Here's a pic of the box thingy . . .

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__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Not a holiday in Canada, but still the 4th of July! At this moment, it's raining on everyone's parade in KC, but it's still early. I've been out for a really pleasant run in the rain, and will try to keep busy the rest of the day, but probably NOT housekeeping.

I actually don't belong in this thread. My idea of redecorating is to buy new globes for the old chandelier in the dining room. Not easy to find, as it turns out. However, I'm enjoying all the pictures of projects underway. And Brenda, your room is very beautiful--a welcoming feeling.

I'm glad to hear about all the Leslie Sansone purchases. Go for it, Babes. Start small--30 minutes or so a couple of times a week--and you'll feel the benefits. I lead such a sedentary life for the most part that a regular exercise routine is a saving grace. It is the best anti-aging effort you can do.

I've seen the two movies I wanted to catch. "Mad Hot Ballroom," the documentary about NYC kids in a dance competition, is delightful! "Cinderella Man" is intense, but inspiring and romantic. Russell Crowe is a very bad boy in real life, but as an actor, he totally inhabits the character he plays, and the boxer Jim Braddock is a good hero.

Meanwhile, I'm cheering for Lance Armstrong.

Enjoy the day everyone. Don't forget to be good to yourself.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Oh Barb! Our decorating is just a momentary thing! You DO TOO belong!! I love the creative things that you share....

Welcome, Heather. Come on back any time.

Brenda: It looks like we both like red! What a lovely room. I love the rugs too. Who plays the keyboard. I have a piano in the basement which I never play anymore. I had a keyboard that I brought home from cleaning out my Mom's house. It was just junk, it turns out. I literally thew it away. I've wanted to experiment with the various different sounds. It also makes a good "tote it" thing for the retreats that I do. Often I can't find a pianist who can play the songs I want to sing, so I just play and teach people to sing. It's difficult with a piano, but sometimes you have to go with what you've got! I've thought of teaching myself the autoharp, but Just haven't had the time. Maybe in retirement.....

This has been the weekend from heaven with the weather. Another beautiful day today. I'm "tanning in a can," and then protecting with sunscreen for the boat. I know I've had enough sun because I started to itch last night. Something about a sun allergy, I think. Also, the mosquitoes have started. DH kept opening and closing the screen door last night because he wanted to see if he could see the fireworks that we could hear. Only fireflies, as it turned out (not making the noise, but making the light!)

Alida: Boy it sounds like your DH and mine could go out and get lost somewhere when it comes to house stuff. I also have a power screwdriver that DH refuses to use. I, also, have made many trips to the basement for another screwdriver for him! I've finally brought all the screwdrivers and two hammers and nails up and put them in my desk to prevent all those trips. Grrrr.

Donna: I hope that the party turns out the way you want. Can you call people to see if they are coming? Glad the gas got delivered. Wow! It is expensive isn't it?

Shelley: I got tired reading the list of things you did! You have a lot of energy, girl!! I just don't do Spring cleaning any more. I don't have the energy to do it. We have such a small space to live in that I keep up on it all year, then I don't have to do any "deep" cleaning. I also have a gal who comes in twice a month. She does deep stuff if I want it. I do have to admit that there are corners that just don't get it until we move!

Judy: Whatcha doin this weekend?

Hi to all I missed

Well, I'm off to 'tan" and shower. Then to the boat.
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

Hey everyone!
On the day I COULD sleep in, we were awakened at various times of the night and again at 0600 with severe T-storms. The lightening was very intense for sure.
Anyway, the sun has come out now, the temperature is starting to climb, and we have 88% humidity...gonna be steamy!

LOL, Brenda about Token chasing the big bad vac monster. Our border collie did almost the same thing with DH when he would mow the lawn; barking at and circling the mower. The Fu kitty HATED the vacuum, and we got to the point we would tell her we were going to vac, while opening the closet door to get the vac out. We would tell her"vooooooom"(in our best imitation voice of a vac) She would take off for the Fu room, AKA laundry room, and hop up on the toliet seat(lid down) and take a nap while we vac'd in the other part of the house. Funny how our pets react to things in our enviroment that we really don't like that much either.

LOL, Alida...my DH also has the knack of making a 3 hr project out of a 20 minute chore. And usually, it's not his fault either, just the way it works out. He wants it done right, and usually he is having to fix someone else's mess to get his part right...that's what he claims anyway Really, I do think that's what happens most of the time.

Thanks everyone for taking a look at my pics/projects and for your kind words. I am now thinking I will do the other (guest) bathroom...maybe sooner than DH would like...hehe. I think I can strip the paper myself, texture the walls, and have Tina to paper one accent wall for me. DH just kinda groaned when I presented this idea to him this morning Ah well...maybe in the fall...

Hi Peg...I think we were posting at almost the same time! Glad your weather has been good. It sure makes a difference how we feel, eh? You sound very *energized* this morning
I also kinda clean as I go...but the ceiling fans and light fixtures I can not reach...ah, darn...to bad...hehe.

Oh...the precious little house finch was singing his little heart out yesterday when I got back from the grocery store. I look out on our patio, and he was again perched on top of the sheppard's hook where the boston fern is hanging. Then the female arrived and they both dived into the fern...sooooooo.....maybe they are *reconsidering* that piece of real-estate

Happy 4th everyone! I am lucky to live in this great country, and most thankful for the freedoms we have; let us not forget what this day is all about.
God Bless America!

Shelley

__________________
~~~~
Shelley
~~~~

Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

Hope everyone's had a good one today. I have a confession....I just took a nap! LOL, got back from having half a steak wrap and just flat crashed for a couple of hours. Maybe I'm just not used to real beef anymore?

Alida, Barb, Shell, we got your rain this afternoon, over an inch, but it was sooooo needed. I think I can claim some responsibility in the Chicago area, though. Evidently producing rain here involves simultaineously taking out a brand new car AND sending a husband onto the roof.

Donna, the dogs have learned to be more careful on the wood floors, just as they do in the kitchen. We did put a long oriental runner in the hallway, and each room has area carpets, though, so there are still plenty of places they can be silly dogs. It's a bit of a trade off, but Token's allergies are so much better without the wall to wall. I would have loved to have done the kitchen in wood, too........Oh, you have Shell gas? Shell fed and clothed me as a kid; Dad worked in exploration over 30 years. Like every other company, it changed over the years, but it was good to Dad.........Gosh, party planning gets complicated, doesn't it!

Alida, I confess I had a good chuckle at your light fixture story! What a project! Even though DH is quite handy, I end up being the "go-fer" for tools. Plus, no matter what, every project ends up being much more complicated than expected. Whatever length of time DH tells me something is going to take, I automatically multiply by three. Truly. I think your new look will be quite nice though!

Thanks for the compliments on the floors and decorating, guys. What you can't see is how badly the walls need repainting, and that the upholstered pieces are more shabby than chic, but I've had the same furniture 30 years and it seems to reflect me, people say. Not exactly sure what that means, LOL!!!!

Barb, you belong just fine. Trust me, if I could pay to have people decorate for me, I would in a heartbeat. I tend to live with things way past their need to be redone and agonize endlessly over the most minor changes.

Peg, so glad you are getting some lovely weather! Our fireflies are out, too, and it always takes Token a few evenings every summer to get used to them. Hope you had a lovely time on the lake.........yes, I love red in all its tones--I think I need the energy red gives. The keyboard is mine. I'm a woodwind person, myself, but always wanted to play piano and it was one of the biggest disappointments of my childhood that I never had one. Anyway, DH bought me the Korg a few years ago, which is really overkill at my skill level (nill), but I managed to teach myself a few things. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard on my wrist now. I think learning the autoharp would be great fun Go for it!

Shell, I think you are on a roll with your decorating. Might as well keep going, since everything is turning out so very nicely........Hey, delighted to hear the finchs are back!....Oh, aren't furkids hilarious sometimes. I'd so love to know what they think about some of the things we do.....I'd have loved to see Fu Kitty safe from the vac on the throne, LOL! And I'm sure your Sheltie was "herding" the wild mower!

Have a good evening, everyone!!

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

Oh, we know all about that activity. Our Sheltie has herded the mower for years. She gives it a piercing bark just to make sure it knows where to go, too.

I was totally decadent today ........ got up at 7:30 and was still sitting around in PJs at noon. I did do quite a bit of work that will benefit me when school starts, but mostly I did it so that I could complete the things that need to be sent in with the College Board applications. Tomorrow I'm going to school to try to get some copy work and set up work done. I want to be ready to walk in and go to work when we get home, and most of all, not worry about it in the least while we are gone.

Brenda, Your floors are beautiful. I wouldn't mind going to hardwood in a room or two, but I don't think I would ever convince DH to do so. We stayed at DS's a few weeks ago and over and over DH commented (only to me) how much he disliked the floors. Right now they do not have any rugs at all. The rooms would almost echo even with the furniture in them. I guess it's all what you get used to.

It seems that we have some hidden talents in the group. Peg sings and plays the piano (I think it must be an occupational requirement), Brenda makes jewelry and plays more than one instrument, Barb is the resident writer, and we have an abundance of shade tree decorators and gardeners as well as Alida the skilled craftsman. What a diverse but compatible group we are.

Happy 4th everyone! I think I'll go see the re-runs of the Boston and Washington fireworks on TV. They did our city fireworks last night. We didn't even think about it until we heard them. They are OK, but look like a kid's party next to some of the ones we see on TV. Today, when we normally would have considered going, there was nothing. Oh well, that's a few less mosquito bites. I can hardly walk out of the house as it is. They are drawn to me and I'm alergic to them. My summer perfume is Eau de' OFF.

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

Judy, Eau de' OFF, LOL! Seriously, must be very hard if you are allergic to mosquitos. And mosquitos and mugginess are usually the reasons I don't like going out to watch the fireworks. But then I feel like it's not 4th of July if I don't see some! Watched some on TV . . . the Macy's display was unbelievable! But just not the same on TV as the real thing. When our local display started, we saw a little from our deck. But then we went upstairs and hung our heads out of the guest room window and had a great view. Barb, this display is across the street from Corporate Woods, a big field at College and Neiman.

And Barb, you DO belong! As for the new globes . . . did you try Dave Smith the Lampmaker at Wornall & 75th? I'd like to see Cinderella Man, too. We saw War of the Worlds. Pretty good. It was nice to see Tom Cruise act in a movie instead of acting like some love struck puppy on the airwaves . . . .

Peg, you play the piano and sing, too? You have my admiration! Those are the two talents I always wished I had. Can't sing a note (hearing loss is one prob I think) and I did take piano lessons in my twenties, but I just wasn't key-adept. As for the sun allergy . . . they make shirts now that help block the sun's UV rays. Maybe that would help?

Shelley, we had the same weather! But I'm the lucky one. It doesn't wake me up. Take those hearing aids out and I'm dead to the world! Can be a problem, though. I was once the group leader for an Opera trip to New York. The hotel had a fire alarm in the middle of the night and I slept through it. I had a single room and a friend was worried about me when she didn't see me outside. Was going to rush in to get me but then it was a false alarm . . .

So glad the Finches are back!

Brenda, yup! You can thank me, Barb and Shelley for your weather! What on earth was your husband doing on the roof? And don't apologize for a nap . . . they are wonderfully decadent!

We did go to Lowe's yesterday. It was mobbed! DH said the fan I picked out was too big. Hmm. He may have a point, although I hate to admit it. He did OK the new flourescent fixture. Would love to have recessed cans instead. Could be an easy install for a pro because the area above the ceiling is open. Hmm. Bought one handle for the cabinets to check out the color. I'm changing from real ugly antique gold to brushed silver. Now I realize I'll have to change out all the hinges, too. Ack!

It's Tuesday . . . I'm off but lots of work-work to do. I still have to finish cutting that dang palm temp. And it's the start of a new quarter, so I have to input all the jobs from last quarter so we can get info to the accountant. WHY do I put it off???

Happy day, everyone!

__________________
Alida
5'1" ~ 59 years old
Highest weight: 165
Atkins 7/10/2004
160/126/125
RE-DO, January 2008:
167/162/135

Thanks, everyone. I really was kidding about the belonging thing. I love chatting with you all, and never feel left out.

Alida, I bought the globes at Western Chandelier, which is just up the road from Dave the Lampmaker.

On July 4, I met my family for a neighborhood parade--kids on their bicycles and tricycles, balloons, flags, dogs, and popsicles. A really fun time. My little grand-niece and nephew were joined by their soon-to-be cousins from Scotland, so we had an international celebration.

I watched all the fireworks on TV last night--Capitol, Macy's, Boston. Boston has it hands down for artistry, but all of it was fun. We had firecrackers in our neighborhood at all hours of the night, which woke me up worrying about cars and roofs catching on fire. All seems peaceful this morning however.

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Hi everyone!!

Sunday, we had breakfast at Ikea and wandered around at Ikea, looking at various pieces of furniture, trying to figure out if they might be usable. We didn't buy anything, no point to it right now. We also stopped at Costco and a fresh market that had some interesting deli choices.

The 4th was a lazy sort of day. Our realtor stopped by. We made a mutual descision to lower the price of our house by $10,000. We think the price we had was fair, because of it's size. However, homes of this size had not sold anytime recently. So, when people would look at the pricing of the house, they thought we were over-priced compared to other sales in the neighborhood. We need to get people in and buying! And, we don't have the time to wait for this to happen.

While he was there, we had a heavy rain-storm. We got 1/2" of rain in about 20-30 minutes.

We didn't go for fireworks. No barbecue.

My eating has been atrocious, so I am way up in weight.

I hope all of you are well.

__________________
Ilse

380/286(current)/154
5'6"
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible"
Walt Disney

Afternoon, everyone. Well, I've managed to spend a decadent morning also, and am letting the morning run well into the afternoon Happened to meet a friend at a yarn sale and we went to a new creperie she's found--just a little hole in the wall, but oh my, my......yes, I snagged a few bites of her chocolate/strawberry dessert crepe with whipped creme. Wowzer. And I snagged a couple of skeins of wildly colored sock yarn although I don't know how to knit socks (yet).

Alida, you and Shell and Barb feel free to send me more rain, ok?? Oh--DH was up on the roof to repair the rain and wind gauges to his weather station when the downpour came. DH and Dad are weather junkies; maybe it's a guy thing. But he would have been down really soon even if it hadn't rained since he found wasp nests and they found him.

Judy, we don't have any echoing with the changeover from carpet to wood You can hear footsteps a little more, and dog toenails, but no echoing......glad you took a morning of downtime, however you get more done in your downtime than anyone I know. Good luck getting those new summer positions--sound perfect for you. When do they make those decisions?

Alida, I can't sing a note, either....and Judy, I've always been so delighted by getting to know people better, especially the women friends in my life like you all have become. The longer I know them (you all!), the more I take delight in discovering hidden talents and abilities and personality aspects that make each one of us unique.

Ilse, I hope lowering the price brings you a quick sale!

I do want to see pictures of your Etchlike job, too, Alida. Meanwhile, for your amusement, here's a picture of my current WIP (work in progress), LOL!

Attached Thumbnails

 

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

Bren: And this would be........? A small tube top for the neighbor's child? A doggie sweater? A BIG bag for your Clinique? Hmmmmmm.............Curioser and curioser....

Been a pretty good day. Everyone in the church town is a flutter with wanting the funeral Friday to go well. Widower says to expect 400 to 500 people. Should be interesting since the church only holds about 350. I'm sort of just sitting around and directing everyone.

Started planning for this Sunday's sermon today. I realized today that I only have about 4 more sermons to do at this church. I'm off two in July and two in August, then I leave the second week in September. Woohoo.

Did I tell you that I'm going out to CA on July 26th for a week? My Jr. Women's Club is having a 40th reunion. I wouldn't miss it. It was a formative time for me. Had a lot to do with my being able to speak, sing, and play in public. Also, taught me a lot about making friends and keeping them. Looking forward to it. I'll stay with bf while I'm there. We are planning a weekend at the beach! Yay!!

Weather has turned hot and humid. Actually right now, (5:30 pm) it's only 80, but humidity is high. (I know, Judy, I'm a wuss!) It's supposed to get more humid as the week goes on.

Dh painted the porches today while I was gone. Bless his heart. He actually did a pretty good job! I am glad that that is done. I worried about it all day knowing that I had left him to do it alone. Of course, I don't know what he used. Better off not knowing, actually.

SO GOOD to read all your posts. Thank you for enriching my life.

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

Peg, that's a humongous funeral. Sitting around and directing everyone sounds like just the ticket, though. Really, only about 4 sermons left? That really does bring it all home, doesn't it? At least you get to spread it out over the next couple of months, but I expect you have lots of mixed emotions.

Yum, have fun in California! Enjoy the beach and all your friends. It will be a tune-up for your move.

Good for your DH at doing a nice job of painting (as far as you can tell, LOL).

Oh, the object in question above is the bottom 12 inches of what I hope will be a short, sleeveless, v-neck summer shell. This part is knit in the round on circular needles, but now I'm at the point of having to divide it to start the arm holes. Thought I'd capture a picture before it all blows up in my face. Who says knitters aren't warriers By the way, the yarn is varigated to form its own pattern; I wouldn't have necessarily planned it this way, LOL!

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

Hey everyone,
Wow...looks like everyone had a full and busy day. Today was actually nice at work: a total 360 from the way it usually is after a holiday. But, I think it's due to the fact 3 of our docs are away on vacation. The surgery schedule is light for tomorrow, and I get to be off...yipee-I-aye or yehawww for us folks in the *heartland*

We were awakened again around 0230 with crashing thunder and lightening. Only recieved a trace of rain from this storm, but we'll take any we can get, because chances are, it may not rain again until September for us. Highly unusual for us to recieve this much rain in July. So, Bren, we'll send the rain your way, via KC...LOL.

I really enjoy reading all your posts; it really does feel like it's a conversation among friends I'm just sorry to say, I don't have much to say tonight...hehe...I know, a first for me to be without words

Just wanted to pop in and say hey; gonna hit the shower, then put my feet up and get in some prime *vegetation* time

Later, girls!

Shelley

__________________
~~~~
Shelley
~~~~

Visit Kassie's Korner



Life deserves a treat now and again, but life also deserves being healthy[with required disipline] to make it worth living!

I like this ongoing conversation, too. And, more than once I have referred to "my friend in Boston", or Chicago, or OOOOOklahoma, or whatever is appropriate. Can you imagine all of us in one room......... we'd have to put our hands up so that everyone would have a chance to get their turn. (Oh my gosh, as I reverting to school teacher mode?)

For today's project, I went to school and worked on putting my room back together. During the summer they do heavy cleaning including the the carpet. I have to take everything off the desk and the tops of anything will will get moved. It always takes half a day or so to get back together. Of course it wouldn't have taken nearly as long if I hadn't stopped to chat with a couple of other people that were trying to do the same thing I was ............... get something done when no one is around. That never works. Someone is always there.

Peg, nice effort at letting go and letting DH do something. I'm sure the paint job is just fine (Read.... What you don't know won't hurt you.)

What a huge funeral.......... and didn't you say that the lady died at the end of last week? What are they waiting around for? Or, maybe it's just the custom in the south. We get them put away pretty quickly. My mom died on a Tuesday afternoon and the funeral was on Thursday afternoon. 2-3 days is pretty much the norm here unless there are some serious travel problems. DD's best friend's little brother died of an overdose last night. We are speculating that the funeral will be on Thursday. DD is 23. This is the third friend/acquaintance in less than a year, and the 2nd in a month that has died. The other two died in car accidents. It seems to be an inordinately high number to me.

Shelley, your weather is probably like ours. Usually the rain shuts off on the 1st of July and doesn't return until September. We have enjoyed the showers each morning. We've been having quite a bit of thunder, too. It probably passes you in the middle of the night and we get it around 8:00. Let me tell you, the lawn has appreciated the gift.

Bren, I like the latest project. How do you find time to do the knitting? I don't think I can make myself sit still that long. Knitting was never my thing. I would rather crochet. You can see progress quicker.

Ilse, good luck getting buyers in at the new price. Your reasoning sounds solid. Our housing market is such that there is some haggling, even though prices have appreciated. We have lived in our house for 30 years. For the first few years it was owned by our company. In 1984 we bought it from the company. It has probably doubled in value since then............ I should sell it and take the profit! No, silly me, then I would have to buy something else. This one is paid for. "That's a good thing"

Barb and Alida

Teel, can't wait to hear how the move went. Hope you find the computer soon.

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

Note to Peg: I said that very phrase this morning. There was a front page article about the UCC governing board approving same sex marriages. Local churches had discretion to make their own decision. I was telling DH that you were a UCC minister. We had to have a little lesson about UCC being different than the "Churches of Christ" that we have here. They are extremely conservative. We decided that the letters to the editor are going to start flying and that the extreme conservatives will soon be letting everyone know that there is a difference.

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