Happy MONDAY!

Thanks for getting us started Mildud. :0)

QOD: What's keeping you busy this week?

I'm trying to catch up on a few items in the office. My director called to tell me he will not be over here in the states mid-July. That means my mid-year review must be a telecon, so I need to deal with the issues of not being face-to-face. Perhaps I'll have my admin set up a video conference.

At home, I've cleared out 6 bags of stuff from my closet with is not out of sight in garbage or charity. It was a pleasure getting ready for the office this morning. No fuss! I've even identified a color or two in new tops that I give myself permission to buy (in a smaller size). Yeah!

Make this week count; come and share with us!
Dee

Hey, Dee! I just got home from my WW meeting where I showed a 4.8 lb. loss from last week!!!!!

Okay, enough about me. Dee, sorry that you're not going to have a face-to-face review. They're so much better than on the phone, but it is what it is. I hope you don't have too much work to get ready for it. And, I have confidence that you'll do well.

My hubby got the results of his yearly review today, and he got the largest pay increase he's ever received in his working life. My freedom to play is assured for another year! LOL

QOD: What's going to keep me busy this week is getting the house child-proofed for my grandbaby's arrival on Sunday for a 2-week plus stay. Usually, when she's visiting here, there are at least 2 adults and her big sister vigilantly watching her every move. This time, big sister won't be joining us until July 6th, and hubby will be at work Monday through Friday that first week as well as the next one.

Dinner tonight is chicken legs baked with sauerkraut. Believe it or not, it's very tasty and not weird like I was expecting! I'll be working on my menus for the next 2 weeks while I'm babysitting as I want to cook one dinner for all of us.

I hope that all our missing friends are just too darned busy having fun to post. Come back and tell us what you've been doing. Dee and I can't do this all alone! :)

Hi Ya!
Congratulations Milkdud - I think you must have been on a bit of a plateau for a while but now that things are moving again you must be tickled pink! Great stuff! And congrats to your hubby on a job well done!

DeeMarie isn't it mentally great to get rid of stuff? And yes, you deserve a couple of new clothing pieces that fit better! I find it helps to have some reward and pleasure throughout this.

My weekend we spent visiting my in-laws. Not a good visit - they were exhausted from driving back from Atlantic city and not at their best. We both felt stressed being there and I felt pissed off a stupid family things so I stuffed myself with food (HAVE NOT done this in a long, long time...I even knew while I was eating WHY I was eating.) That mood moment has passed and I'll live with it. I did find an interesting article in the FIRST magazine about the Fruit Detox diet by Jay Robb. I've picked up the protein powder and will buy my fruit tomorrow when I have to go out. The article sounds great and I also found more detail on the diet at WBAL Baltimore news TV (link below) - it has all the information of what the diet is composed of and how to do it. I'm just going to try 3 days and then work to incorporate more fruit into my diet along with the negative calorie foods (you burn more calories to digest the food than the calorie value of the food). I'm not fussed over meat anyway, so I'm thinking of incorporating a protein drink with fruit into my mornings because I'm bad on protein intake normally. I'm still basically following WW but I'm getting lazy again and need a shake up to rethink my strategy and make sure I'm eating properly. Since I work downtown 3 days a week I'm also NOT INTERESTED in purchasing meals downtown - too $$$$$$$, too fatty and just not worth it in the long run. Working at the hotels I have access to a kitchen sink for fresh water. I'm looking to work on curbing my coffee intake during the day and plan to start brewing my own green tea at night to cool in the fridge. I've also made the decision to spend the extra bit on Stevia Extract. I normally use sweeteners but I'd like to wean off of them. That's my thought on strategy for this week. I'll keep you up to date on my progress.

QOD: Gardening will be keeping me busy this week! My home gardens need some serious tending to as well - trellising my beans, supporting tomato and clearing another garden bed for more plants.

I'm never giving up on myself. I'm too h*llbent on taking better care in the long run - physically and mentally.

We stopped at our country property on the drive home and met our 'new' neighbour of 6 weeks. Because we have a road up our hill now and he's moved in permanently next door there are no active ATV trails anymore on our land - people don't know if our land is part of his because he has a shell of a tiny house (which he is finishing) - it appears that HE might be building where we put the road so the cottagers who visit and trash our land with beer bottles and such are staying clear (insert happy dance here!). Dave mentioned he is going to now order our house plans so we get copies to the SIP home builders to give us an estimate on the house price (structural insulated panels - plywood on either side filled with foam insulation that is a load bearing wall panel and well above the recommended insulation rating) and a copy of the plans to alternative energy business we like to get a real review and pricing for our home systems like solar and wind power with insulated radiant floor heating. We can 'technically' heat the whole house with a single wood stove but for insurance we have to have a system that won't fail if we go on holiday. We're planning to have a back up generator that runs on propane with a propane stove top, electrical oven. While in Scotland we did nothing but research building ideas in all aspects and last winter we found a house plan we both love. I have every reason now to take better care of myself since I want to have huge gardens and green house for year round produce (yes you can do that at -30F). Can you tell I'm excited? I can't shut up - I just called my brother to thank him for babysitting our cat and blah blah blah I went! He even got excited!

So, I'm pulling up my socks this week and moving forward again!

C'mon, join us - tell us about your week. If you're lurking, feel free to pop in and say hello. If you're thinking about losing a few pounds, feel free to follow our journeys if you are shy. We're all in this together!

Yeeeeeeeeeehhhhhaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww!

Make today and tomorrow count! Forgive yourself for any booo booos and just move forward. Don't give up if you slip up - remind yourself of what you want.

Cheers,
Peggy

Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit Flush Diet

Good morning!
I'm starting day 1 of the fruit detox with my protein drink every 2 hours until dinner and lots of water in between. Although it's recommended to mix the stuff in a large glass of water I'm gagging it down right now....vanilla...next round I'm going to put it in a small glass, concentrated and drink it quick followed by a huge glass of plain water. Should be more bearable. Going to pick up fruit and veg on the way home from work tonight. What the heck - 3 day detox I can deal with - it's not that long for my willpower to crash. Hopefully it will kickstart me again.

QOD: If you could be reincarnated to any life form, what would you like to be and why?

I'd love to spend one lifetime as a bird to experience the freedom of flight. I'm not sure which type but it would be a hunting bird like a hawk or falcon - I'd rather be at the upper end of the bird survival possibilities.

I have to get ready for work in the gardens today - enjoy yourself! If you woke up feeling blah about your journey to your goal - shake it off with something positive. Make a special meal today within your plan, pamper yourself with some quality time and do an act of kindness for someone else. We're fortunate to have choices available to us - many people in this world don't have the luxury of choosing their meals.

C'mon, put your best foot forward, smile and count your blessings. We can do this! Don't give up! Each positive action will help you reach your goal. At the very least - get out for a walk today and take the time to notice your surroundings.

Make it count!

Cheers,
Peggy

work is still very very busy and I am spending this week preparing for weekend company. My painting keeps me from being as good as a housekeeper as I should, so now I am paying for it LOL.

QOD#1 - cleaning and cooking for company
QOD#2 - I think Patti asked something similar and I said I would come back as any of Suzannes pets LOL. I think I would do the human route again, but can I come back more evolved or at least with much more smarts. I don't want to have to relearn life's lessons again.

Milkdud - wtg with the loss YIPPPEEEE.

McPeg - let us know how the detox goes for you. Thanks for the pep talk.

Okay, this may not impress anyone here, but it may impress some of your kids LOL. I not only saw Dave Matthews in the flesh but I got to talk to him. He is such an approachable guy. My husband ran into him twice and the 2nd time Dave said it was nice seeing him again. He was staying in our town and was walking around like he was one of us LOL. Not trying to be incognito or anything. He actually had his baby with him. If my daughter wasn't the biggest fan I would never have even recognized him. Well that is my excitement for the week. I know, I know they are just normal people that put their pants on one leg at a time just like us, but I think I was more charmed by seeing him enjoying his time with his son.

Make the most of your day.

Wow! Hi Boyz & GurlZs! I'm baaaacccckkkk. LOL

Raeanne~That is DS#3's fave . He goes to see him every chance he gets so I'm very impressed.

Milkdud~Congrats. I'm so excited for you. Honestly, that is quite a loss. Yippee!!

McPeg~Thanks for reminding us that we do have a choice. I think that I take it for granted. I'm so glad that you are here. You add so much.

Dee~I had a Mojito for you! Cheers!!

BJ~I am so sorry for all of the problemos you have had. I'm glad that you checked in though. I missed you.

The rest of the MIAs~Now is your chance to speak up***hint, hint...;-)

We had a great time. I ate entirely way too much & probably gained 12 pounds, I'm afraid to find out. Milkdud~We had a waitress named Aubrey one night. She was named for the song by Bread. She was so cute. I was the slowest one there & didn't finish everything but I heard others saying that they didn't either. I took some things & finished them at the hotel. I have things to finish at home. I found out that I definitely march to my own drum & like to do things in an unique way. I wanted mine to look like theirs for the most part but wanted mine to be a little different. So, I found out something about myself.

QOD: At first thought I thought about a dragonfly & then I thought if I were a bird I'd be an owl. But, I think that I'm like Raeanne in that I'm content to be a human. There's something to be said about thinking & having choices.

So happy to be back. Looking forward to the rest of the week. Oops. Let's see...the rest of the week? Laundry, catching up on the mail, scrapbooking, reading, I'm trying to find out about a "scrapbook" thing in Kissimmee on Saturday. There was a vendor in Ft Lauderdale that is going to be there & I wanted to learn how to do something that they were showcasing. Patti :-)

Good morning everyone. I managed to GAG through the first day although by the end of it I did have a decaf coffee with my protein gagging shake (yeach!). Honestly I don't mind these protein powders when I can put them in a yogurt or fruit smoothie. On their own with just water I was only using just enough water to make it dissolve, holding my nose and downing the stuff followed by a huge glass of plain water. I was supposed to have 5 of these during the day yesterday but could only 'stomach' 4. Since I missed my last one I had 2 x chicken serving with my veggies and then my willpower caved and I had a lowfat frozen yogurt for dessert. Having said that this morning I am down 2 pounds which is the weight I packed on over the weekend with emotional eating so that is great. The next 2 days I am now on fruit every 2 hours (1 serving), lots of water followed by my chicken and salad for dinner tonight. I have decided though to allow myself a decaf small coffee later today. I did have a horrid headache last night but I think that was more because I've had a few days of awful sleep (3-4 hours a night).

Yankandtex - happy to hear you enjoyed your crafty retreat! I missed ya and glad to see ya back!

Raeanne - I don't know who Dave M is but you are right - they're folk just like the rest of us. Pretty cool to meet someone like that! You sound very busy - I hope you are taking care of yourself. I'd love to see a post with a pic of your painting since I've just graduated from the stick people level!

Milkdud - I expect you're going to have some fun when you're babysitting! Great opportunity for exercise just following the little one around, not to mention the 'laugh' opportunities I'm sure!

DeeMarie - Did you get your new tops yet?

Well off to get my fruit prepared for today - all 5 servings of them! I love fruit so this should be good. I doubt I'll need to take any of my 'fibresure' because I think it will be 'all systems go' by tomorrow and the next day.

Have a fabulous day today everyone! It's lotto night again ($30M) and I've got my ticket. I'd pass out if we won anything over $50K and I'm one of those firm believers that I have just as much opportunity as the last winner. I sure hope my ticket helps some needy group in the long run.

As Tim Allen said in Galaxy Quest: Never give up! Never surrender!

Make today count. Taste your goal and be happy you're still posting and sharing your journey.

Cheers,
Peggy

Good morning! I had typed out a nice long, chatty post last night, then a friend called, and I forgot to post it, so it floated off into the ethernet! *Poof*

Anyway, it's so nice to see Raeanne and Patti posting with us, isn't it, McPeg? Feels "right" to have more familiar faces around here. You are really missed when you're not posting.

My fitness center had its 1-year anniversary party last night, and since I was there as a guest and a vendor (Avon), I stayed the whole 3 hours. It gave me a wonderful opportunity to meet many new people. (And, okay, I sampled the wonderful food, too!) I've been invited to visit the methodist church here in town, so I'll definitely be going there this Sunday morning. I was raised in the methodist church, so it will be familiar to me.

McPeg, more power to you for doing that fruit and protein plan. It's not for everyone, but it sounds like you're trying to stick with it. I hope today's fruit hits the spot!

Patti, I march to my own drummer, too, when it comes to doing scrapbooking. LOL I'm excited about doing the cardmaking this coming Sunday. I hope to learn new techniques and just get the itch to start making them again.

Raeanne, I'm always happy to see you posting. Sorry that you've been so busy.

I need to cut this short and get off to the fitness center. Time to work off the goodies I enjoyed last night!

Hope everyone's having a wonderful day!

Greetings all,

The wedding is over! I am exhausted and trying to recoop - so far no good. I think I need a really vitamin boost or something good.

I have no wedding pix to post yet but I wanted to share a couple of the centerpieces I made for the rehearsal dinner bbq at our house. All except the delphinium came from my gardens. That was a very successful and enjoyable event. Everyone had a great time visiting with the animals and chickens and the bbq guys put out a great meal. It was fun and much more relaxed than a sit down dinner. Still a ton of work.

Lots of stories to share.

So, DS is a married man on his honeymoon. Sniff, sniff.

Enjoy these photos. I will be back when I get my head of steam up. Anybody have any suggestions for a vitamin boost? No caffeine, I don't drink coffee.

Hope everyone is well.

NH Suzanne~The pics are so beautiful. I'm glad that the wedding, etc. went off so well. I take One A Day for Women Over 50 every day so I'm not sure what to advise you as something extra? Maybe one of the PreNatal Vitamins would be good? I'm sure someone will have a good recommendation.

Milkdud~I had a class where we did 6 cards. There is a stamping convention in Orlando Fri, Sat, & Sun. They will have demonstrations too. If you want me to send you any pics of what we did last weekend let me know & I'll send to you. (You can do what I did & revamp to make it your own! LOL) Oh, & I got a great idea from a card we saw at the hotel for a "get well" card I'm going to make.

McPeg~I think I PM'd you last night but I was so tired that I'm not 100% sure. Congrats on the weight loss! Will the decaf really make that big of a difference/negative-wise?

Dee~I only had 1 Mojito so you need to post! ROFL

Where is everyone else? I know that it is summer & we should be getting some posts going, eh? Right...glad to be back & again, I missed you. Patti ;=)

Patti, I can't remember if I thanked you for that nice card you sent! It made my day. Is that a picture of my rooster, Sam Wise? It sure looks like him.

Raeanne, I can hear the harmonica's in the DM song (name eludes me) It is one of the greatest musical intros that I can think of.

Milkdud, it's great that you continue to make new friends and really putting your roots down in your community.

QOD: I would definitely want to be an animal!! Probably a horse.
QOD: I will keep picking up from the party at my house this week. I hate to drag everything out and then put away!@! IT never ends.

I will be resuming my normal early morning riding schedule before this week is out!

Peggy, I am going to check out the fruit flush detox plan. Maybe that's what I need.

I'm baaaaaack!

Suzanne, gorgeous centerpieces, and everything went well and it's over (sniff, sniff is right!).

Patti, I'd love pictures. You never know where your next inspiration will come from.

I worked out hard in my *ahem* size smaller shorts I haven't worn in 10 years! It felt so darned good that now I'm eating a very healthy lunch as my reward to myself.

Gotta eat, but I couldn't resist checking in to see who else might have posted while I was gone! ;-)

NH Suzanne~You are quite welcome. It definitely is your Sam Wise-great eye! LOL I couldn't resist!

MIlkDuD~Will get those pics out to you real soon!!

Hi goils,

I have been keeping myself busy, painting, crafting and reading. Tomorrow DH is having minor surgery, so I will be playing nursemaid for a few days. I got my sewing machine repaired and hope to get started this weekend on some tab curtains for DD's old room.

Patti - I am so glad you had a good time at the workshop. I went to a card party once, where we were supposed to make 12 cards in an alloted time frame. Every time we were supposed to switch tables and go on to the next 4 cards, I was the only one not ready! LOL I am one who likes to take my time and look for inspiration from the materials I have to work with. My latest project is a gift card tin. I found the tins at the checkout counter at Michael's and my friend helped to make the pattern for the insert to hold the gift cards. I will post a picture when I am done.

Patti - I put the JE book in the mail on Monday morning, so you should have it by next week.

DeeMarie - Hope your review goes well. I would probably be a nervous wreck in person, so I would welcome the anonymity of a phone review to hide my nerves. I tend to get flustered in stressful sitations, but I know you are going to pass with flying colors!

NHSuzanne - Those flowers are gorgeous!!! Sounds like you deserve a week of rest and relaxation, but I know there is no rest for the weary.

Milkdud - Congrats on the continued weight loss and the smaller shorts. Glad you had a good time with your DGKs.

Peg - I don't know if I could do that fruit flush diet, but I hope it gets you the results you are looking for. I was gagging just reading about you gagging! LOL

Raeanne - Hope your week with the in-laws goes smoothly.

Where's wodka? Besh? BJ? John? Donna_southNJ? Jen? Maddie?

I have to leave the house by 5:30/am tomorrow for DH's surgery, so I am trying to get things organized tonight. We'll probably both be taking naps tomorrow afternoon-lol.

Later,
Marci

Suzanne - how beautiful and I just love the bandanas. I can only imagine how great it looked. When we meet in the fall you have to bring more photos. Kick your feet up if you can, you deserve it. It is much more fun to drag the stuff out than to put it away.

Marci - sending positive thoughts that everything goes smoothly and quickly for DH (and you).

Dee - I am sure your review went well - as always.

Peg - I think Marci has a photo of me with a couple of my paintings on her picture site. Remind me to get the link for you. I am sorry those shakes are so awful - I give you a huge pat on the back for downing 4 of them.

Milkdud (strutting around in your old but smaller shorts - you go girl!) - you are making all kinds of new friends and seem to be settling in quite well with your new surroundings. I would guess that people are attracted to you easily.

Patti - sounds like you had a wonderful and productive time. We love you because you do march to your own drum, don't ever change that.

Another wild and crazy day at work. I am also trying to get things done ahead of time, so I can cut out a bit early on saturday to be with my family. I did manage to get a boat ride in this evening and that seemed to make the world right.

BJ - are you counting down the days, hours and minutes to the big move? I feel for you and wish I lived closer to help you or at least give you a hug or cup of coffee.

"see" you tomorrow, nighty night.

Okay, it doesn't pay to cheat in the slightest on this detox.
This morning I was 5 pounds LIGHTER than tonight. Either I've absorbed today's water or something else is going on. Be interesting if I drop back down by morning.

At the very least I'm determined to make a better effort to have more fruit daily along with more fresh veggies - now I deem that to make all of this effort a win win situation.

Patti I did not receive your email, maybe you could check your sent folder to see if it was sent?

Suzanne I LOVE the flower pots and your cheerful flower choices! If you need to shake up your weight loss I highly recommend checking out the link for SparkPeople above. I am really enjoying that site - all the great articles and you can even use their menus. Membership is free along with the free meal plans and free support. I'm enjoying reading stuff and using the site for a moral boost.

Marci I'm sending positive thoughts your way for DH tomorrow. As for your sewing machine that's wonderful!

I'm pooped for the night. We're watching Arnies movie Eraser on TBS right now. Clever movie. I love Arnie both as an Actor and a Politician. He is a very smart man.

Take care everyone, sweet dreams!

Peggy

Hi Guys!

Checking in!

QOD: I am finishing up the packing (drawers in the bathrooms, and the rest of my bedding) in prep for the bug out on Sunday. Spent the entire last weekend and the beginning of this week sorting and tossing stuff and took about 5 truckloads to the dump. I tossed LOTS of stuff and gave my set of Noritake china, a set of shelves, my grill, and all my deck furniture and umbrella holder to the guy that mows my patch of grass. He was happy!

QOD: Reincarnated as a...Tumbleweed plant. A real survivor. In southern Nevada, where many nuclear weapons were tested above ground, the tumbleweed was always the first plant to start growing at Ground Zero. It travels around dumping off seed and happily rolling along.
----------------------

A realtor is coming tomorrow to check out and list the house. I decided not to have my open house or try to sell it myself. I'll leave that to the pros. I can't hack doing it and everything else.

The movers are due here today to estimate the cost of moving. Should be interesting...

I weighed in this morning and have gained 1.6 pounds over the past 2 weeks. Not bad for eating out almost every meal and dealing with my stres eating fixation! I feel like I'm on the downside of the hill and it'll come off okay.

The weather is supposed to be good this weekend, so maybe it won't rain when I'm moving! yay!

((((((MARCI's DH)))))))

NHSuzanne: The arrangements are so cute and fresh! Fantastic!

Whew! It was 5lbs of water yesterday. I keep going to the bathroom since I got up and I'm back to that 2 pound loss.
(Huge sigh of relief)
Got lots to do today, I'll check in later!
Cheers,
Peggy

Happy THURSDAY!

Continued best wishes and atta-girls (apologies to John) to the losers. For those of us struggling with stalls and slight gains...never give up! Don't get yourself down over a number, think about how you f-e-e-l! If you are eating properly and feel good, that's OK too.

[[[[[[[Big Squeezy Hugs to Marci's Hubby]]]]]]]] Marci, hope your next few days are easy and stress-free.

Maddie, please check in here or leave me a return voice-mail. We are thinking about you and Rog, sweetie!

Suzanne, I loved the arrangements too! You just reminded me that I need to see the florist who is making arrangements for my MIL's 80th party in August. DSIL has changed her mind yet again. DH and DBIL do not care a wit about the flowers, but we do want it to be special for her.

This week has taken a toll emotionally for me, but it could have been much worse. Please keep a special intention of mine in your thoughts. Our family has hit a snag and it's the beginning of the end for a large problem. Never realized how much tension headaches can get in the way of your day-job and home-life!

Donna, hope all is well with you this week. My sister's DH begged my DH to come down to go fishing this weekend, but we have plans that cannot be changed. Something about a freaky tide thing which makes the fish literally jump into your boat? Go figura!!! haha

McPeg, keep drinking those liquids to eventually wash out that nasty stuff you want gone! :0)

Patti, I'm going to stay away from rum this weekend, even though we have a big party to go to on Sunday. I'll stick to decafe iced tea.

Milkdud, congrats on those size 10 shorts. I was born larger than a size 10 in the butt department. You go girl!

Thanks to all for your well wishes on my review; however, it has not yet been scheduled. I'm still working on filling in my accomplishments to date, and have until end-July to meet with my director.

A big HELLO to everyone I've missed here.

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

DH's surgery went well and we are back home. He is resting comfortably, as the pain meds haven't worn off yet.
But I don't anticipate any complications.
Thanks for your thoughts and concerns.

I have been awake since 4/am, so I am going to read myself to sleep while DH naps.

I'll check back later,
Marci

Marci~You & DH were in my thoughts & prayers all day long. I'm glad to know that all went well & you are home now.

McPegster~Never weigh twice in the same day GF, you almost always get two different numbers. LOL Hey, I can get off of the scale & get back on & get a different #. Oh, awright, it isn't quite that bad but almost. :-)

Milkdud~Dave took the pics so I just need to get him to load them now. I have instructions of any that you are interested in.

Dee~Sorry about the stress. I keep having headaches lately but I think mine must be either sinus or weather related??

BJ~You finally admitted you can't do it all--WTG!! It sounds like you've been going like Taz for quite some time now! Glad you had time to post.

Raeanne~I felt better just imagining you on that boat. ;-) What a nice stress reliever.

Today is the day that I usually weigh. I was up 2# yesterday but today was back where I've been. I have been on a plateau for the last few weeks it seems. I need to kick start, I guess.

I'm hoping that we have our MIAs check in. Remember that we love you & miss you when you aren't here. Patti :=]

How did Thursday evening get here so quickly??? LOL

Marci, I'm so happy that things went well for your dh! And, that you caught some good ZZZZZ's yourself this afternoon.

Dee, sending good thoughts for your special needs this week.

McPeg, glad you're shedding those pesky 5 #'s! The scale is a cruel mistress, so stay away from it more often.

BJ, it's good that you know when to let go and let others take over! You have so much going on, but you're only one person, and you're needed to continue what you've been doing. I wish you luck on the move and on the sale of your house!

My granddauhter Alexis is taking her first plane trip alone in about 30 minutes. She's flying to Birmingham AL to visit my xh and his wife. I'll be keeping the grandbaby starting Sunday afternoon for almost 2 weeks, then a weekend off, and 2 days (the 14th and 15th) before turning her and Alexis who joins us on the 6th back to their regular babysitter! I hope I have enough energy to keep up with Aubrie all day long for 7 days all alone. Well, hubby has volunteered to watch her in the evenings to allow me to go work out, but those days will be long, busy and very interesting, I'm sure.

Patti, can't wait to see the pictures! I'll probably be asking for the instructions, too.

All for now. Dinner is ready. Deep dish pizza - polenta crust and ground beef and SF pizza sauce. Hope we like it!

Have a good one, everyone!

Good morning everyone!

Well I've lost 2 pounds in this exercise. I would have lost more I'm sure but I caved on a couple of items which probably blew the balance created on the first day. Still I am HAPPY because now I have a fridge full of washed, fresh fruit and veggies. My morning slice of toast has never tasted so good.

Today I am having a slice of toast with tbsp of becel with my morning coffee - YUM.

10 am break - yogurt with fresh fruit and protein powder (I WON'T taste it)

12 lunch - fruit/veggies

2 pm another yogurt with fruit

Dinner - salad, chicken and if I'm still hungry a slice of bread

And of course lots of water throughout the day.

I'm finished the detox diet but I still want to kick start my over all diet regime. Hopefully if I can manage to stick to something like this until Monday weigh day I should see some weight shifting. My main focus is getting more fruit, veg and water into me.

Water makes a HUGE difference in shifting my weight. When I don't drink enough water I stall on the weight loss. I've noticed this over the years. Although I don't care to drown in the stuff - the last 3 days I've had so much I think I spent more time getting to know my toilet more than anything else!

So I am pleased with the mental effect of the detox. I don't think I could ever do a 21 day flush like some that are out there for gallbladder - I'd go crazy!

QOD: Think hard and be totally honest - where are you at with your inner self and your healthy lifestyle? Struggling? Happy? Frustrated?

I'm feeling happy with myself right now. Actually enjoying my diet 'reset' and feeling more energized eating my fruit and veg. Adding the protein before noon should help me curb cravings - I'll let you know next week how this goes.

Check in and do tell!

Let's make this a great day today! Be good to yourself and do an act of kindness for someone else - it's a guaranteed mood lifter!

Cheers,
Peggy

Hi all,

Well, 3 hours until the raltor hits the door and I am virtually free of this place. I won't miss any of it but the garden. I love my garden.

Peg~ You sound great.

Milkdud~ If you get tired, put up a kitty gate and make your living room a giant playpen, lie on the floor and let the baby crawl all over everything (including you) until she gets tired out!

QOD: Content but harried. I keep thinking of errands I need to run, but I am out of time, so only the Level 10 Emergencies will get the attention! (*giggles*)

I'll send a link to my house pics when the realtor puts one up, if anyone's interested. I like to look at houses, out of sheer curiosity...here's a link I enjoy once in a while.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hooked on Houses...

Good Friday Morning!

DH is sore today, but doing well considering.

DeeMarie - Keeping you and yours in my thoughts.

Peg - A fridge full of fresh fruit and veggies is always good! I just bought watermelon, grapes, strawberries and blueberries. Fresh lettuce, radishes, sweet red peppers and a seedless cuke.

Milkdud - I agree with BJ on the baby gate. Let Aubrie roam to her hearts content in a safe and stimulating environment and she will wear herself out - lol. I can't wait for the day I can watch some grandbabies.

BJ - After this weekend, will you be completely moved to the island? Would love to see some pix of the house.

QOD - Right now I am ambivalent about my diet. For the most part I am holding steady, but the freedom that summer brings also negates the structure that I seem to need to keep on track. I can't say I have gone completely off track, but I have definitely strayed into forbidden territory. My new smaller size clothes still seem to fit, so I am taking that as a good sign. I just need to make sure I don't throw all caution to the wind. I DO NEED to get back to some type of exercise program. I do, I do, I do! My mind knows it, but my body isn't willing right now.
I need to work on that.

Gotta run and make some lunch for DH.

Marci

Marci~I received the book today. I'm in the middle of another one but will hurry up & finish it so I can read & get this one off! Thanks so much. It was nice to receive something in the mail. Made me smile.

McPeg~I'm so pleased with your progress. It seems that you are doing very well. I need to give the QOD some thought & we are trying to get off for lunch so I'll come back & answer it.

BJ~Congrats! I can't wait to see pics. How R the kiddos? Has this been stressful for them too?

[[[ DEE ]]] ~ Thoughts & prayers are with you.

Milkdud~I got another couple of cards done. My parents' anniversary card really came out cute. I understand what you were saying about Aubrie. Alexis was used to being alone as is AubrEY but AubrIE is used to having someone else being around. It would make things a little more difficult but you have so much experience that you'll do fine. Do you have Beebo there? AubrEY loves him!! She's really good at sign language.

Hi to all...I miss all of you who aren't checking in...H O N E S T L Y ! ! ! It is like having a piece of your heart missing. :-( Hope you are doing all right. Patti

Good afternoon! It's warm, 90 d., and threatening to rain again today. The past couple of weeks, we've had anywhere from brief to heavy afternoon showers.

The builder has finally taken me seriously about fixing our air conditioning issue. The unit itself works great; the fault (IMHO) lies with the duct work up in the attic. So far, we've had the insulation guy out here (it's in great condition the man said after spending an hour up there!), and the roofing man is coming Monday or whenever it's not raining, and the a/c man is supposed to come this afternoon. The front part of our house has never received its fair share of air since we moved in. I want to get this fixed before our 1-year warranty runs out since it's not our fault.

I did run up to the fitness center to work out early today. When I got there, I read a sign that said there was no water or toilets available. Seems that sometime last night, thieves went behind the strip mall and cut all the PVC piping and stole the brass fittings for the plumbing! Copper I understand, but I hadn't heard about the brass thefts before today.

I bought another baby/dog gate to block off the front of the house so that Aubrie can have a huge playpen! We're going to be fine, I'm sure, but I'm just having nerves about keeping her safe without her big sister here. LOL

QOD: Think hard and be totally honest - where are you at with your inner self and your healthy lifestyle? Struggling? Happy? Frustrated? For the first time in my life, I think I'm finally at peace with myself and my issues. I've stopped struggling against things and am learning to either live with them or change them. I'm happy and contented. Last night, my son asked me if I'd be okay with having lunch with my xh and his wife when they bring Alexis over from the beach. I realized that the thought finally didn't affect me anymore! Now that's progress for me. I've always kept a low profile about my feelings with my sons, but I could honestly tell him I'd be fine with lunching with them.

BJ, good luck to you! You'll make a beautiful garden in your new place!

Marci, I'm glad that your smaller clothes still fit!

McPeg, you've got me thinking about drinking more than usual today to see what happens! I'll be doing my grocery shopping tomorrow now instead of today since workers are coming, and I'm stocking up on veggies and fruits because Aubrie loves them, too.

I'm going to eat lunch before the next wave of workers come. Have a great weekend, everyone!

TGIF!

Been running errands like crazy today on my day off. Doing all of this in a rental car; mine is have 30,000 mile service. It's so funny to run out of dry cleaners and search for your car only to remember it's not white, it's gray today! haha

I had so many plans today to get all our packing together, but it will have to wait for later this afternoon and evening (maybe with DH's help) Want to get it all together in the guest room, so that next Thursday morning we just pack it and sail away. We are both working through Wednesday evening.

Well, we have a h-u-g-e animal living under our shed. Think it's a groundhog or Big Foot. I am searching for ways to get rid of it because I'm terrified of all animals and insects. I may leave a battery powered radio in there playing hip-hop really loud so it moves away. I heard that helps. Anyone else? Someone on another board said to throw ammonia-soaked towels down the holes so they go elsewhere. My flowers on my zuccinni's are all gone, so that means no veggies out there. :-( The rest of our patio garden is covered with black mesh and so far nothing got through it. Tomatoes look OK to us.

Hope everyone is having a good day. You all sound so busy...Patti, Marci, BJ, Raeanne(hello? hello?), Besh is a no-show lately, Milkdud, McPeg, ...WOW!

Went to a small store today and got 3 tops on sale. They are cute and very blousey...flattering and easy to wear in the summer. I just might have to sneak a peek over at Lord & Taylors in my travels if the dealership doesn't call soon. hehe ;)

QOD: My weight is stalled, but I have been craving carbs (and caving). Staying within my points, but not drinking enough water to flush out the nasty white bread, pasta, and potatoes. Deep down I know it will hurt me, but with carbs, the more you eat, the more you crave. So, my lunch is going to be yogurt and fresh blueberries!

Check in!
DeeMarie

Good FRIDAY all!

Dee, it sounds like you have a woodchuck (ground hog). Trust me, they are harmless but are herbivores with voracious appetites. I have successfully relocated dozens over the years with a large hav-a-hart trap and patience. Chances are, yours is a young one. You can rent these humane traps from a local feed store. Not sure where you are but I think city(ish). If I were closer I would help you. You can also call a critter control company. Remember the woodchuck isn't trying to scare you or hurt you. Have you seen the Huge animal? You are going away again??? Lucky girl.

Milkdud, you are an inspiration and I love your answer to QOD. We are hearing more and more of thieves steeling copper ( presumably for drug money)! It's awful.

Patti, what are you reading?

Marci, glad DH is doing well. You too are an inspiration in my weight loss journey!

BJ, I am glad you won't miss your house! I get attached and it's hard to let go but onward and upward! Look forward to your pix too.

Peggy, you sound very centered today! I checked out the Fruit Flush link you sent. I think I will start that next week - I live far from places to get good organic produce so I have to plan. I need a good detox. Have you ever tried the 7 day fat flush detox diet?? It too is very good and not at all difficult, IMHO.

QOD of several days ago - I would like to be reincarnated as a person who can communicate with animals and understand their language. I can do that on some levels but I mean really understand what they are talking about.

QOD~I'm always so wishy-washy in my answers. LOL There are some parts that I'm doing so much better. I can tell my kids have been able to relax with me much more & be my kids lately so that's something I'm happy about. I'd like to be more self assured though & not so insecure. As far as WOE: I have been happy though I'm stalled out right now too. I found that I didn't do so well when we weren't home but I think I can allow myself some bad choices now & again without totally freaking out.

NH Suzanne~I'm reading "Motif for Murder". Laura Childs' books are humorous along with the mystery aspect & I really enjoy the way that she writes. It keeps me turning those pages long after I should be asleep! LOL

Dee~Where are you off to this time? Some place exotic?? Can I fit in your suitcase? ROFL Do you have games lined up again? How long will you be gone? Inquiring, enquiring? minds want to know!!

Milkydud~ROF Check your E-mail!

We are headed to Orlando in the morning. Anyone else have any plans for the weekend? I know this group usually has lots of plans. We'll head to the stamping convention just to check out the sales floor then perhaps head over to Winter Haven to the SB store there b/c all reg priced things are 25% off! Will check back later. ta ta

Dee - we have a woodchuck that lives somewhere between us and our neighbor. They are just too cute, he is fat guy that waddles when he runs away. If you have a wildlife group in your area, I would contact them. Maybe they will come rescue him and put him someplace they feel he will be safe. Sometimes when you displace a wild animal they can't survive in the territory they are sent to.

Marci - glad DH is doing well.

Patti - what are you reading right now?

QOD - I have just reasessed my woe and it needs some tweaking, but I am very content with ME. I am not what I eat or what I look like. I feel I have a good workout regiment and am disciplined in that area. If I wasn't so darn social and indulge with friends, I would be skinny LOL.

Another good QOD Peg.

BJ - been thinking of you a lot.

Dee - I can't believe you are hitting the high seas again so soon.

Milkdud - good idea to keep Aubrie busy busy busy so she will sleep sleep sleep.

Suzanne - I once was enrolled to go to a class on communicating with animals and I can't remember what happened that I had to cancel. But I would love to tune in to them as well.

BJ - You know I love to look at houses. That is a great link that I never heard of before. I just met the woman that started Zwillo.com (I think that's the site).

I have been preparing for my brother and sister and their families to arrive tomorrow. As much as I love to see them, I really don't like weekend company, we are just too busy at work and it becomes a bit stressful for me. Nothing a couple margaritas can't fix LOL.

Have a great evening.

Good morning!

Someone else pose the QOD please.

After Detox: 2 pounds because I cheated. But boy can I see the difference! Flatter tummy and for the first time in years the large red surface veins in my eyes have shrunk and my eyes actually have white area again! They say your eyes can tell a doctor a ton of things about your health - obviously eating more fruit and veg is what my body wants! I still can't believe the difference in my eyes. Even my face is looking more 'plump' in a healthy way.

I've decided to try this routine for awhile:

Breakfast
1 non-fat yogurt with 1 scoop of protein powder
1 slice whole grain toast with margarine
1 fruit
1 coffee

Snack
Fruit

Lunch
Salad
Fruit

Snack
Fruit and veg

Dinner
1 protein (low fat)
Veg
Fruit
1 Carb

More water throughout the day. When I keep my water going my body shifts weight more and flushes me out.

I think in a month or so I'd like to try a gallbladder flush to get rid of stones.

Overall - thumbs up for me on the 3 day detox. Even thought I had to GAG down the protein powder I'd try it again. Lesson learned - just use just enough water to melt the powder, down the sh*t followed by a huge glass of water.

Suzanne, I can see the results and I do feel better. With more fruit, veg and water all systems are a healthy go!

Let's enjoy our day today! Keep looking toward your goal for a healthy lifestyle. Get out and get moving, plug your brains into some tunes and shake your fanny!

Cheers,
Peggy

Well, doing not so bad today. Feeling mentally on track with my diet now - I can taste my goal and I'm reaching for it. Eating well today and drinking my water. Only had one coffee at breakfast - this is non-negotiable on any diet program. Planning to have diet microwave popcorn this evening when we watch some movies. The key is I'm planning which means I have calculated it into today's menu.

Enjoying the SparkPeople site - using their free nutrition tracker which is almost the same as the paid WW online only this is free. It doesn't give you points but calories/nutritional analysis for the day. I can see where I'm lacking in balancing my day. Great and FREE! Gotta love that.

It's raining, raining, raining to the point of being depressing and I want to sleep, sleep, sleep - so I've got my dishes soaking. Getting those done next and then reading a Woman's World. It's one mag I enjoy weekly for the same price as a huge coffee. My mental break. I save them for awhile and reread them when I need motivation.

Hope everyone is having a great day today!

Cheers,
Peggy

Yep, here I am. Been here since 3am - what ya'll doin? Sleeping? Geez. I came here to see if anyone is hanging out - I guess I'm having a weekend to myself here. Birds starting singing just after 4:30 am. It's peaceful being awake early. Actually I could not sleep last night. Still trying to wean off those sedatives I've been taking for years. Actually had a good cry this morning and it feels good. I haven't cried much since the funeral. Found our old Reverend on the internet - he left Ottawa years ago. I'm going to send him a card with Mom's notice and a letter. He was a great Reverend - Reverend John Pearce. He made bible study fun and church interesting. I would love to attend his services now but he is in New Brunswick.

At any rate, it looks like my weight is moving but I must say I wasn't that hungry at all yesterday. It was an effort to eat. I must be grieving inside. Haven't been teary eyed to much because I truly feel my Mom is at peace, I just miss her this morning. I'm going out early to work in the garden - a love I learned from her and try to make the 10 am service at a nearby church. I'm not Baptist, I'm Anglican - I'm sure they won't mind if I attend.

Here I am blubbering away. I am so glad to be here among friends. You have given me so much support I am so grateful. Today I'm going to get some food prepared in the fruit and veggie department. As soon as I get some freezer space I'm going to make some yogurt popsicles - it's easy. I got this recipe from a diabetic clinic years ago and I've seen it in magazines.

Equal amount of any yogurt to equal amount of jello gelatin (I use non-fat yogurt and no sugar jello). Melt the gelatin with just enough hot water, drop in ice cubes into the mix and stir to cool it down, whip the heck out of it (I use a blender) and pour into Popsicle holders and freeze. That's it. You can add fruit if you want. You can also freeze smoothies too. Much cheaper than store bought and the only preservatives are what ever is in the jello. If you want to lighten it up some more with less calories, add more ice cubes and really whip the sh*t out of it until it's really frothy.

I also enjoy freezing bananas and eating them when I don't have ice cream in the house.

Gotta surf the net some more - time to read the news! Can't wait for everyone to wake up and let me know how your weekend is going!

Cheers and LOL
Peggy

Peggy~[[[ H U G S ]]] Just b/c! I'm having a pretty good weekend. I can never sleep either. I think I have to have just the right conditions or something. LOL Last weekend was great...we turned the a/c down some at the hotel & I was exhausted & I really slept hard. At home I csnnot go to sleep before 1:00 a.m. & cannot sleep past 6:00 a.m. for whatever the reason is. I try to. When I lost my DGF in '91 I didn't cry as I was trying to be strong for everyone. I felt so guilty over that & still feel somewhat bottled up. When my DGM passed in '02 I cried & I still have a cry now & again...we were close. I miss her like crazy. I feel so much better though b/c I allow myself to miss her & cry. I can't tell if you are beating yourself up over crying about your Mom or not but I think that it is perfectly normal & a good thing, IMHO.

Hopefully, I learned some things yesterday about stamping & can turn them into beautiful works of art at some point in time. I'm certainly going to try.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Your pal Patti misses you! me :-]

Hi Patti,
No I am not beating myself up - I tend to get emotional with no sleep. I just miss her and was thinking of fond memories. I am good though, very pleased with my progress so far in all areas. Housecleaning my 'head' and seeking out better strategies for living. Breathing - that's the key to all of this. Letting go. Breathing. Enjoying the day. Since I removed that old ugly hedge from the front window I can sit here and enjoy delphiniums, mini roses, rose campion, birds, trees and my cat chasing the bugs flying outside the window. Not only that I feel so much better inside since I have included more fruit and veggies into my day and cut back on carbs - not delete them but cut back. My healthy journey is not just about the weight - it's everything in my life. Maybe that should be our focus today?

QOD: Is there an area in your life that you would like to unload to help you with your goal?

I'm still working on forgiveness because I've been so hard on myself over the years and hard on my loved ones. Everyday I am trying to learn not to be so judgmental - after all who am I to judge others? Even jokingly it's a bad habit. This is my burden for the moment and it's a work in progress.

Let's make this a terrific day today. Let go of your demon and feel free again.

LOL to all,
Peggy

Good morning! I've been up since way-too-early-for-me-usually. LOL

I was invited to visit the Methodist church here in town, so I went to the 8:30 service, then attended my friend's Sunday school class. I felt right at home even though it's been 40 years since I last attended a Methodist service. Ironically enough, all the hymns today were old familiars to me! I enjoyed the women's Sunday school class, too. I'll definitely return next week if all goes well around here.

McPeg, so glad to read that you're healing inside and out. I think it's natural to remember things about your mom. My mom passed away almost 9 years ago, and there are times when I feel like it was just the other month. Memories are sometimes painful, but mostly, they're cozy and comforting.

Patti, sounds like you had another good crafting weekend! I need to pack my bag with my tools for this afternoon's card-making class. I'm so looking forward to going, learning new techniques, and making new friends.

This making-new-friends business is really growing on me, and I'm very thankful. Internet friends have always been so special to me, but it's nice to have RL friends, too.

Today is the beginning of 2+ weeks of keeping grandchildren. (until the 15th of July) Aubrie and I are going to have such good bonding time together, something we've never really had before now. (Alexis comes to stay beginning next Sunday.) Today at church, I was introduced to the nursery lady in case I decide to take Aubrie with me next week, just for a change of pace. She may miss being around other children, so it's nice to know I have that option.

QOD: Is there an area in your life that you would like to unload to help you with your goal? I think forgiving is a tough one for me to let go. I did great being around my xh and his wife at my son's wedding last fall, but it wasn't easy. We're supposed to have lunch with them next Sunday, and a tiny part of me felt angst when I heard about it, I have to admit. I am trying to grow up finally at age 60, but there's this small child in me who feels that until someone says "I'm sorry", it's not official. Silly, I know, but there it is! I have let go of much of my past resentments since moving here, and coincidentally or not, my desire to lose weight began around the same time. Maybe that Peter Walsh book, "Does this clutter make my butt look fat?" really pegged it.

Sending restful, peaceful Sunday wishes to everyone. Have a great one!

Good evening everyone. Tomorrow is my weigh day. Should be positive...they only negative thing today I noticed is my emotion affecting my eating - or lack of it. It was a challenge to eat today. Given everything it's understandable but tomorrow I have to eat all my food for the day. Today I just couldn't stomach it. All I wanted was water. Did okay at breakfast and had a single serving of lasagna and 1/2 green salad. That was it today. Right now looking at food makes me ill.

Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully I will sleep tonight instead of staring at the wall, ceiling, clock, window....
this afternoon my stomach is in knots but it will pass. Sleep is a wonderful thing.

IF ya have problems sleeping this evening, join me counting sheep - the more the merrier!

Cheers,
See ya tomorrow!

Peggy

Dee~I came here to see when you start vacation. I finished my Laura Childs book today & will start Marci's Janet Evanovich book tomorrow. When would be a good time to send it to you? I was thinking I should be done with it definitely by the time you are back from your trip.

Milkdud~I'm so excited for you making your RL friends. It is nice to be able to see you but we live so far away & now you don't live close to my kids either. Have fun with Aubrie. Our Aubrey is quite something. I could keep you laughing.

Peggy~I'm glad you have fond memories of your DM. Those are the ones that should stick with us. Are you coming down with something or just couldn't stomach food today?

QOD: The thing that I've worked on the most is having to be a perfectionist. That's probably why SBing has taken such a big part in my life. It has allowed me to let myself learn to make the best of my mistakes. I notice that when I strive to be "perfect" then I want others to be perfect too & that isn't fair for anybody.

Ooh, Peggy, you are exposing my dark side. LOL

Hope everyone had a good weekend & can check in tomorrow. Patti