Morning,,

Karen relieved to hear from you and that all is okay. You and Ann sure have been through the wringer with all the hurricanes. Now that is something to tell the grandkids about.

Slavika thanks for the Key Lime recipe. I love anything Key Lime and will be trying that out. Do you like doing the Core program? LIke the story of your uncles. So true.

Glenda I think that lady that works with you must be very insecure. You are smart not to let her get to you-you have riches that she is lacking. But I know it must get tiring trying to admire all her new things all the time. I am finding it very freeing to get rid of lots of stuff.

Trudy I have used the Dove shampoo and really liked it. I love the way anything Dove smells.

Ann you gave such a good description of the hurricanes. I have seen so many pictures but I am sure it looks horrific when you see it up close. Sort of like the tornados we have. You were very lucky.

Maria yikes that is a lot of money for gas. Now when I see a landrover driving around I will picture that. I hate going to the big store for just that reason. Our little local IGA just closed up and now all I have is a big Kroger. Used to be able to run and get what I wanted but now have to navigate just for a parking space.

We are going to the country tonight to a friends for a big bonfire. Should be fun but have to think of an appetizer to bring. Tomorrow we are going to Kentucky to a Wool Festival.

Have a great weekend.

I tried to post yesterday. But as I was typing the power went out again :( It was only out for a second not even long enought to have reset everything. But my post was gone and as you can imagine it was brilliant and witty and now lost in space! ;)

I'm thinking that Florida has had enough! I even got a cartoon that said Florida Moved. And it was a picture of the US map with Florida wedged in between Montana and N.D and SD. It was cute.

Slavika I"ve been told , this never happens here! :?: But I have to tell you when Florida is good it is very very good. Been watching the weather for Minnesota and am very happy with our 80 + temps down here. We have spent a lot of time at the pool and so has many other people. The water is great and so relaxing.

So far not working has worked out just fine. DH and i do alot of running around and he likse the company and I like to go.

Ann called yesterday and it was good to hear from her. Between the storms and life we haven't had time to go to lunch as planned. But decided yesterday that we would for sure get together in November unless it happens sooner. :D.

Then we talked to SIL this morning . You remember she has gone to be with her daughter while she recovered from surgery(daughter not SIL :?: ) When we talked this morning she is ready to come home. So may be home Thursday or Friday instead of next Tuesday.

Didn't do alot today just layed back and rested a bit.

Been hearing from my family quite a bit this bast 2 months. Even my Dads sister and brothers are telling us to come home. But no way. :nono: We know this is the place we want to live.

Peggy it was good to see you back on line .

Glenda glad your son is doing well.

Maria I haven'thad a chance to congratulate you on being a Granda to be. i think you are going to be one of those hands on grandma's . Enjoy! :high: :cheers:

Have to go warm up supper.

See you all later.

Karen

G'day all,

Holiday monday here and a beautiful day it is.
Making it even better when I stepped on the scales this morning and can report .8 kg loss. :cp: :cb:

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and we went for a huge bike ride....we left home at 9.15 and came back at 1.30.
I have attached a very 'attractive' photo of me from this morning. It is compulsary to wear helmets here, not a good look but a sensible one!

Peggy the wool festival was that something like seeing a lot of stuff on display made of wool? Australia of course is well known in the production of wool and when we have our yearly agriculture show there is usual a fashion parade of garments made of the latest techniques in producing wool fabrics. Always very intersting.
I hope you had a great day.

Karen lovely to see you safe and well and also good to hear that the hurricanes have not made you feel like going back to Minnesota.
Sounds nice doing things with your dh and just relaxing. You have worked all your life.
Now Ann & Karen you are nowhere near the St. Helen volcano that is rumbling at the moment and about to erupt are you ;) :D :dizzy:

Nature certainly has been punishing America these last few months. :?:

I must be off do a few chores.....
Cheers
Maria

Starting weight: 94.9 kg :(
goal weight: 72 kg :cloud9:
todays weight 85 kg :)
.8 down from last week :cheer:
total loss till now 9.9 kg :)

Hi Everybody :)

Oh Karen it's hard for me to hear that you are sitting at the pool and that the temperature is in the 80's when this morning I had to pull out all my plants because the frost got them. :(
I had to to go to the store first thing this morning and there was this little puddle of water in the parking lot and it had a thin sheet of ICE over it. YIKES :yikes:
I wouldn't move back to Minnesota either if I were you. :)
Come winter, those family members will be VERY happy that they can go South for a few days because they know somebody in Florida. :) You mentioned a funny postcard and I received one in my email....it was one of those that say "we are here" or "I am here" and it's usually a beautiful beach or something. Well this post card was from Florida and it showed a view of a hurricane (that you see on the weather channels) and then an arrow pointing to the very center of it and saying, "I am here". :D
Next weekend we are going back out to the lake to celebrate Thanksgiving. My friend is having lots of people in for the Thanksgiving dinner, but DH and I are the only ones staying over. I will help get the dinner together. :hun:
Maria CONGRATS, on the weight loss......8 kg (1.76#). :bravo: :cheer:
You are like the little pink Energizer Bunny...you just keep on going. :) I must say that looking at picture of you with your bike you can certainly tell that you are not as "fluffy" as you were when you posted the last pictures. So, well done!!! You have already lost 22# and I am sure that people are noticing your weight loss.
Peggy that "Key Lime Square" recipe is a favorite of ours for Tea Time. It tastes good and it's low in points. I had it last week but maybe I will make it again for tomorrow. :)
Well it's time for me to do a bit of housework and some ironing. Talk to you all soon. Bye now.

Maria - you do look nice. That is quite an accomplishment. I think that our bodies are testing us to see if we are serious when we have a gain or stay the same. The next week tells the tale. You just have to have this attitude that one week does not a good weight make--or even two or three. If you live comfortably on a good diet, it is not hard to have a bad week. Just go with the flow.

Karen - I am sure now that your 'baptism' is over, you will just love Florida. Enjoy the pool and the sunshine and the flowers. Remember the early frosts and the blizzards and the heavy coats and how hard it is to do EVERYTHING when it is cold.


Peggy - me too on the getting rid of stuff. I don't know what it was but when I was younger, I felt good to have too many clothes in a closet. Now I just feel claustrophobic, especially when I know I haven't worn most of those things in years. I had fun with the kitchen, just being drastic throwing away stuff.

Just had lunch with my BIL and DH. They were on their way home from Branson and just stopped at Eskimo Joe's for lunch. That was fun.

I am on a walking team and my team lost. We just kept track for September, but I have never walked so much in my life, BUT my pants are definitely looser. Hope in October we do better. They just draw names at random--4 to a team. Sure has been fun.

Slavika, are you and DH looking at Florida? How could you get your son and family to move too?
Glenda

G'day all,

Firstly let me ask you all if you get a pop up with whatever everytime you post a reply :?: :dizzy:
I investigated how to get rid of them, I got another particularly nasty one that somehow got into my system. I was very proud I worked out how to go about finding these hidden files and deleted them but this morning I got yet another pop window, not offensive but just annoying.

It is just a magnificent day here today, spring and autums are just my favourite times of the year.

Slavika you are getting ice very early, it is only just autumn for you :rolleyes: It is going to make the planning for your trip to Maui even more exciting when you seem be to getting such a cold winter.
I am glad you noticed I am not carrying as much 'fluff' :D :D
Wait till I post a picture of me in bathers on dh's surf ski ;) :D I fully intend having a go on it this summer.

Glenda your walking teams sound like fun. I am amazed with what ease I did the bike ride yesterday, it is definetly because I am now attending a gym on a regular basis. Other than a bit of a sore backside, I was fine and felt I could have ridden for ever......well perhaps not quite ;)
Regular excercise is definetly the key.
I had a quick look on the net where and what Branson is, looks an interesting town with lots of attractions.

Hi to everyone else...have a great day all,

Cheers
Maria

Just read my last past again. How stupid! My BIL and sister came for lunch. No, my husband does live with me, not my Brother in law.

Maria I am impressed by the bike ride. Do you even go up hills? I think I would have to stay of flat land. My dh has been talking about getting bikes. Yikes is all I can say. I hope when I got one I don't squash the tires.

Karen you just keep on enjoying those nice warm days. That has to be feeling good now that the temps are dropping up north. I just got a new wool coat. Are you thinking of going back to be a WW leader? I take it that sil is coming back to live with you, right?

Slavika - Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy yourself at the lake. And you have had a little ice already? Yuck!!

Glenda it feels good to lighten up around here but I have to not bring more things in unless I get rid of something when I do. Congrats on the looser pants and the walking club. That sounds like a great idea and it is something that most every one can do.

The Kentucky Wool Fest was fun but there was not a lot of things made from the wool. Some hats that they were selling for $100+. We petted the goats and sheep. Love those little midget goats-they are so cute.

Got to go do something around here. Just got my hair cut and colored.

it's not winter yet
 

G'day all,

Trudy I don't think you are dense at all, there is such an incredible amount to learn and no-one will ever know it all!
On cable TV we have a channel called 'Tech TV', I watch it a bit now and then and I have picked up a few tips including the one about how to get rid of the revolting pop-up I was getting.
I am not sure if it is American or Canadian (you all sound the same to me ;) :D ) but I found the Canadian link.
http://www.g4techtv.ca/
You may well be saying to yourself....'how boring and get a life Maria' but just in case you cannot sleep one night, you might like to have a look what the site has to offer.
I also get a computer magazine each month with all the latest 'stuff' in it which also helps.

Peggy Adelaide is situated on a gulf and surrounded by the Adelaide Hills. We used to live in the hills and there was no way I would ride a bike there, it was difficult enough going for walks!
However we moved back to the plains 4 years ago and that is when dh bought me a bike and we started the bike riding.
The bike ride into the city is about 12 km, there are a number of bike paths, all quite lovely. On Monday we did a huge loop, not sure how many km that would have been.
I think you might surprise yourself how much you enjoy a bike ride!

GlendaI have thought of trying to get all the archived posts of us and making it into a little (or big!) book. I am sure when we look back, we will all be wondering at some of the posts we posted over the years.

It is very warm here today, I have done all the watering so it is now time I got on with some real stuff!

Cheers
Maria

Hi Everybody :)

Trudy is of course right, today was just a wonderful warm sunny day...yet on Sunday night it had gone down to freezing so on Monday I pulled all frost bitten plants out and cleaned up the yard.
The weather here has just been crazy this year. :crazy:
One day I have the heat on and the next I put the air back on. :shrug:
I wasn't going to go to Weight Watchers today because it looked like once again I stayed the same but at the last minute I decided to go anyway. I ate more today before I left for weigh in then I usually do on a Tuesday, so was not too surprised to find out I had gained 1#. I have not progressed over the last two weeks. Last week I stayed the same and this week up a 1#. I think there is a dance that is called something like "one step forward and two steps back". LOL :lol: Hmmm, that seems to be the dance I am doing. Next Tuesday will be tough one too, because of our Thanksgiving weekend. Oye Vey!
Glenda good for you with all the walking you are doing. Exercise sure is the key to good weight loss. :tread: I had not been walking as much the last while because of the sinus/migraine headaches I have been getting. DH is out of town again and returns home tomorrow night.
Talk to you all soon. Night........

Hi everyone
 

G'day all,

After a few nervous days waiting for my monitor, I received it this afternoon.
It is awesome, an overused word but that is the only way I can describe this monitor.:love:
It is 19" and after my 14" laptop it is huge!
I was also very pleased that I managed to connect the monitor and plug in a keyboard to my laptop.

Had a long chat to my dd last night. She is working in oncology now and is finding it fullfilling but stressful.
When I had breast cancer 11 years ago, she was really quite horrible at the time, very much out of character for her, she is normally a very caring person.
I asked dh to have a talk to her because of her behaviour.
She now tells me she has no recollection of that time other that I came home and went to my bedroom very upset. She does not remember any visits to the hospital (where she was so horrible). Working in this area has made her look back on that time and finds it unbelievable that she totally shut off that period of her life :dizzy: :?:
I never figured out why she was like that, guess if you shut it out of your mind it may go away! She was 16 at the times so old enough to have some understanding what was going on.

I haven't been to the gym for a few days because I was waiting for my monitor, back into it again tomorrow morning.

Trudy you will scuff your shoes badly if you continue kicking that can :D ;)

Cheers
Maria

Hi Everybody :grouphug:
I had the day out with my friend yesterday and what a beautiful day it was. The sun was shinning and it was 27C
(I guess that would be around 80F). This is the weather we should have been getting during our "summer"........but I will take now. ;) :)
I bought a piece of luggage for our grandson a couple of weeks ago, and we will give it to him either for his 11th birthday (which is at the end of this month) or if we have enough presents for his birthday we save it for Christmas.
Yesterday I looked for a "grown up piece of luggage" for our granddaughter. I think I found the perfect piece. It's the 26" size, on wheels, with the pull handle. It's a lovely red colour with little pockets and things inside and you can add other pieces to it. Right now, both the children use back packs as their carry on luggage, and that works out well and they are each responsible for their things. I did buy her a cute little young girl bag to put her "toiletries" in yesterday. She had been asking me what she should pack for her holiday and I told her all the things she should take and I said, "and of course your toiletries". She asked, "what's toiletries"? I explained that usually her Mother packed soap, lotion, tooth brush, tooth paste etc for her....but that was toiletries. She felt that this year since she was 9 years old that she could do that herself.....hence the bag. I bought her Dove body wash for sensitive skin, Dove bar soap, and one of those net body scrubs to put in the bag for her. We will give her the little toiletry bag when we give our grandson his birthday presents. We always have a "little something" for the child who is NOT having a birthday. :) :love:
LOL...well I am not too certain that you gals found that LONG story about luggage interesting. :rolleyes: :D
I got on the scale this morning and that nasty 1# gain seems to have gone from my body....hope it stays off!!
DH got home last night just before 11:00PM...he was tired and happy to sleep in his own bed. He said that the bank must have booked the worst hotel in the city....and it had the worst beds. :(
Maria I wondered if you had received your new monitor. My it must be really big. I thought my monitor which (which I bought in March of 03) had a large screen. Mine is a 17" Samsung, and I love it.
I must run....I have grocery shopping to get done.
Bye for now.

Slavika, I think it is so nice the way you are easing your grandkids from the kids to the young lady and young gentleman phase. And you are a grandma so it is perfectly fine to give the other one a gift on one child's birthday. Funny how kids don't know the same lingo as we do, isn't it? Sounds like you had such a good day yesterday, weather and all. We had rain, not complaining, but it just poured when I was walking last night after I got about a mile from home. Got pretty wet, even though I had an umbrella.

All, I have a lunch date with two good old friends. One has not had time to be friends for about a year. She has hurt my feelings so much, like arranging a lunch date and then not showing. I saw something on Oprah about "He is just not into you" referring to dating, but I took it to heart about my friend and have just not made any effort her way. I got a message asking to meet her for lunch after two months. So, will try again. I am not going to be the only friend in this relationship anymore--the road goes two ways. Have any of you had any similar experiences? This was my best friend for over 20 years, just the best and now she has just gone away.

Maria, cancer can affect people so differently. I bet you and your daughter were very close and she just could not face the possibility of losing you. My youngest was 16 when I got cancer and he just became a huge problem, when I had no energy to deal with him. Fear can produce some strange behaviors.
Glenda