TB, congrats on the 138 and the almost 137.5! That's terrific and a testiment to all your hard work, literally! Good For you!!

LOL!!! I know that feeling!

Donna, TB, my DH#1 was helpless, too, and I was astonished. I think DH, while he can do most anything, was "loaned" to too many relatives when he was young to take any joy in building or repairs of any kind. But yes, I admit that even so, I do take some comfort in knowing that DH could probably handle most anything if he had the desire. At least he responds to emergencies, like broken water heaters, furnaces, etc. I got a kick out of your bathroom story, Donna. LOL!

Oh daffodils :( Mine are about three inches tall with brown tops where they've been frozen, and have been stalled for a month or more. At this rate it will be June before they bloom. SNow expected tomorrow..... Might as well stick the uprooted ones in the ground somewhere, though, TB. They might do quite well.

We have lilacs here, too, Donna, but they are far, far from having any buds to speak of. A tour of the back yard today uncovered little to look forward to at all, at this point :( Not even the forsythia is encouraged enough show up for spring.

Little Khaki was a trouper today at the vet's, as usual, even though we had to stay almost three hours. Results Thursday. My Dad "babysat" with Token while we were gone--well, he stayed home because I have recently realized she's never been home alone without either a person or Khaki in her entire life, and I couldn't see starting that today. I know most people think I'm a little.....weird?.....in the way I take care of my dogs, but I really do feel they are fellow beings whose care is entrusted to us.

Aside: I am knitting a scarf out of recycled silk saris from Nepal. As I knit, I find I wonder about all the women who wore the original garments whose respun yarn I see flowing (sometimes with difficulty) under my fingers. Like all women, the skein flows with a variety of hues. Sometimes long strands of each color, sometimes tiny snippits of unexpectedness, one after another. Who wore the purple one, so bold. Who wore that tiny bit of pink, or the teal that seems to amost have a sparkle. I do wonder. Sometimes the strand is thick, sometimes it almost disappears. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes drab. More than occasionally,there are knots, lumps, and frizzes that frustrate my fingers and leave their marks in in the pattern of stitches. The knitting is slow and demands my novice concentration, as this difficult yarn seems to do what it wants rather than create even, lovely stitches. Yet, from a distance the whole looks unexpectedly lovely. Salvaged parts of ruin or neglect or indifference can still be knit together into whole cloth. I think I need to step back more often. Have a good evening, friends.

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

And this, Brenda, is why I keep coming back to this place. Thank you so much for your indepth thinking today while you knit. Love the image of knitting as bringing together the disparate parts of cloth/humanity. I've often used the image of a quilt. I've loved the fact that American frontier women gathered together around the quilting rack to share stories of how to live life as a woman. "Old wives tales" grew around those quilt racks; stories that distilled the very best of what has been true for our experiences. We have all lost something by not having that kind of community in our lives anymore. How ironic that we can reach across the quilt rack (cyberspace) and continue to comfort one another even in this 21st century way.

Not the best week for eating for me. Actually, that's not true. I've been true to eating lc, but the scale doesn't show any loss. But, I'm not giving up. I'm trying to add a little bit at a time. This week it is blueberries. I've increased my water too.

Talked to my DD tonight. It's nearly impossible to "read" what is beneath what she says. What she "said," is that she would rather we didn't come until the baby is at least a week old and she is home from the hospital. She "said" that she didn't feel as though she could be a "hostess" before that. I said that I didn't expect her to be a hostess, that we would be coming to help. She said that she would expect herself to be a hostess. So....it's hard to tell whether she wants us to come or she just wants to appease our need to be there. Maybe it will be clearer when it is nearer. Her due date is July 31st. Mmmmm August in Dallas!

DH has my cold. He is really miserable. It's to the guest room for me tonight. I'm not getting that sucker again! I'm still coughing!

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday and I am doing the Tennebrae service. I'm preaching at the 9:00 am service for families on Sunday. There will be at least 100 kids there with their assorted relatives. Still having trouble figuring out what to say that will keep the kids in their seats.

Peace, Peg

__________________
"Live the questions and some day you will live along into the answers."
Rainer Marie Rilke

Atkins since 2003
5'8" 206.4/197/175
64-3/4 years young

Aw, Peg. I understand your confusion about your daughter's statement. I haven't been in either yours or your DD's position, but I do know that when I was a young woman I always wanted my Mom and MIL to see me in a positive light, to feel as if I "measured up" as a woman. I doubt if the first weeks after having a baby I could have pulled that off. Then, too, perhaps she sees it as a special bonding time for the nuclear family. I really don't know her thinking, but I'm pretty sure that as anxious as you are to see your new grandchild, if you let her call this particular shot you will be honoring your daughter as an adult. As you say, too, there is plenty of time for her to change her mind about her needs at childbirth. My instinct is that this is not so much personal as it is a reflection of her own anxieties, and there is no "logic" to anxiety.

Gads, so sorry to hear DH is sick now, too :( I hope your services go well--can't help you with the 100 kids (yikes!) unless you can give them all Play Stations. You will have to tell me what a Tennebrae service is. Somehow I've missed that one! And I hope you continue to feel better.

I have a quilt top my Mom started piecing before she was married (at 17). Each block has a large embroidered butterfly. It's too fragile now to ever be a quilt, but I sometimes think of the hopes and dreams she stitched there.

Night, everyone.

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

BC, you have such a wonderful way with words. I wish I could express myself the way you do. Most of the time, we have the same thoughts, but you say them so much nicer than I ever could.

Peg: Honoring your daughter as an adult is a wonderful thought, but as a grandparent I know how anxious you are to get your hands on that bundle. I couldn't wait and all of my grandbabies were premies and ended up in neonatal intensive care, where we weren't allowed to pick them up. Too many wires. At the same time, I can understand why your daughter would like a little time to get used to having a baby and adjusting to being a mom herself. It's a tough call, but I'm sure you will make the right move.

When I was just a kid, my grandmother made me a quilt from pieces of coats and dresses. I can still remember laying on my bed feeling each square and remembering where and when it was worn. When my son was little, I made him a quilt using his baby blankets for backing. I'm sure he didn't remember what they were, but I sure did! What a way to have memories.

I'm so glad that tomorrow makes the end of a short week. I get to see my grandkids on Friday when we will have an easter egg hunt for them outside in the yard. I haven't really had a good visit with them since Dec.27th and it's long overdue. My daughter in law confided to me today that she is having problems. She was a burn victim as a child, more than 50 percent of her body. So, she has to be very careful about gaining weight. Since her last baby was born, last August, she hasn't had a period. Now she thinks she's pregnant again, even though she had her tubes tied. The doctor won't believe her and won't do any tests. She's gained 40 pounds since January and is miserable. She's going to try to get in to see my doctor who I know will help her. Problem is there is a doctor shortage in BC and not many of them will take new patients. Can you believe her doctor actually gave her diet pills? I told her not to take them. I sure hope it turns out okay for her. They sure don't need a 4th baby either!

__________________
Donna
238.5/166.4/150
I will see my goal weight again!

Donna, I'm so sorry to hear about DILs health problems. Home pregnancy tests are sold in every drugstore in the US. Do you not have those in Canada? They are considered to be quite accurate.

Quilts - last week, while working in the garage, I found a box of log cabin quilt squares. It was wrapped in Wisconsin newspapers from the 1940s and had a note written on the inside of the box. The squares were pieced in 1890 by a great+ grandmother. I've set this aside to send to my aunt, so that she can pass it along to one of her children or grandchildren. When I was in college, embroidery was very popular. Some of my friends made friendship quilts, in which every square was stiched by a different friend. I have a great memory of my mom and I sitting outside one summer embroidering quilt squares.

Peg, I think you are so right - those sewing circle meetings were a great source of community bonding and strength. I guess weight loss support is our "quilt" and serves as the foundation for the friendship and support we share here every week.

Today, the scales says 140, which doesn't thrill me. But, I'm hoping it's one of those blip things. I ate some extra nuts the last two days, and I've been a bit liberal with some rich butter or cheese sauces on my veggies. Again, I thought the extra physical activity warranted the extra calories. Apparently, not. :o Oh, well - back to the straight and narrow.

__________________
~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

Just posting before I get ready to go over to work for the afternoon and evening. Brenda, here is the definition of Maundy Thursday:

Maundy comes from Old French (mand?), spoken from 1000-1300 C.E. and from the Latin
mandatum novum (a new commandment). Jesus commands the disciples ?to love one another? (John 13:24) after he washes their feet and shares a meal the night before Passover. For many, footwashing is a common liturgical rite of Maundy Thursday. Also Holy Communion or Eucharist traditionally occurs on Maundy Thursday. A Maundy Thursday service leads us from the last supper of Jesus to the betrayal and crucifixion.

We will have communion, but foot washing is way too intimate for these stodgy New Englanders. Besides, we had snow last night and everyone will be in warm wraps. Yeah, we had SNOW!! Not a lot, thank goodness.

DH is coughing and blowing, poor guy. I slept just fine in the guest room.

My scale said 177 this morning. It's the second time this week for that number. 180 keeps popping back, though. I'm hoping to be able to claim it, but not yet.

TB: What a find!! One might be afraid to touch those squares for a quilt. Maybe to mount them and frame them in a shadowbox. Glad they will be preserved.

Donna: Gosh, it sound serious with DIL. I'm so sorry. My DD has always been a very difficult relationship for me. I have one who comes close and then cuts me off and one who simply hasn't been close since she was about 9. Its the one who hasn't been close who is having the baby. She is coming closer, but I have had to tread really really lightly. She's kind of llike an elusive bumblebee. I would say "butterfly" except that she has a wicked sting when she wants to. (she is 37)

See ya all later.
Peg

__________________
"Live the questions and some day you will live along into the answers."
Rainer Marie Rilke

Atkins since 2003
5'8" 206.4/197/175
64-3/4 years young

Oh my goodness......... I got tied into some projects for the last day or two (closet cleaning, yadda yadda yadda), and when I now got back to reply to posts, I find that I am two pages behind. I did however read all with great interest. Forgive me if I skip some things in this reply.

Husbands and fixability: DDad was a fixer. When we first got married DH was definitely not. I always had a list for my dad when he came to visit. Now, DH is much better. In fact he just finished showing off the new storm door he hung yesterday. I hate to say it, but future DIL better not be expecting much from DS. He has "no skills" at all. That's one thing that sold him on the house they bought.... everything in it is new.

Puppies: Brenda, what are Khaki and Token? We have a Sheltie that is 14 years old. She is really showing the age and is totally deaf. I'm afraid that she's not going to be with us much longer. She has some congestive heart problems and seems to be losing some mobility. It will break DH's (and my) heart when she goes.

Fabric and quilts: Brenda, I love your thoughts on the silk yarn. In my "former life" -- you know something close to a jillion years ago,--- I was a home economics teacher. I followed my mom, who was the best teacher I ever had. We had a high respect for cloth and needle skills at our home. I definitely understand the thoughts you had as you knit the silk. I have often felt the same about taking pieces and making them whole. A few years ago, I was on a couture sewing list. There was a fabric artist from Israel on the list. She had several gallery showings during the time I subscribed, and we had a number of off list discussions. Your descriptions remind me of her perspective.

DDs and gkids: Donna, sorry to hear that your DIL is having problems. I wish the best outcome for her -- pregnant or not. Peg, August in Texas is no worse than July -- it's hot and going to be hotter. That's why they make air-conditioning. With that said, I agree with Brenda, give her some time and some space to make up her mind. If I remember correctly, her inlaws are essentially in town. The thought of having a new baby and two sets of parents both hovering may be overwhelming. I can only go from my own experience. When DD was born, exactly one week before Christmas, my parents came to help. We needed it, I had a four year old at home. But, with the holiday within four days of our homecoming, we had other relatives coming in, and DH's family dying to see the baby, too. I felt like giving out Baskin Robbins tickets for the remainder of the week. By the time everyone left, I was more than ready. It was just overwhelming at that point.

Teel: Congratulations on yesterday's 138. I wish I was there. This morning I was 139.5. I started taking HRT about two months ago, and I am wondering if I have had to have an adjustment period. Hopefully, I may be finally moving the right direction again. Of course the fact that I essentially ate no dinner last night had a big effect on the scale this morning. If I could just do without dinner, weight control would be easier.

We are off tomorrow for Dallas. We will be seeing DS's house, visiting with my dad, and hopefully DD, too. She's been working overtime so much this month that she may be at it all day again on Saturday. By the time we get home, I hope that we have finalized plans for the rehearsal dinner, and had fun shopping for house stuff as well. I just have to be prepared with my tongue biting skills so that I don't say anything when DH starts complaining about the traffic.

__________________
Judy
highest = 180, goal = 140
Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters. No more fooling myself!

Donna, so sorry to hear about your DIL's difficulties. Trust me, even here in the states where we have more choice of Drs., it is sometimes difficult to find one who takes women's issues with the seriousness they deserve. I hope she can find the help she needs. I know you are anxious to see that she is as healthy and well and she can be.

Peg, thanks for the explanation. Never having been high church of any sort, I missed a lot of the finer points in my litergical education. DH has also forgotten 99% of his Catholic upbringing and is no help at all. However, foot washing I am acquainted with. My DH#1's mother grew up in a "foot-washing Baptist" family in southern Georgia." They did foot washing every Sunday, but I expect you are familiar with the genre I managed to escape Sunday services on our visits to "Little Granny" (By the way, for a while I thought that was the name of the convention their church belonged to, since I never heard it called anything other than "foot-washing Baptist" in the family.......foot-washing is a deeply touching tradition, I'm sure, but you have to remember I was in my early 20's and extremely shy and naive by anyone's standards..... :o )

Judy, the doggies are 11-1/2 (Khaki) and 5 today(Token). Happy Birthday Token!!! The mini's average life is around 15. Boy, do I know what you mean about being heartbroken. I've had one live to 17 and one to 2 weeks of 15. And then Charlie who was ancient, but of unknown age. Each time I just don't think I'll recover and I still can sob over each of them. I've learned a number of helpful things, though, that you can do to help yourself, family and pet if you feel the time is nearing. Here's an easy one: take pictures, lots of them NOW. You think you have plenty of your pets but we do take fewer as they age. I'll tell you, take them NOW and keep on taking them right up to the end--each one will be more precious than you can imagine after. I hope you don't need them any time soon, but please let me know when and if you want other ideas.

The results of Khaki's test Tuesday indicate there is a problem of some kind. I have a referral to a specialty vet to have a liver ultrasound.

TB, oh I can't imagine finding such a lovely treasure as the quilt. How wonderful of you to pass it to someone in the family to hand down.

Thank you all for your thoughts on my knitting the silk scarf The process is perhaps much more beneficial than the product will be. Judy, I don't think I knew you were a home economics teacher; I did remember that you are an accomplished seamstress--I remember being impressed! Couture list, wow. I don't know that I've ever felt as close to the community of women as I have through learning to knit, but I do imagine that is how you feel sewing. Have a great time in Dallas.

Speaking of which, I need to go cuddle a dog and cast on some stitches for a test swatch. I'm about to embark on my first "people-sized" sweater

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Brenda, don't worry that you didn't remember me saying that I had been a home economics teacher....I'm not sure that I have ever said it before. I taught a variety of courses in that department including the basic Homemaking classes, clothing construction, interior design, and a job training class. Around 1989 or 90, I was totally fed up with the level of students that I was teaching and considering leaving education altogether. When you teach skill type elective courses, you tend to get the students that are "less motivated". About the same time, our school gave us notice that they were possibly going to RIF (reduction in force) our department. I took advantage of a new program that Texas began offering that year. A certified teacher could take the exit exam for another field and if passed with a high enough score be granted certification for that field without going back to take other classes. Initially I took the exam for government, then economics, and health, and finally the entire social studies certification. I probably have more teaching fields than anyone on the campus. I picked government and economics because they are required courses for seniors. There is generally a greater level of concern and seriousness the closer a kid is to graduation. Eventually I became the only economics teacher and went on to be trained to teach AP Macro. Somewhere along the way I also got my arm twisted into coaching Academic Decathlon -- 10 subjects in one course. So now I teach regular and AP eco, and the Decathlon program.

There you have it --31 one years of teaching in one paragraph.

__________________
Judy
highest = 180, goal = 140
Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters. No more fooling myself!

See that's what I love about this place. The more I learn about you all the more I am so impressed with our depths and talents. Judy, you are a one woman educational system.

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

I can just see me now--- carrying wood and sweeping the floor of my one room school......The little buggers better be good or I'll have them cleaning the erasers and sharpening pencils. No wait--that was all a flash back to "Little House on the Prairie." Sometimes though I wonder if those children may have gotten a better education in some ways than the children today do in our current high tech schools.

__________________
Judy
highest = 180, goal = 140
Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters. No more fooling myself!

Judy: Did you know that they are remaking "Little House..."? It will be a six-week series or something like that. It will be on one of the more obscure TV channels. (That means i can't remember where I saw it!)

What a talented and professional woman you are, Judy! With your history, no wonder you get impatient with those kids when they do less than their best! It makes me fee all warm inside, though, to know that there are teachers like you in the school systems. My kids were so lucky with their teachers. We lived in a small town in SoCa, and the system was very good. Of course that was long before the Government began to get into the school systems so horribly. It wasn't an idyllic time, but still a time when education and teachers were still seen as the professionals that they are.

Brenda: You asked last week how I feel about moving to SoCa. Actually, a year ago I had pushed for that move. We had (DH and I) a terrible fight about it and I dropped the idea, (along with being mad at him for a full six months ). Then he came up with the idea of spending winters there. I thought that was a pretty good compromise. Then this past Fall, a friend suggested using our equity here to buy another place in SoCa for our winters there. DH was intrigued with the idea, and we have been talking about how we would manage that. This winter we will probably rent a place with furniture for a few months. I have traveled all over the world with this wandering fellow (DH), but have never seen the US. So, we are going to drive across the country taking our time and seeing places of historical interest. It is fun planning the trip. I have Microsoft Streets and Trips which allows me to do a lot of planning, giving me mileage stats and gas stats. It also tells me where the latest construction on roads is etc. A neat little package!

Well...........confession time. On Thursday at the church, I was the only one there with my Admin. Asst. She was frantically busy with the Easter bulletin. I was working on the evening service. I happened down to the kitchen for something or other and found a 3' by 2' sheet cake. It was a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! My favorite! It was covered by plastic wrap and had a little sign on it that said, "please eat this." It looked as if three or four pieces had been cut out of it. We have a senior luncheon on Thursday's and evidently someone brought it for that and left it for the mice to eat. Well, on the first pass, I just looked and severely reprimanded myself for even THINKING about having a piece. I went back to my office upstairs. I worked on the service and that dang cake grew bigger and bigger in my mind. "Okay," I said, and I went down for one piece. Before the afternoon was over, I had eated fully four pieces! When I put on my wool robe over my clothes and stood up to lead the service, I was so sick!!! I was sweating, couldn't catch my breath, BAD heartburn....you know the drill. I had to sit down during the singing of one of the hymns. I wondered what it would look like for the pastor leading the service to throw up in the pulpit. I have had this happen before, you know. WHY DON'T I LEARN??? Interestingly, I was two pounds down yesterday when I weighed. But, I made up for it this morning. I am hovering around 177-180 these days. I'm really not very happy with myself. I took a long walk with DH yesterday, so felt a little better about myself. But, I seem to have this terrible craving for chocolate. I do know about all the LC desserts with whipped cream. I just seem to have this active 14 year old in me that is intent on sabotaging my efforts.

Well, I'm supposed to be writing a short homily to preach to all the families tomorrow, so must go and get organized around that.

By the way, we are sunny today with temps around 30 degrees.

Peace to you all,
Peg

__________________
"Live the questions and some day you will live along into the answers."
Rainer Marie Rilke

Atkins since 2003
5'8" 206.4/197/175
64-3/4 years young

Peg you remind me of myself last week with my daughter black forest cake. I didn't have 4 pieces, but it wasn't tiny either. That packed a couple of pounds on that took a few days to get rid of. Why we do this? Got me. After a little while, we don't even remember what it tasted like, so why bother cheating. But, we are only human, and it sure tastes good at the time.

Yesterday was our annual Easter egg hunt with the grandkids. It was absolutely precious to watch them. Micayla is 5 and knew what to do, but she's grown up a little more this year and didn't hog them all like last year. She made sure her brother Kaedyn got his share and left the easy ones for him to find. He's only 2 and a little behind on some things, like talking, due to being only 4 pounds and very sick at birth.
He was priceless. I was helping him and pointed out a few eggs that had been hidden in plain site, and his comments like...wow, oh, and little screams made it all worth the effort. I just wish we had taken out the video camera. Being a scrapbooking gramma, I took lots of pictures. Our little baby Nolyn is just 8 months, so next year he'll be able to get in on it. Micayla found the Easter baskets that I had done up for them along with the hoodies for each one. Then it was a big turkey dinner and finishing off with strawberry shortcake for desert. I was stuffed and afraid to face the scales this morning but it was okay. Didn't gain or lose. I really hated to see those kids leave....we don't get to see them often enough.
I wanted to get outside to plant my calla lillies today, but it sure doesn't look to warm outside...it's about 50 now. Maybe it will warm up this afternoon.
Hope you all have a wonderful Easter. (and noooooo, the chocolate isn't for us)

__________________
Donna
238.5/166.4/150
I will see my goal weight again!

Ok, Donna. No chocolate for me today. We are about to put the lamb in the oven. Spent the afternoon just lazing around and sleeping. DH is sick with my cold. He's coughing and sneezing, poor guy. I got up at 3:30 am to attend the Easter Sunrise service (at 5:15 am. Takes me a while to get to the church), and then preached the 9:00 am service and stayed for the 11:00 am service. Then I came home, had my rollups and crashed in my recliner in front of the TV.

Everyone must be having a busy Easter weekend!
Peg

__________________
"Live the questions and some day you will live along into the answers."
Rainer Marie Rilke

Atkins since 2003
5'8" 206.4/197/175
64-3/4 years young

Peg, you deserve a nap.

Nah, not so busy here. DH worked on the floor yesterday, but started feeling unwell, and today he's got a fever and probably a cold coming on, too, like your DH. So the doggies and I are tiptoeing around......

I did get a surprise yesterday. A huge bouquet of flowers delivered. I swear, I thought they'd mistaken my house for a funeral parlor. Bless DH's heart, it was our 25th anniversary. We'd agreed to have dinner out and do something special whenever we could decide on something, and to work on the floor this weekend, but it was very nice that he remembered the actual occasion anyway. I don't know, maybe I'm missing something since so many people really celebrate occasions like this, and we have never really made a big deal of birthdays and anniversaries.

Oh cravings, Donna and Peg.....the brain will have it's way if it can.

I'll bet the grandkids were adorable, Donna. It was so very cute to see some of the local Easter egg hunts on tv this week.

Judy, waiting on a report on the new house!

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108