was April 6th (but that may have been another year). It was a real surprise. Love dried pineapple. Problem is I could never stop at five pieces.

Punkin, sounds like you're getting a TON of exercise and lots of nice things to enjoy in the process.

Wood nymph, I thought your trip was only to be four days. Are you back and lurking?

Eydie, love your "dish soap" program.

Hope your technical difficulties give you a break soon, wsw.

Wildfire, where be thee?

Ceara, dollar, hi!

Cold and clear this morning....
looks like it snowed a smidge last night. Funny thing is the weather people are saying it's supposed to go back to being really nice in about 10 days - right in time for my company from CA!!!

No kitty. We looked and called all day yesterday. Everytime one of us took a work break we'd look. I called the Humane Society for my Mom, also notified our vet. I printed out a picture and made a 'missing' sign for our post office. I don't think she could do it without getting upset. My fingers are crossed, but I have a feeling she's gone. I finally had my first cry about it this morning...

For the question today - it all depends on how big the bowl is!

Amarantha - I'm so glad to see you semi-back. You were missed during your hiatus.

WSW - Congrats on your loss! I hope your technical difficulties are improving rapidly.

Kaylets - Sorry about your son again - you "mememe" post here all you need! About your son's "stress" - ask him how much more stressed he'd be if you didn't let him in the house *at all*. He thinks he's stressed now??? Sorry...

Frogger - Well, you've got all kinds of good stuff going on for you! I can't wait to see the pictures!

Flower - I hope Griffin is feeling better soon.

Anagram - I thought I saw you at Plateauville. I've been staying there for oh, 6 months now? Hate the place and plan to move soon - shall we pack our bags together???

Going to take some of my stress and hurt out on my front yard today if I can shake this headache...

Terri

I'm up for packing together, Punkin, because at this rate I sure won't make our mutually scheduled "Freedom Break" on the 4th of July.

Got a new garden tool yesterday and tried it out this a.m. It's a long handled weed-ho that worked great. So I hope to go out and really break it in later this p.m. (depending on arrival of locksmith).

Now going to print out our tax return so we can get that signed and off. One little step at a time........................

At this rate I'm not going to be "free" from the 200's either. I'd be happy to just be in the 2-teens by then!

I have resolved that after my company leaves 4/15 I'm going to start packing to leave Plateauville. I *hate* having to be extra watchful when I have company... I have been maintaining, which is better than gaining, but it's time to pack up n' leave this place...

Terri

i'm witch you. I hope to at least maintain. Esp. while dh is in hospital (treacherous time). Then on the Monday after the Easter weekend (which also includes the older princess' 7th birthday party), I must be ready to go at it. In the meantime, I'm going to be doing some "research" into what might help me shake it up again. OF course, I wouldn't mind if what I've been doing all along would miraculously just start working again. After all, I am still in the Spring Renewal mode.

Kaylets, as much as I'd like for someone to hand me 40,000$ I don't think I could handle eating a bowlful of crunchy, wriggly crickets. Blurp! But thanks for putting that scenario in my head!

Frogger, looking forward to seeing your photo!

Punkin, I'm so sorry that you haven't found your cat-friend. Don't give up hope just yet--anything can happen. We had an indoor cat that had gone missing for 2 full weeks. Then one morning, she reappears on our doorstep screaming for food and she's never stopped eating. She's 17 years old and the fattest cat you've ever seen! Expect a miracle.....

Anagram, if you start plotting your food strategies now for your husband's hospital stay you'll likely come out of it unscathed. When my dad was in the hospital I packed in a shameful amount of food, and I lost weight!

Second "good" day for me. 4 miles on the treadmill, and 1/2 hour bellydancing video. When I can get all the coins on the coin belt chink-chinking at the same time, I know I've got it right!

No crickets for me, thanks. I can't remember when I've been in a fight, except maybe w/dh and neither of us wins those. I don't mind if people sing happy birthday to me in a restaurant but, somewhat like Amarantha, an entertainer in a club in Bal Harbour once came over and sang to me during his act. I sat there like a slug just wishing he'd go away. Then he urged me to sing along (at that point, it was La Bamba) and I DIDN'T KNOW THE WORDS. Always looked nice in old movies when the singer sings to someone at a table but no, no, no in real life. Spotlights and all. Seemed to last forever. Dh got a kick out of it but he was just sitting off to the side watching.

Good day today.

eydie-thanks for the encouragement! believe me, every pound off for me is like pulling teeth, so it really means a lot! hope the food journaling is going well. good job on all the exercising!

punkinseed-sorry the kitty is still missing! i'm sure that must be tremendously rough on your mom and you.

amarantha-nice to see you back, or semi-back, or whatever--. your posts are always a pleasure to read.

kaylets-not surprising you're so busy at work and having to go through all this with your ds. seems like there is never a good time for having to deal with such tough situations. hang in there!

frogger-glad things are going better for you with your wedding plans and your good news about the house. congrats on your raise!

anagram-thanks for thinking of me. hope your plateau breaks soon. sounds pretty smart to just hang in there and not make any major changes, or pushes. you have a lot to deal with regarding your dh's health issues, tests, and procedures, etc. that must be very hard.

ceara-know this is old news for you, but glad your play was a success!

flower-hope your child is feeling better soon.

hi also to wildfire, dollar, arabella, and anyone else i may have failed to mention. thinking of you all! take care, wsw.

Hello all!!

TA DA!! I will take a bow or two and admit that I am impressed with myself-- Must have thought about leaving for the day a dozen times since Monday and yesterday till almost 3 was the best reason to "suddenly feel ill". Powers that be decided all of my work should be audited b/4 it leaves my desk. So I am trying to remember every detail and the music just kept getting faster and faster. I didnt even go to my Toastmaster's meeting ......
Finally I decided, " Whatever they find, at least, I'll know instead of finding out later that I've been doing it wrong"-- Was the busiest day yet for me this week and it wasnt until 3 before I could see that I had a chane of meeting the deadline. ( I'll leave to your imagination the SOS messages I recvd regarding other filings that kept interrupting me too).
I'm not sure how many documents/orders were audited- about 45-60-- and ......... only 3 tiny errors..literally, client typos that I ould fix in seconds-- I had missed seeing them but had not caused them........
Over the course of an hourr was told 5 or 6 times, " This is very good--" ---

So, how do you like me now!!!! Whew! So at least the new trainer has proof that although she is convinced my initial training was " bad" -- she is having trouble finding errors now.

So, thanks Anagram, I'll take a "me card" and another bow...

TOM is showing symptons too-- Stress related?? Wonder what makes you say that?? ( hee hee)--

Thought I posted to you all last night but I see it didnt take.

I'll catch up w/ you all soon so please don't feel left out now....

Anagram- My best to you and DH-- Hospitals are extremely tough for the patients but doubly so for the "spouse"-- Maybe an exemption is in order?? Just make your best choice and go with it-- I am sure you're not going to be sitting next to his bed w/ a big cardboard box full of cheese fries, right ?? And so what if you are?
Hospitals always seem so dry to me, maybe just to make sure water goals are met and jus to what you can w/ food??

wsw-- 4 lbs is amazing-- good for you!!!! so glad to see you're feeling better!

Today's thought is:
"Be the change you want to see in the world" -- Mohandas Ghandi

Today's question is:
"Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want to be your dinner guest?? as your close friend ? as your lover? "
Question 48 from The Book of Questions, Gregory Stock, PHD


Take care all!

How shall you celebrate the first Thursday in April??

Kaylets, you're the queen! The secretary where I work was audited last year and I know that it was really stressful for her--what an understatement. It sounds like you moved thru it a lot more gracefully than she did!

Hmmm... today's question. Anything goes, right? [Oh the deep darks I'm revealing about myself!] As my dinner guest, I'd like to have the Buddha--maybe pick up some tips on how to be more compassionate! As my close friend, I'd like to hang out with Oscar Wilde; he'd be a lot of fun, I think. And as my lover, I can't reveal that 'cause it would make me look like a truly twisted freak. Suffice it to say to Punkinseed, we can share him!!!

Glad to have you checking in, Wood Nymph. Was concerned and now I see with good reason. Hope you feel better soon. Neither carp nor crap is any fun.

Had done a long post earlier and it seems to have disappeared into 'puter netherland.

I too think it would be great to have Springettes together for a dinner. What an idea! Other than that - Theodore Bikel - I've always liked him - nothing profound - just think he's so multi talented and has had an interesting life. Friend - maybe Mother Theresa so I'd learn compassion. Lover - I've got the only one I've ever wanted.

Going out for a runaround today in nice weather. Checking out a new golf course that's to open this weekend, I think. Walking in a community park near the course. Eating out. Running errands. I'm not sure I have a wild bone in my body as these tame things are great pleasures for me.

Kaylets, I'm sure you'll eventually be well rewarded for all this auditing, testing, etc. and yes, I'm really proud of how you're getting through all this stuff. Multiple non-scale victories.

Been stewing a bit lately about some (birth) family situations about which I can do little except change my own reactions to same and think some of that may relate to my "plateau" (as well, perhaps, to weight problem as a whole). So that's one clue towards ending lack of weight loss. Remember, M.E., YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD. YOU CANNOT CHANGE PEOPLE. YOU CAN ONLY WORK TOWARDS BEING THE 'YOU' YOU WANT TO BE. (REPEAT AS NEEDED UNTIL IT SINKS IN ONCE AGAIN.)