Good morning! Happy St. Patrick's Day. (My namesake & so I guess in a roundabout way, DS#1's namesake as well.)

If you get a chance & have always wondered what Dave & I look like~Marci was nice enough to post our pics on her site. Take a look. :] (Try not to let us hurt your eyes.) LOL

QOD: What do you like on your hamburger (or if you prefer your hot dog?)

QOD: I can do with or without bun. I like mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickle, & onion (preferably red). I used to abstain from onions but found out recently how good they are for you & especially your liver. I think when our moms told us that liver & onions were good for us that the liver was too fatty but we were getting all of the good from the onions. Ha! Ha!

I remembered today that I need to get my driver's license. I don't think that I want to stand there on a Monday to get it but will probably do it tomorrow. Oops. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Oh, no.

Laugh your way to a big smile :] Patti

Good morning! It's very overcast, but already 70 degrees and windy out.

Loved the "top o' the morning" greeting, Marci! You do such fun things here!

Patti, I liked those pictures! Oh, and check your email 'cause I need you to reply ASAP!

QOD: On my burger, I like mayo & mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickle and cheese! When I lived in NC for a few years, I learned about burgers with cole slaw and chili on them, and ate my way through 3 years worth of those. I can't imagine eating that now though. LOL

I finally slept well last night after an entire week of insomnia. I feel like a new woman this morning. I really understand why not getting enough sleep makes you fat because I was so upset and restless every night that I would end up eating, and nothing good for me either. UGH!

I have a full agenda before the rain comes today, so I'll wish you all a great day and get busy!

Patti & Dave - great to put faces to the people we love. You both look great! Patti - I think Aubrey favors you - I see the same smile on that adorable face. Thanks for having Marci post them. I love the shirts too - how cute that you two match.

QOD - okay here is another quirk of mine. I don't eat any meat that has been ground up or processed. I really am not a fussy eater, but I will pass on hot dogs, sausage, any kind of chopped meat. If I go to someone's house for dinner and that is what they are serving I will eat a little bit not to be rude, but I don't enjoy it. The chopped meat is a texture issue for me. The processed food is a fear of the unknown LOL.

We had a blast in NYC yesterday. We went to brunch in SoHo and then spent the afternoon at the Museum of Natural History - it is so huge and amazing - we just scratched the surface. I haven't been there since the kids were young. Then we had some great Vietnamese food. A whirlwind day, but worth every minute to see the DD's.

Marci - thank you for a beautiful start to the day and thanks for posting Patti's pictures.

Milkdud - thanks for posting your DGD and son too - she is too precious. No wonder why you love watching her. Uncle Joel is cute too.

I think Dee comes back today - we missed you sister.

BJ - are your hands too full to check-in with us? I totally understand.

Jen - I am expecting a photo of the girls at Easter LOL.

Suzanne - I don't think I ever saw that photo of Casey that Marci has posted - she is a beautiful horse. I just painted a picture of DD#1 on a horse and I am not 100% thrilled with DD, but I love how the horse came out LOL.

I forgot what everyone else posted and wanted to respond to. But hi to everyone, it's nice to see so many new "faces" around here.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Welcome back, John! Hope you had a nice time on your date and sorry I was too late to tell you that I do not have any Barry White music to loan you. Hopefully you did OK without it! ;-)

Florida was wonderful, and I was well rested until I hit the e:mail here at the office. I am being pulled in about 8 directions and promise to check in later.

some QODs I missed -- I like V8 juice and tomato and lettuce on veggie burgers...don't like much beef as I only eat it very, very well-done/burned! Never any blood in my beef or I'll send the whole bleeping plate back to the kitchen and be done for the evening. LOL!

Later.............

Good Morning,

One MIA checking in. Things just don't seem to slow down here. Oh well...

I will definately send out Easter pics. The girls have such cute dresses. BUT, they picked their own out this year! Kinda matches their personalities. Funny, Tara picked one out that was $12 and Erica picked one out for $50. Imagine that????

This new time change is not agreeing with me. I will be glad when I get used to it.

QOD: Cheeseburger, no bun, mustard, pickles, onion (only if it's before 4 p.m.)and tomatoes!

Well, gotta go get Tara at preschool. Try to check back in later.

Jen

Hello again,

Patti, Aubrey looks just like you!! Thanks for sending Marci the pix.

Raeanne, I posted Casey's pix here - you must have missed it. She is very beautiful, winter coat and all! Sure sign Spring is coming because the horses are shedding like mad. Now I have another full time job - grooming with the shedding blade!!

Jen, good to see you post.

Dee, welcome back!

Milkdud, have you ever talked to your doctor about Ambien? I use it from time to time and what a huge difference it makes. I spent over ten years sleep deprived go through menopause....I wish I'd know about it then.

Donna, check in when you can. It was good to see you post over the weekend. I want to hear how things are going with you. Still moving in positive direction I hope!!

QOD: I like relish, onion, lettuce, tomato (only homegrown) mayonnaise, ketchup and cheese. Maybe that's called "the works" LOL

I worked like an animal this weekend but I took the time to play with egg photos. I took over 100 and have been eliminating them all morning. Here are two that I like - which one do you prefer?

The brown egg?

Or the blue egg?

I LOVE the brown egg. Beautiful presentation NHSuzanne!!

I agree with Marci. I like the brown egg.

NHSuzanne- I love the brown egg!

QOD- swiss cheese, mushrooms, bacon, mayo, and red onions make the best burger. I'm not really picky and like the garden toppers, too. And I LOVE shoestring sweet potato fries with a burger!

Happy ST. Patty's to everyone!

Good Morning! My weather page is getting "Spring" ready. The colors are a gorgeous green, blue, & purple. The other day it had pics of beautiful sunsets. It gets one in the mood.

How often would you like a question asked? Do you want me to wait a day or two so everyone can answer or go ahead & ask one?

I wanted to thank everyone for the nice, nice words. I think Aubrey is so cute & certainly don't think that of myself. It is nice to think that we could look alike though. (I take it as a compliment.)

Dee~Welcome home! Do let us know about your trip when you have the time.

Jen~We'd love pics of the girls. That is one of our favorite things about holidays. I cannot believe that they are growing up so fast.

John~I have some questions that will need a male POV--can you help us out Brother?

I hope everyone will take the time to drop by this week. Maddie? We are missing you. Besh? Lynn? Tikanis? BJ? Gretchen? Don't just tease us now! LOL There are other names that I could call out too. I'll start with these but we would love to see everyone back here, please. Patti :]

Happy Post St Pattys day, ugh :)

QOD- bacon, cheese, mayo, lettuce, mustard and a little letchup. However I also like blue cheese too! I eat them without the bun, so get creative with the toppings. I found the bacon ranch dressing to be good in a pinch!

Shoot Patti, Im all ears.

JD

Suzanne, I have to go with the brown egg too.

QOD: Provolone cheese, ketchup, onion....not much at all.

I must have misplaced the link for photos..could someone email it to me? Patti, I can't wait to see you and Dave!

Hope everyone enjoyed their St. Paddy's Day.

Talk tomorrow...Donna

Hi everyone, reporting in...MIA. Okay, where the heck has this week gone???

QOD - ketchup, dill pickle, onion, fried mushrooms, bacon - any or a combo of the above.

My weigh day - last week went up 1/2 pound, this week down 1 1/2 pounds. Since Feb the beginning of Feb I have lost 6 pounds. Slow and steady. I have learned over the years that every minuscule loss helps towards your goal. So if anyone is feeling frustrated or angry with themselves - don't be. Your body will shed the pounds when it's ready. There's lots going on inside. I'll take any loss as a good loss. My win is eating healthier and feeling better. I'm a tortoise loser - but I will get there in the end.

Gotta get sandwiches made for DH and start the car! Check in later this morning with my week update.

Cheers!
Peggy

Good Wednesday!

Has everyone gone off on vacation with out me??? LOL

John - how did your date go? More sleet and snow today, ugh.

Peggy, good for you for staying focused and on track!

Okay everyone, time to check in. St. Paddy's day was two days ago!

It's me checking in again. I know I am not very good at posting. Need to get my rear in gear.

I am planning Easter Dinner for my Mom and my siblings with their mates. There will only be 8 of us. I know it is not a lot, but I have not entertained in a long time. Looking forward to it. It is going to be a cheat day for me. I will try to be a
l-i-t-t-l-e careful.

We just had another stretch of nasty weather. Will spring ever come?

QOD I like my burgers very well done with bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo. On a grilled bun. I have been a good girl and stayed away from them. My sister has discovered turkey sauage and said it was great. She is gonna look for the bacon also. I will have to try them. Isn't it great the products that are on the market today and all have the nutritional labels on them? When my husband had his by-pass surgery 11 years ago, it was very had to figure anything out. Not many things were labeled.

I make oatmeal in the morning using 1 cup of water. Do you know if I can use that as part of my water intake or is it a no-no?

Dody

Suzanne - I also am partial to the brown egg, but they are both lovely photos. You really have a great eye for photography. I also only like homegrown tomatoes.

McPeg - I always think that it took me much more than a couple of months to put the weight on, so I tend to be patient too. I think 6lbs since Feb is very good!

Donna - I will email you the link.

Patti - I am waiting on your next QOD LOL.

Busy, busy, busy here, so I have to get back to work. Enjoy your day.

Dody I would count the water - it's all the same to the body as far as I'm concerned. Glad to see ya posting. Maybe you could bank a couple of points ahead between now and your family dinner? We have 2 dinners this weekend - one at the Keg for MIL b-day and sunday easter dinner. My strategy...just eat what I am comfortable with. Make sure to eat my salad (watch dressing), veggies, drink water and don't overdo it. Easter dinner I just stick to 1 serving spoon of this, that etc. Bigger spoons on salad and low fat items. I generally don't sweat whatever happens. Just be honest with yourself, do the best you can and get back on track after this weekend. Enjoy your family.

Today I've been boxing up books, sorting books for charity and have to shovel slush outside, dishes, finish laundry and keep purging the junk around here. If we truly are not going to use it on a regular basis it gets boxed and labelled or given away. With winter dragging on, the more I can get done in the house now will free up my time for the spring when I want to be OUTSIDE!!!!

Gotta get those boxes put away, shovel, dishes and fold my laundry!

Have a fabulous day everyone. Take care this week so you can enjoy your weekend. Don't sweat the small stuff.

I'll pull you along and you pull me along!
That's the deal.

Cheers,
Peggy

Suzanne - I had to come back in and look at the blue egg and I think I do like that one more. On my computer at work it looked a little washed out, but at home you can really see the blue in the egg. The contrast of the brown is what I believe catches everyones attention. Your fine looking hens lay some beautiful eggs.

Dody - a planned cheat usually works. It is the one's that take you by surprise that see to have an impact on you.

Dee - are you buried under at work. That's what you get for leaving us so long hahaha.

It is a slushy mess around here, it snowed overnight and has been raining on and off all day. ENOUGH!

NH Suzanne~I actually did something today. LOL We got up early & went to Tampa to get Dave's glasses. First, we had to stop to get my license renewed. Well, I had never changed to a FL license so I did that, relunctantly. After we got his new glasses we went to Walmart in Tampa & of course, they had some things that our little town was out of.

I am so enjoying reading everyone's answers.

John~Here goes.

QOD: My question sheet askes~"Ninjas or pirates?"

QOD: I never really got Ninja turtles & I guess that I didn't like pirates b/c of Peter Pan. Although, Dave yells for the Bucs. (ha! ha!) So, I guess that would be his answer.

Donna~I'm glad that everyone has the opportunity to meet us finally too.

Dody~I'll make a suggestion that you can do or not, it is just an idea. Why don't you use a smaller plate for yourself if you want to feel like you are eating what everyone else is but want to make certain that you are having smaller portions? That is something that I think I am about to finally learn. I used to work for a heart surgeon so I know what you mean about info years back.

Peggy~Please keep pulling even if you see my heels dig in. It is only a reaction, not a thought out plan. tee hee

Raeanne~I hope that this ? didn't disappoint. Some of them are kinda off but just b/c I don't get them doesn't mean that everybody won't. :)

Milkdud~Are you already spending time with those DGDs? I got something in the mail today!!

Dee~We want to hear about your vacation!

BJ~Take time to come up for air, ok?

Maddie~Breathe! We need ya, Sis.

Jen~Same goes for you.

Marci~Did you say that you were off this week?

Amy~I've got a QOD that will be good for you. Are you lurking?

Besh~How's that job coming along?

Lynn~Did you get your house sold?

Gretchen~Are you out there, GF? We heard today that your weather is still yucky too.

Tikanis~Is that new house keeping you too busy to drop by?

I said that I was going to start dropping some names. :)

Let me just be Debbie Whiner for 1/2 sec: it is 84 here & humid. Ugh! OK. Spring is officially here tomorrow. Yeah! Make the best of your day. Patti :]

***asks***

you would think I could spell the small words--oops

I meant to mention that Dave is sick AGAIN! He did call the dr. at my urging & they told him to try several things at home before coming in to see him. What's up with that?

:)

QOD: I like mine with lettuce and tomato,
Heinz Fifty-seven and French fried potatoes.
Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer.
Well, good God Almighty, which way do I steer
For my cheeseburger in paradise.

Hi All!

Sorry I have not been around much, but I have not been on the computer much either. I spend alot of my day on one now, so not really up to it when I get home.

Welcome Dody and Peg. It is so nice to have some new faces, and I always like to come here and see the "old" ones!

Hugs to all!

Love, Besh

Patti - Not a disappointment at all, I love the QOD.

QOD - Pirate all the way. We have a standing joke with our neighbor and this summer I bought his and her pirate eye patches and left them hanging on his door knob. LOL

Hi Besh - we figured you were too busy with the new job and all. Good answer to QOD.

QOD---this cruiser says PIRATE arrrrg, arrrg, arrg!

Florida was a relaxing vacation and I loved each and every minute of it, including the rain one day! We sat at the pool, in the hot tub, on our balcony in Pompano Beach overlooking ocean and intercoastal highway, at a pub where we drank black cherry rum and Diet Coke, on the beach @ Melbourne where we witnessed the shuttle launch at 2:30am, at the Mets game in Port St.Lucie, at a Baltimore game in Ft.Lauderdale, on the riverfront in Ft.Lauderdale where we cruised the New River. I read 2 1/2 novels, worked on a dozen crosswords, watched sunsets, sunrises, ate somewhat responsibility, and made plans to go back in November to my sister's timeshare on Marcos Island. ;-)

Work has been overwhelmning to say the least. I just managed to get an hour in at the fitness center, shower, and I'm back at my desk ~ 5:45pm. I'm really gonna head out of here soon because I'm exhausted.

I've got twice as much waiting for me as I did in January when I left for almost 2 weeks. That will teach me to leave on vacation, huh?

Patti, it was so nice to put a face to you and Dave! Give him a squeezy hug for me and tell him I hope he's feeling better soon.

Besh, good to see you.

John, how was the date?

Hello to Jen, Gretchen, BJ, Maddie, Raeanne, Suzanne, Marci, dodi, McPeg, Magickitty, Joanne, and all whom I've forgotten just now.

Pouring rain here and I want to beat the traffic if possible.

TAKE CARE, EAT HEALTHFULLY, AND NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!
DeeMarie

I agree Pirates all the way. They have more fun and dont have to sneak around. Plus wearing black all the time would be a bore.

My date didnt happen Sat night, she got ill and has been in the hospital since, they found a mass in her colon and removed it last night. Its kinda an odd situation because I know her but not well. I stopped by and visited a couple times and brought her a book to read, cause I know how boring it can be here. When she gets better we will have to talk then and see where we stand.

Odd thing was that I went out friday night with coworkers and ran into another lady I have been speaking to. We had a nice time but then she left Sunday for a business trip and I havent heard from her since. She said she had a great time too but perhaps thats all she wanted, who knows..... Im going to have to put on my thick skin to deal with the datting scene. Which isnt easy if you wear your heart on your sleeve like I normally do.

Anywhoo, have a super night!

JD

Hi all!
Super rainy and yucky here today- no walking for me today.
Tomorrow is weigh day (yikes!)- we will also be going house hunting tomorrow...I am so excited! Trying to get some touch-up painting ready- our house goes on the market in less than 2 weeks. I guess that is a good workout in itself- my butt muscles are already screaming from the ladder climbing i've been doing all morning.

I have a question (not the QOD, just a ?)-- what do you all drink during the day?

I try to drink mostly water but it is so boring. I quit drinking any soft drinks a few months ago, but I still love sweet tea and only try to drink 2 glasses of it a day. I don't care for the flavor packets you add to water. Juice is a no-no. So do any of you have suggestions for mixing up the fluids?

Hi Everyone-

Bear with me- I don't have a ton of time to address each one of you. I am dieting and on week two of a very strict diet. I work better knowing exactly what I should be eating. It is all healthy stuff and I have eliminated all the whites ( sugar, flour, rice). No coffee, no juices, no soda. Only organic teas or water. I had a horrible four days with caffeine and sugar withdrawal. A very painful process.

Here are a few more pictures of my kitchen remodel. It was a down to the studs remodel.

This is the before

{{gwi:1499551}}

Happy Birthday Patti! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Oh, WOW...another birthday!
[cough, cough, ahem, ahem]

Happy Birrrrrthhhhdaaay to you..............
Happy Birrrrrthhhhdaaay to you..............
Happy BIIRRRTTTHHDDAAAY sweet, charming, one-of-the-best-wives-in-the-world, can-always-cheer-us-up Patti....
Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!!!

Hope this one is filled with love, sunshine, and joy. Thanks for hanging in here with us and for sharing your sweet hubby!

DeeMarie

Good morning all,

Happy Birthday Patti!! Hope you have a wonderful day each and every day this year!!

Gretchen love your makeover! Good job.

Besh, I miss hearing from you please check in.

Groomingal - what part of the country do you live in??

QOD: To my friends who enjoy a glass of wineÂand those who don't..

As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria. In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of sh// .

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information:

ROFLMAO!!!

I 'm doing it as a public service.

Pirates - I think of the old swashbuckler movies. Some of the captains were sexy!

Great kitchen refit - now I'm thinking about mine!

We're off for easter weekend tomorrow morning - let's all enjoy this weekend. No matter what happens, report back in asap and be prepared to pull up your socks and get back at it. No feelings of regrets, let it go and move forward upon return. Try to behave this weekend, if you can't don't beat yourselves up - okay troops? That's your marching orders! LOL

McPeg

Good morning! (Finally!)

Happy birthday, Patti! Hope today is a great day for you and the beginning of a wonderful year.

I've been MIA because I've been too tired to post. I finally got some Ambien and have started to sleep better.

Suzanne, I like the 2nd picture with the blue egg best. Both are very nice though.

I probably won't be seeing my son and his family until Tuesday evening now. They've made other plans for the Easter weekend. I'll have my oldest DGD for company while everyone else is at Texas Chldren's next week, and I'm looking forward to having time with her.

Spring has come to Texas. Trees are budding, the grass is greener than it has been all winter, and the mowers are running again!

So nice to see Dee, Jen, McPeg, John, Dody, Groomingal, and Gretchen posting! I loved the pictures of the kitchen makeover, by the way. Very nice!

I need to make a grocery store run, so I need to work on my shopping list. I hope everyone has a great day!

Happy Birthday dear sweet long time sistah! I am so glad you post here on a regular basis, you always seem to brighten things up around here. I hope today is a great one with a year filled with great days and moments that will be cherished a lifetime. Love you.

Gret - thanks for the photo's. You must be so happy with the results. I love the backsplash over the stove. I know how hard it is to design a kitchen - you did a great job.

John - that must be a bit of an awkward situation for you, that was nice of you to drop off a book for her. My girlfriend is going through the dating scene and when she's not crying about it, we are laughing hysterically. It just seems to take a lot time, patience and an open mind.

Groomingal - I am a water drinker (contrary to what others on here may like to believe LOL). When I get bored I go for sparkling or add some lime or lemon to it. I actually love water so it's not an issue for me.

Suzanne - I need to have my water tested LOL or live up to my reputation. I just got that in an email or something similar and thought it was quite funny, but true LOL.

Milkdud - glad you are getting some sleep. You must feel like a new person.

Enjoy your day.

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. I'll be back & address everyone later. I wanted to pop on quickly & ask a QOD.

What is one of your greatest challenges? (It can be present or past!)

I need to think about my answer. I just saw this ? somewhere & thought that it made an interesting QOD so I haven't given it any thought yet. :]

50 year old Patti LOL

yankandtex@hotmail.com

Thank-you Marci! You know me very well. Marci got me scrapbooking items: clear acrylic blocks, E-Z runner adhesive, Hero Art font stamps, an Amanda Blu paper pad, Making Memories Spring Shapes brads, Sandylion heart flowers, & a gift certificate from Joann. I love all of it. I have a new Amanda Blu album that the paper matches very good with. I had just read about some Hero Art stamps & was going to look for some. I'm really excited about all of it. Marci, the gif was so special too.

Dave gave me a surprise birthday party. It was very, very nice & it was very much a secret. There honestly weren't any clues.

Gretchen~I'm "green" over your kitchen & so is Dave. LOL It is absolutely beautiful. Especially the tile. Whoever did the work did a beautiful job. You will truly enjoy that.

Dee~Another beautiful song. It started out raining here but now is 77 & a sunny, beautiful day.

NH Suzanne~That is so funny. I know that I shouldn't drink it but I drink chocolate cherry Diet Dr. Pepper. I used to drink water, water, water. I like this flavor b/c it doesn't taste real sweet to me. I have not been able to stand anything with a sugar taste. I tried to post a pic but don't know if I really understood or not.

Groomingal~I guess that I just answered your ?. I am so good about portions & I do drink quite a bit during the day but I haven't been drinking water like I used to & it has been cheaper to drink this than anything else. Bad girl, I know.

Milkdud~I take the blue Ambien now. I used to take a white one, I think. I don't know if it is a different strength or brand. It doesn't keep me drowsy during the day. I'm glad that you will be getting some sleep now. Thanks for your sweet card.

Raeanne~Dawww--ling! I hope that I will remember this day forever. We got pics.

Hi to everyone else. My greatest challenge:

I think it might be finding peace withing myself. I can think of many & I think that this is probably an ongoing one.

Smile--it makes others wonder what you are up to! :]

Patti -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FRIEND!

Enjoy --- you deserve it!!

Love, Donna

Happy B-day Patti!

29 again! wow that must be a good year for you ;)

John

Happy Birthday Patti. It sounds like Dave outdid himself and you had a great day!

Love, Besh

Good Friday all!

TGIF too!

Patti, I am glad you had a good birthday and a surprise party too! Lucky you.

Dee, another stellar performance!

Besh, I miss your posts. Please stop by and tell us how you new job is going and what else is new.

John, hang in there and keep yourself out there. It's okay to where you heart on your sleeve but you still need to protect it! As Dee says, never ever give up.

BTW, I did not give credit to the what do you drink QOD because I don't know. It was circulating on the internet and was quite timely!! I thinks it's pretty funny.

QOD: Seems my whole life has been full of challenges and I think I have risen to meet everyone of them. Right now, my greatest challenge is getting through this winter with my sanity. I am totally serious - it has been rough in many ways. So between this relentless winter and DS's continual problems I definitely being challenged and tested!

Check out the dancing walrus at the attached link. SO CUTE

Here is a link that might be useful: Dancing Walrus

NH Suzanne~Thanks for the link. I saw that on the news last night. But the link showed more of it, I think.

Was the QOD too heavy? It just seemed like a thought provoker to me. I don't have a lot of heavy ones & that wasn't even on the list. I was going to ask about your best accomplishment but is that all right??

GuHLs & John~You are never too old to have an adventure! LOL I had my eyes checked @ 8:30 a.m. today. I went back to contacts. The left one didn't fit right but he thought that it was b/c he dilated my eyes. I was to come back on Tues. Well, I'm sitting on the couch & something strange is in my mouth. I'm spitting & gagging...you guessed it! All of the sudden it hits me that I cannot see out of my left eye. Oops! I must have thrown it across the room or something" ROFL

Any plans for Easter or is that where everyone is today? We usually go to Bok Tower for sunrise service but it is supposed to be raining & we aren't too keen on being in the rain...kinda defeats "sunrise" service. Hmmm...

Keep smiling. Patti :]

nhsuzanne- the video is fantastic!!!! that just made my day.

Patti- you're funny :) Happy Birthday!!

QOD- biggest challenge- that is deep Patti, but a very good question. I plan on going back to school within the next year. This requires us to move, DH commuting, family helping us with the kids, and me getting rid of my fear of new things. I have a serious fear of going to new places by myself. I also have an issue of being around too many people and it intensifies if I don't like the people or if they are strangers.
So the big challenge- not to be the poster child for phobias, go back to school, and keep my family together as well as possible during that time.

Well I weighed yesterday- and I have lost 7 1/2 lbs. YAY- doing the happy dance. We also found a house we love and will be putting an offer on it on Monday. Yesterday was good and today has been spent painting again. We will be spending Easter with my parents, so it will be a nice little day trip and dinner.

John i'm sorry to hear about your date. Nothing wrong with putting your heart out there just keep it away from the ones that want to break it. Not to be personal- but have you tried online dating? I met DH on eHarmony, be warned they don't have a return policy ;)

I hope everyone has a lovely Easter Weekend!

Good Saturday!

Just stopping by to wish everyone a Happy Easter! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Good Saturday morning. Woke up to snow this morning. Not very Spring like!! LOL

QOD - My biggest challenge was when my DD was born with a cleft of the soft palate. The health issues, the eating issues, the 6 surgeries and dealing with her feelings were the hardest things I have had to endure. I would gladly have traded places with her on the operating table every one of those 6 times. All is well now and she is a beautiful young adult who really doesn't remember most of what she went through. I do know I came out of it stronger and knowing that "you do what you have to do" got me through it all.

I am busy cooking, cleaning and getting ready for Easter dinner at my house. So I will wish all of you a Happy Easter now, in case I don't get back on here tomorrow.

Marci

Good Easter eve! It's 55 and sunny already, heading toward 78 later today.

I didn't get the carpet steam-cleaned yesterday, so after vacuuming, that's on my agenda for this morning. I want to be able to open the windows for a while before it warms up, so I need to finish my coffee and reading and get busy.

We're probably going out for Easter lunch tomorrow. My youngest Dson is coming Monday evening with his family, so I'm getting things done this weekend, then grocery shopping and last-minute stuff before they arrive. Matt and I will hang ceiling fans Tuesday, and we'll all go window-shopping just for fun. Wednesday begins the dr. appointments, and Thursday is the scheduled biopsy on Aubrie's liver. She's supposed to stay overnight that night.

QOD: Besides my divorce, the hardest challenge was accepting the fact that my parents (especially my mom) were gone. I was very close to them. I lost so many things in a 2-year period, but I survived.

Groomingal, congrats on the weight loss, and good luck on the new house!

Patti, I'm glad that you had such a nice birthday! That Dave is a sweetie.

Marci, stay warm and keep your feet dry! Hard to believe the extreme weather we have on this board at times.

(((((Suzanne))))) Just because!

Raeanne, hopefully the Easter bunny will be hopping your way very soon. :)

I hope everyone has a good day, and Happy Easter to all!

WARNING - Heavy Answer Below:
QOD - that is tough to just pick one thing. I have had a lifetime filled with challenges, from growing up with an alcoholic mother to losing a sister from developing panic attacks to losing both parents close together. I think the biggest challenge has been to overcome low self-esteem, yes, you heard right. No one believes me that know's me now, that I had the worse self-esteem and was so painfully shy, I would rather die than be in most public situations. Contrary to that I did have a very independent nature, brought on by the fact that as a child I had to fend for myself a lot of the time. I don't really know how I overcame it, but it had a lot to do with my children and wanting them to grow up with a much stronger role model.

Groomingal - you have a plateful. I admire your ambition and doing what is important to you. I am sure your family will benefit from this change (even though at times you may wonder). Good luck with the house purchase. I love how the internet can help people connect. Look at us here.

Milkdud - I will keep little Aubrie in my thoughts and prayers. You have some nerve mentioning 78 degrees. It is a whopping 26 right now LOL.

Marci - Enjoy your Easter dinner. It is just DH and me this year. Not sure what we are going to do.

Suzanne - I replied to your email yesterday, but noticed afterwards that the reply email was very different than the one's I know. Let me know if you didn't get it. Thanks for the walrus link - how adorable.

Patti - I still have a Bok Tower postcard you sent me. Give Dave a hug from me for being so good to you.

McPeg - thanks for the pep talk - it is much needed and appreciated LOL.

I have been fighting a cold for a couple of days. Yesterday it won, today I am ahead.

Speaking of Easter - Hey BJ if you are out there - I can't walk by a peep these days without thinking of you.

Have a wonderful Easter everyone. I miss dying eggs, shopping for cute little dresses, hiding eggs, and sneaking a piece of chocolate before breakfast.

Raeanne~I, too, think of BJ & "peeps". It seems like they can make them for every holiday now.

QOD: How many calories do you think I should allow for that contact? And, should I count it as a carb/if I count it as a carb...can I count it as my fruit for yesterday???

Dave is making a ham, sweet potatoes, fresh green beans, potato salad, & "angel" eggs. (They are too good to call deviled eggs!) I'll keep the portion sizes down.

Monday, I'll ask about your greatest achievement, ok? That should be a happier QOD, hopefully. It is good, IMHO, to sometimes realize where we have been/come from & how far we have gotten.

Milkdud~I have Aubrie on my mind constantly. Is DGD#1 out of school next week or was she out of school this week? I've been trying to figure out if all of TX was out the same week or if they were staggered out over a couple of weeks (not for any particular reason though).

Marci~DS#1, #2 if you count my "adopted" DS, :], was born w/a "forked" uvala. He has a high cleft palate. He couldn't suck & was put on solid food @ 6 days old. Have you ever heard of such? It is supposed to be very rare.

NH Suzanne~Happy Easter to you too!

Groomingal~I do get goofy sometimes. LOL

McPeg~Are you on the road?

Dee~You still with us?

(((D-O-D-Y)))

John~Do you have the weekends off? I'm another one that wears my heart on my sleeve. It gets knocked off quite frequently! But, I just keep picking it up & dusting it off. Somehow or another that is still working for me. :)

It has been gloomy & rainy all day long but in the 70s like Milkdud so it is hard to complain. We had to go back to Tampa to return Dave's glasses & order another pair. That's what happens when you deal with the VA. It isn't like gas is almost $3.50 a gallon or anything. I'm thinking of all those posting & all of those who haven't had the time to post or have stopped posting all together. Patti :]

I don't know how to put up pictures and animations of cute things like Marci but I can say HAPPY EASTER!!!

Happy Easter, everyone!

It's 68 and sunny here. Sending warm wishes to everyone still getting snow and cold temps!

Patti, Alexis is out this coming week for spring break. It's good that it worked out like this since Aubrie's appointments are this week and both parents want to see the drs. I think they'll go to Dallas on Friday, and the girls will either stay here with us, or I'll drive them over to their house and stay there for the weekend. We'll get this worked out this week.

Since my kids are coming over a day early, tomorrow!, I'll go to my WW meeting and weigh in, then meet them for Mexican food afterwards. It's hard to resist the chips and green sauce, but usually the baby keeps me so occupied that I don't have a chance to eat it anyway! LOL

I hope everyone enjoys this day!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Milkdudette~Glad that you will have time w/family. It will be nice for Alexis & you to spend some time alone again. (We're all keeping prayers & positive thoughts for Aubrie.)

We had Mexican food yesterday. Don't get it often & I'm swollen today. Ugh!

It is 79 here so far. I'm thinking that it is going to be a long, hot, miserable summer for us.

I found a recipe for crockpot stuffed bell peppers if anyone is interested??

Patti :]

Me, me, me! I'm totally interested in the crockpot recipe for them. I fix them about every week or two because hubby loves them, and I seem to tolerate peppers pretty well anymore.

And thanks for the continued prayers and good thoughts for Aubrie! I'm so excited to see all of them. For some reason, we've let 5 weeks go by without visiting one another.