Hi Laurie. My husband bought one about 6 months ago. He will be paying it off in installments into the next century:-) Major problem.... putting it together. My bil is awesome at putting anything together. It took him probably about 10 solid hours. It would have taken the average person probably 2x longer than that. My husband used it maybe 10 times. It's just sitting in the garage. We just bought him a 1 yr membership to Bally Total fitness for 199.00 And think about this, I know several people who have them or have had them over the years. 99% of them don't ever use them. Big waste of money. Maybe if you can get motivated to work out while you are at home -- I can't. I need to gym to get psyched. Good luck, Maureen

Good Morning:-) Brenda, I can just imagine the relief you all felt when the doc realized he had the wrong chart! A egotistical doc almost killed my dad. Daddy is on insulin but he also has severe ulcerative colitis and was in the hospital with that unable to eat more than a few bites a day. This doc kept ordering the insulin like Daddy was eating full meals 3 times a day. Daddy was getting weaker and weaker. He and Mom had already agreed that he would check himself out of the hospital and come home to die. The RN came in to give him his next insulin shot and he begged her not to give it to him because his blood sugar was already dangerously low. She didn't but a short time later he heard the doctor swearing at the nurse for not following his orders. When he came into Daddy's room, Daddy asked him if he ever bothered to read his chart and told him "you're killing me". The doctor was angry and stormed out of the room but later came back and apologized. Finally used his brain and ordered insulin on a sliding scale according to the food eaten. Daddy did come home to die but I hooked him up with my wonderful doctor friend who saved his life and he would save my son's life a few years later:-) Daddy is about 6' 6" and had lost weight down to 117 lbs. Chelone, how very frustrating to expect the staff to teach your mother what she needed to know and they didn't do it. Grrr!!! I appreciate the diversity of this group too. That's part of the fun of sharing:-) Taryn, thanks for sharing the flax pancake recipe. It looks yummy! Since I'm quite new here, I don't know how the forum was before (re Eden's and Ei's comments) I've been wondering about how religious is too religious or how political is too political. Like yesterday, I was going to say that DH and I had to go to a meeting where our potential new pastor was being interviewed but didn't post it because I was afraid it would be too religious. This is the first and only non-garden specific forum I've ever participated in so I'm continuing to learn how it all works:-) Advice is welcome;-) EP that is so neat that you found that history with your father's name. It would be great if you could contact the person. Yes, it is amazing what you can find on the Internet. I've been able to fill in some missing links in my family tree and help some folks fill in some branches in their tree:-) Those eggshell ornaments are so pretty!! Drema, I can identify with you trying to find your way. I am "famous" in my family and DH's family for getting lost. In fact it has been said about me that "she can't find her way out of a 2 ft square box with both ends open". You are so brave!! GB I am definitely in the category of misspelling definitely:) Sylvia, I may have told about DH's accident on the Introductions thread but maybe not. Anyway, we were tree planting in AL in Dec of 97. The planting site was a typical clear-cut with huge ruts about 3 feet deep. He being crewleader, was busy checking tree spacing, depth, etc. He tripped on a tree branch and fell into the rut but his upper body hit the ground on the far side of the rut. He turned his head to avoid smashing his nose (which has been broken several times, twice by me:-)) and put out his arms in the hands up "I surrender" position to try and break his fall. It was that quick and that simple. He had some pain for a few days then the pain grew worse and worse. He went to a chiropractor in the small town nearby who put him in traction for a couple hours every evening after work. That was the only pain relief he had. In mid January we had to move the crew to NC. DH drove a semi that pulled our travel trailer, I drove a small pickup and DS drove the big Ford. It took us 24 HOURS to drive from AL to NC because poor DH had to stop and rest so often. I begged him to call his uncle to come down and drive the semi but he was too stubborn to do it. He saw another chiropractor in NC. I tried to get DH to quit and turn the crew over to another crewleader but he steadfastly refused. This was a very tough good-paying contract that our company only got because our crew did the job. DH knew that if he quit, 30 men would loose their jobs. He would get up and go to work at daylight after having slept one hour or maybe none. The crew pulled together and supported him. One guy drove the truck, they loaded the trees out of the cooler and back in, checked each others' planting quality, etc. Sometimes all DH could do was lie down in the field and wait for the day to be over. He hung on until the contract was done April 1. His left arm hand grown weaker until he couldn't even put his hand in his pocket or roll the truck window down. I don't know why we didn't realize that something was seriously wrong. I am normally much smarter than that!! I learned a lot from this experience about knowing things and asking questions!!! Then he faced the 6 hour drive to his parents home also in NC. When we made it there he immediately saw another chiropractor who set him up for an MRI, then a neurologist. After many, many tests, some quite painful, he was diagnosed with brachial plexus injury. The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that come from the spine. His were stretched. Apparently if they are torn they can be reattached by surgery. Because of the nerve damage, the muscles that are ennervated by those nerves atrophied. For him this included muscles in his left arm, shoulder, torso, neck, face, and the left vocal chords. Not every muscle in every area though; some just tingle as if they are waking up from being asleep. The constant severe pain and lack of sleep pretty much bankrupted him emotionally and mentally. A mild anti-depressant helped him sleep which started him on the road to mental and emotional recovery. He doesn't take it now. The neurologist said that the nerves have the capability of healing themselves but they grow at a very slow rate and some people have miles of nerves so they don't regrow enough in the person's lifetime. There is no way of knowing which person will recover or to what extent. The purpose of the physical therapy is to help build up any muscles that are capable of being improved and to strengthen other muscles to take over. Also to prevent further debility, as would happen if the left torso muscles stayed weak and caused pinched nerves in the spine. Some functions are just not there anymore and some are coming back somewhat. He has constant pain at some level, usually low unless he does something to trigger more pain. And he often does that:-( He is gradually learning what he can do and what he can't do. He was very troubled about losing his singing voice. He had a very nice baritone voice and now can't sing at all. Especially heartbreaking because our family and his siblings often gather around the piano an sing for hours at a time. Now he joins in by playing guitar or bass guitar with us. Well, I'm sure I've told you way more than you wanted or needed to know. I just got carried away! I get my flax seed from a co-op in MI that delivers to a buying club that DH's aunt runs in NC. They ship UPS too. www.somethingbetternaturalfoods.com Da, come sing carols with us:-) I tried posting this early this morning but it was rejected by GW. I don't know why. Deanne, what lovely pictures! You continue to inspire me with your gardens and plants. Michelle, thank you! I enjoyed your lovely Christmas photos too. I have never seen a picture of Kenzie so will be looking forward to some:-) I must have missed the post about the bracelet. What are you making it out of? Marian, I read the definition on your link. Very interesting and enlightening. I'm glad you shared it. GB you are making me want some clematis so badly!!! What a contented dog:-) I hear DS sanding the dry wall in the bathroom. It will be my job to help paint the room. We haven't picked out any colors yet so it will just be the primer for now. I will attempt to post this again and see what happens. VG

Body image is so subjective and personal. I am sure we have all had the experience of beating ourselves up at a point in time, and then looking back later and saying ... "what was I thinking; I looked great." I think it would be very regrettable if a woman looked like Lady Gaga and felt she needed surgery for the curve of her tummy, especially after having had children. And especially if she was not performing half naked on stage, LOL! But I do know it happens. I do hope that the public consensus agrees that Lady Gaga is a beautiful specimen of the human form, one of many versions of beauty. Because everything we can do to empower young girls and help them find their own "perfection" is good for them and humankind.

I'm 74 and have been exercising 3 times weekly now for 11 years. I really concentrate on my legs as they need to work for me when my poor old damaged lungs can't. I could still wear shorts in the summer until about 5 years ago when gravity finally got my knees. It was inevitable. I have very strong muscles in my legs but it's the skin, not the muscles. Yes, I have been a sun worshiper for many years. It doesn't help my skin but tanned saggy skin looks SO much better when it's tanned. At 60, you don't yet have the old bruised, scared legs that will appear over the next 10 years. Out skin on our calves thins and a small bump can result in a deep cut. My lower legs look like someone has been beating them with a stick! But when they're tan, they look much better and the scars and bruises don't show as much. It is very hard to age when one is vain. One must do the best one can and accept the rest with humility.