WELCOME to all who choose to stop here. We are a fun group providing support, encouragement and motivation. We hope you will sit a spell, grab a bottle of water and chat awhile. We would love to get to know you.

Good afternoon everyone! And what a lazy day it has been so far. My son's Fraternity Brother finally arrived at 2:00 this morning from New York. I stayed up to wait for him and make sure he arrived safely, like a good little hostess. Finally hit the bed at 2:30. So I slept in until 10:00 this morning.

My oldest made pancakes for breakfast, I've down a load of laundry, cut up a fruit salad to go with the pancakes and did the dishes. Well, now that I write it all out, maybe it wasn't such a 'lazy' day after all!

Food yesterday was pretty good, it was the cookies that I brought in that were bad! The baby is going to a barbeque today and needed to bring dessert so he asked about the 'yummy, yummy' cookies that I get. So, good mom that I am, I went to Sam's Club and got him some 'yummy, yummy'
cookies. Well, of course they wouldn't all fit on the platter I was arranging them on, so what was I to do with the leftovers???? That darn cookie devil got the better of me! At least I stopped at 5, but since I had had my points for the day, 5, was 5 too many!!!

Bunny: Wow, 6.5# is awsome! You go girl! That's really wonderful!

Linda: Sorry about the salt thing. I try real hard to stay away from chips and popcorn and pretzels the night before weigh in because I have been caught in that water gain myself. Sometimes it's really hard to avoid that stuff though. Just think, stay on program and you will have a magnificent loss next week!

Melissa: Cleaning house doesn't even sound like fun! I did a fair share of it myself the past couple of days waiting for this houseguest. But gosh I hate it! Try to find a little something fun to do, after all, it is a holiday!

We have a steakhouse to do tonight for dinner. And I'm tied up doing paperwork today. Nothing really 'fun' planned for the weekend. DH and I have a hotel job to do tomorrow night. The Renissance (sp?) Festival is in town and we've never gone so I thought that might be fun for Monday. The weather here is going to be perfect (well, my kind of perfect) in the low to mid 70's. Just nice for walking around an outdoor event!

You all take good care of yourselves!

"Every evening I turn worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway." - Anonymous

Hello all. I hope you're enjoying a lovely Labor Day weekend. We woke up to pouring rain here but it's sunny and breezy now. We have no plans for the holiday weekend but DH will probably work right through them. He's such a workaholic!
I bought some more peaches and hope to make some peach jam and freeze some sliced for pies. I've also picked some cukes in my garden and should be busy making dills but I'm too scared of spiders to go down in our crawl space for my jars. LOL What a wuss I am!
I told my WW leader about my salt attack on Thursday and she said I would have probably satisfied my salt craving and not gained water weight if I'd sucked on a big dill pickle instead of all the salty junk food. I'll have to remember that but I think I'll just try to be more careful not to indulge in salty snacks the day before weigh-in.
Trying to get lots of water into me this week. I just don't know how some people can drink gallons of water in a day though. I'm lucky to get in my six to eight glasses.
Well, I guess I should go and do some ironing. DH is running out of shirts.

Hello, lovely ladies!

Today was delightful even though, I expect, if I describe it well it wouldn't sound so hot. We got up at 5.30 am to go to the flea -- but rain kept us home until 9. We were already up and dressed before we realized it was raining, so we just hunkered down and played games together until it was time to go. No buys at all at the flea -- nothing worth noting anyway -- until we hit our favourite shop where the owner was clearing out some overstock. She wanted $200, then $150, then as we were leavin' 'cause we couldn't spare the cash only $100. Wow! So we filled the car and headed home (by way of Taco Bell) triumphant.



More in a bit, I think -- I've gotta run now though!

Hi everyone....I have been awol for a couple of days, but I am still here! It is Sunday morning (ooppps afternoon! ). I have been doing some gardening, and amazingly my neighbour has given me a beautiful lily.........deep red and about 5 ft high - it does not fit with her colour scheme 'oh its too showy for me' she said!! So that is not looking good down by my bench at the bottom of the garden. I did some weeding yesterday and am planning some cutting back later today - I have a grapevine which has gone bananas, and i just dont want to wait until my main prune to get it sorted.

By the way, I have been tipped off that I may have ruined all your points by saying butternut squash is no points.....it seems to be no points in the UK and 'starch' in the US.....dont quite know how to square that I am going to talk to my leader about it to try and resolve the mystery, and will let you know. I hope no-one made it and went over...

Still damn good soup though.

I am off to do some pottering in the garden now. Its been great to read all of the posts......
Lilac

Hey, ho! I've spent today in spring cleaning (I'm a little late, I know) and organizing and finding my old hobbies and making them accessible so that when I finally have time (as I always do in the winter) I have stuff I can do. My last project today was to be the hooking up of my stereo -- but darn it all -- I can't seem to get the thing to work! Its a very basic stereo receiver, speakers, and CD player set up. All the pieces work individually but darned if I know how to hook 'em together and make 'em work. *sigh* Times like these I wish I'd married a handyman instead of my sweet fella.

I'm also majorly jonesin' for a hike. Its been raining here all day today and the forecast implies rain all this coming week! I've told my family we'll have to hike in rain gear if it doesn't clear up soon. I can't take much more of this house-bound stuff.

Hope things are good for you all this holiday weekend. I think 'cause we work for ourselves and take strange time off and don't have any friends in the area yet we don't notice holiday weekends so much. Its not an eating challenge for me, at any rate. (I'm lucky that way, I guess!)

It's Monday morning and another week has begun. I feel very strong and positive and....dunno....earthmothery I think. Its all the rose hips in the hedgerows that do it to me....makes me want to run to my kitchen and start making jams, preserving everything, bottling for winterI am such a housey cookey kind of woman. I used to work in the City..(financial district of London). How did I survive Well actually I did not really survive and was very unhappy and miserable for most of the time. Oh, and gained 130lbs So now its the Country Lady's life for me (even if i dont quite live in the country yet, but working on it)

I have my lovely cat Madge here while I type, chasing my fingers accross the keys! She wants more attention.

Linda - I have been looking at your posts about finding it hard to get your water in, and I remember reading somewhere that there is a 'water barrier' which you have to go through, after which it is easy to get it all down as you feel thirsty. It's something to do with how our bodies tell us we are not thirsty because they think there is a drought. So they dont want to worry us I suppose. Anyway, if you crack the threshold it gets easier. A bit like runners having to go through 'the wall' (oh, yes - I find that every time I go long distance running, dont you? ). Anyway, have you looked at the thread called 'water water water' on one of the general forums here? its quite useful. I drink about a third of my water as friut or herb tea some days. You have to find one you like, but I have peppermint after dinner and sometimes cammomile last thing at night, and as I type I have a cup of apple and ginger by my side. I also keep a huge glass of water on my desk, and sip from it, which gets a lot down, and (top tip coming up) I carry a little bottle of water with me when I go out to places like meetings - I find it is useful to do something when I am a bit nervous etc - almost in the same way I used to light up a cigarette (long time ago). Anyway, I know its hard, and hope you dont mind me sharing some of my ideas about it.

Bunny - you sound like you are on such good form. I never have worked out how to put a stereo together. In fact I have one in three pieces in my attic (well part of it is in the glove compartment of the car, for no very good reason - I am not the world's tidiest person ) Madge says 'tell her to be careful about the fleas - they can really take over your life'. I think she has got the wrong end of the stick though........

Geri - well, I hope the weekend with the college friends went off ok. I hope your house is in one piece - i associate 'frat brothers' with those films like Porkys etc......eekk...I dont think I would let them in my house The cookies sound wondeful. I cant eat just one biscuit, so I am tending to avoid them a bit at the moment. I wonder if I could make a low point biscuit? But of course it would be useless as I would just eat twice as many!

Well, to everyone else. I am going to have to do some work now. I have to revise a funding proposal for the mediation service I work for, to try and get some money to pay my salary in 2002
Lilac

Hello,

The weekend is winding down all too soon.

I've been busy around the house....mowing, weedeating, hedge trimming, unpacking, cleaning, ironing and laundry. And to think how many people are at the lake frolicking in the sun. Wonder why I'm not doing something like that.

I'm ready for the week. I've got taco soup and veggie soup all made in the fridge. Maybe try to undo some of the damage from this past week and get a jump start again. I've been getting my exercise walking the dog. I found my videotapes so maybe I can get some other type of exercise in for balance.

Finally, finally, the new desk is all put together and I've been working on getting it organized. DH decided maybe it would be best to pay a couple of his mechanic friends to do it rather than listen to me. It was worth every penny because it took them over 3 hours so who knows how long it would have taken us. I love it!

Looks like everyone has been having a good weekend. Each has had our own little devils. Mine was brats on the grill. In my own defense, its the first of the summer.

Linda - Water is hard for me. Not that I don't like it, just forget to drink it. I should have a big class here with me now but don't. And judging by the pudginess of my fingers, I need a lot!! Mind if I send up my ironing? I can't keep up with DH's shirts either.

Lilac - Looks like your busy too with gardening. I can't hardly wait until next spring when I can get some veggies going again. We've enjoyed fresh tomatoes and peppers this year and look forward to trying it again next plus extras. I bought some tulip and daffodil bulbs to plant this fall as my first landscaping project in the new house. I'm thinking mums too but not quite sure where to put them. I'll have to ponder a bit. If my dog chased my fingers across the keyboard there'd be a disaster!! I too have been in the country woman mode. Something very satisfying about it. Good for the soul.

Bunny - I'd help you with your stereo if I were closer. I have to do all that kind of stuff around here. DH gets too flustered and acts like he doesn't know anything.

Geri - Sam's has some evil food. For us, its the huge chocolate muffins. I have to keep the cart out of the bakery aisle. Hope the guys are having fun. Enjoy the Rennie festival!!

Well ladies, its time for a new week and lets all get refocused for good weighins. Before we know it, it will be the holidays. I do so want to make progress before that time. Take care and be strong!

DARN ... The post thief stole my nice long, almost ready to send, post

I'll try again.


Okay ladies you're allowed to LOL! Me, the woman who just yesterday screwed up No Pudge Brownies ("just add yogurt and stir" so badly that even I won't eat them bought a copy of "The Mayo Clinic Williams - Sonoma Cookbook <G>. Sam's club had them for $14.99. I think I can do most of the stuff in it if I can find the ingredients. Most of the recipes look YUMMY! I'm going to sit down with it tonight and do points calcluations on the ones I want to try 1st.

Had a nice 3 days off work. Got in some walking each day. Good thing too since I was pushing the very top of my point range. Today has been OP but I have to still drink a LOT of water. I'll be up a few times in the night for sure. <G>

Went to pick up some cheap towels and a locker lock. The aqua jogging class starts tomorrow night and I AM PSYCHED! Of course, I started out with a nice combination lock then had to remind myself that I'm a lot older than I was the last time I used a gym locker. I'll be locking my glasses up and then I wont be able to read the combination because the glasses will be IN the locker. Had to go back and get a lock wih a key. Then had to find a diaper pin to pin the key to my suit. This is getting complicated!

I've read everyone's posts and you're all doing sooo well. Keep it up.

Off to eat dinner. Cookedby someone else. thank God!!

TTYL

Well what a nice day it has been here. I have been off stocking up on nice harvest festival food. We have a tradition here that the children take food to school for a special service for harvest festival, and then all the food is boxed up and distributed to elderly people in the area. My mother made me roar with laughter a couple of years ago at her absolute horror at having been sent a box..... 'I am not old' etc Although of course she is 76 which is not really young.....

So how did i get on to that? Ah yes, my title - having a bit of a Keatsfest today.

WI tonight - I wonder how I will have done. I have not eaten all my points this week (I meant to - I was saving some to go out for a meal but then did not go, so I am left 9 points up). Does anybody understand why it is so emphasised that we have to eat all our points?

J-ann - good luck with the aqua jogging! I laughed at the story about the locker and the towels And well done for getting a cookery book! I bet you make some wonderful things when you get stuck in.

Terri - 'weedeating' Watch your points.....the nettles are the worst.
And 'brats on the grill' I know kids can be annoying, but that is really taking it a bit far. Nice with mayo though.......



love to all (wish me luck at those scales...)
Lilac

It's nearly midnight here on Sept 4. Tomorrow is my 37th anniversary but I have to get up at 3 am to get DH off as he's driving up-country to do a job. I guess I'll have to celebrate alone. A NON-food celebration is in order I think.
J-ann, I sure can relate to the aqua-jogging story, except our lockers come with keys and when you put money in the locker the key pops out and you then pin it to your swimsuit. Don't have to bring your own lock that way. My friend is very near sighted as well and she was struggling to get her key in the lock but nothing happened. I took it from her to help and she was trying to fit the key for locker #33 into locker 38. The clock on the poolside wall has to be 4'x4' but she's constantly asking me what time it is. Some ladies wear their glasses into the pool, but those are the same ones who never get their hair wet.
Well, I'm off to bed or else it will be time to get up before I've ever slept.

I am down three this week!

I figure that is last week's 1.5 (I maintained at the scale you may recall) and this week's too. I have now lost a total of 11 and I am feeling really happy

Last night I had one of my favourite meals - filet steak (5pts) with sweet potatoe bakes (chop them up the shape of chips .... thats 'fries' to you lot.... and toss them in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and a bit of soy sauce/lemon juice/something wet....spray with oil spray and bake in hot oven for about 35-40 mins - yum). Also a salad with. The whole meal came out at about 9 points, and was very luxurious!

This morning I am having porridge for breakfast, and then later I am off out to do my voluntary work. It is a lovely day - clear and bright blue - so I might go for a walk in the park.

Love to everyone
Lilac

Oh Linda - I just noticed - Happy Anniversary! Thirty seven years is a good old time! Shame you two cant be together for it. So its Ruby in three years! Start looking at those jeweller's catalogues

Good morning ladies,

Just time for a quick post. I snoozed too long and decided to walk anyway and not cheat the pooch or myself. But means I'm running behind.

I had a very OP day yesterday. I was very determined to ignore the screaming munchies and stuck to my soup for dinner. But the humidity is back so I'm retaining water. At least I can pee that away!!

Have a great OP day. Keep up all the good work and great attitudes. That's half the battle.

Linda - Happy Anniversary!!

Lilac - I do admit that some parts of broccoli do taste like weeds. Your day sounds beautiful. we're still in a bit of heat and I'm so longing for the crispier days of fall.

Tootles!!

Post and run! Sorry.

Long hike this morning planned -- Alum Cave Bluffs -- which is about what it sounds like. Follow a stream for a mile or so and then up the stone stairs under Arch Rock and along a couple mile steeply rocky trail to the Bluffs (with caves) where they used to mine Alum. Or something like that.

Need to sweat out some water (had salted popcorn last night) before weigh-in on Friday. LOL!

Love readin' what y'all are up to -- hope to have time to reply soon.