Same here!

I'm sorry to hear of deaths of so many young people your DD knows. It does seem like too many, Judy.

Gosh, hard to grasp that you are preparing for next year already. I know you want everything done before the wedding/vacation, so it's great you are so organized.

When everyone else is tucked in bed, I knit. Actually, I read or knit or both from about 9-10pm to midnight or later, sometimes much later. Having insomnia has its advantages I like crochet, too, but am finding knitting to be a very satisfying challenge. Speed isn't an issue for me; my instructor says there are process knitters and product knitters. I'm a process knitter.

Hey Shell! Glad you had an easier day and a day off tomorrow, too, woohoo. Certainly ok not to be chatty on any given day. We all have those .

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

Good morning everyone!

Barb, Western Chandelier was going to be my next suggestion! Your Fourth sounded just like the old-fashioned kind we used to have as kids! For you Chicagoland people . . . my uncle was a member of the Isaac Walton League in Dolton. Every 4th we'd be there . . . my cousin and I . . . swimming hole, parade, fireworks. What lovely memories. Carefree and fun.

Ilse, how I wish we had an Ikea in KC! I have a catalog and have my eye on some bookshelves. May have to take a trip to Chicago to check out the store! And it sounds like lowering the price may be the way to go. I do hope an pray for a speedy sale for you! I'll join your club . . . I am up a few pounds, too.

Bren, LOL about rain gauges being a guy thing. Whenever I ask my husband how much it rained, he has to go into a long spiel about what percentage we are up or down for the month.

I had to laugh at Peg's comment about what the heck your new knit project is! That's the bottom of a tank top? How THIN are you?! Looks like something for a baby . . . . I do love the colors.

Shel, you don't have to say much! Just glad to see your smiling face!

Peg, wow. 400 to 500 people for a funeral? Lotta directing on your part. I'm hard pressed to think of 25 people who would attend my funeral, lol. And only 4 more sermons left? Time is flying by. You do seem to have switched gears a little from being sad about leaving to being excited about your move to SoCal. That's A Good Thing! BTW . . . have you mentioned selling your place? It just dawned on me that you are moving and buying a place in SoCal . . . but I don't remember your talking about selling. I may have missed something.

As for husbands and painting . . . congrats that your DH's porch paint job passed your inspection! Mine has volunteered to finish our outside front trim. I shudder . . . .

WooHoo! That Women's Club Reunion sounds like sooooo much fun! Have a blast!

TB: Where are you? Afloat in packing materials? Hope all went well!

Judy, you are really organized. Getting your classroom together so early! I have to agree with all of you . . . you all have become dear friends! My best friend lives in Chicago and is struggling to get her dissertation done. She's up against a wall because it has to be done by next Spring or all her hard work is for nought. So far, we have missed two get-togethers we usually have.

Sorry to hear about your DD losing another friend. You're right. Three in a year DOES sound inordinately high. And a paid-for-house? Most definitely A Good Thing.

Back to the old grind today. Starting a large tint job which will finish on Friday. In between, tomorrow, I'll do three small jobs myself. I don't have my assistant on Thursday and I usually take the day off. But we have so much small niggly stuff I decided to dive in and do some of the small jobs myself and save on the labor wages.

Donna & Kim: HI!!

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

Me too!!! Then my friend at work said, "Man, how do you know all these people all over the place?" I just smile and say..."oh, I get around."

I slept in until 0600! What a treat. Then being a tad lazy this morning, I've had 2 mugs of coffee while I perused a few sites online.

Judy, you ARE so organized! Good for you on getting the classroom ready.
You better NOT even think of anything else while you are on your roadtrip/wedding gig! Enjoy your time off, lady...that's mandatory!

Peg, cool on your upcoming trip and reunion! Same mandatory rule applies to you too...ENJOY!!! And, wow...just 4 more sermons...you really are nearing the *countdown* mode! I think when the day comes that I'm that close to retirement, I'll be doing cartwheels...LOL! Good for you!

Bren, I know what you mean on getting everyone tucked in and then grabbing that *me* time at the end of the day. When our daughter was little, I soooo looked forward to that each evening. I used to really be a *night owl* myself, but when I started working day shift, things changed. Now I think my most productive time is the early am, well, except for today...LOL...and nothing has been accomplished so far this morning except getting my coffee quota for the day

Alida, sounds like you are in high gear again with a busy week ahead for you.
I may have missed this discussion if ever there was one, but, do you take vitamins/supplements? You just always seem to be so full of energy; want to share your secret??? I know losing weight will definitely energize the body, and I am beginning to tell a difference in my own levels, but I still must say, on some of our busy days, I come home and just want to collapse on the sofa, but girl you are like the *energizer bunny*, you keep going, and going, and going...

Ilse, I'll add to everyone elses wishes for a quick sale with your lower asking price. We kind of went through the same thing when our new house was being built. We had a buyer for our old house, but they went VA and everything seemed to be going good, then just a day before we were supposed to close, a big VA *snaffu* occurred, and the deal came to a screeching halt! Panic on our part also, because we were due to close on our new house the day after closing with the buyers. Long story short, the real estate agent was like a bulldog and was able to track down the snaffu, and he actually drove to the town about 150 miles away and personally picked up the right paperwork, and the deal went through only 3 days late, which in our book, later was better than not at all! Whewww....close call on that one!

Donna, how are you doing? What's the latest on your party plans? That will be this upcoming weekend, right? Hope everything goes well for you, and also hope your weather will be picture perfect.

Barb, it sounds like you had a good ole' fashioned 4th of July...what fun! I can remember as a child, it was such a big treat to get sparklers and roman candles. My cousins and I could hardly wait until dark so we could *perform* with our sparklers. Then the grownups would do the other fireworks. The small little country town where I grew up did not have any organized kind of celebration...and fireworks WERE legal inside the city limits; as unlike it is now.
So, fireworks, homemade ice cream and mosquitos are all fond childhood memories for the most part...well, except for the mosquito bites

Teel...hope your *nesting* is going well. You are missed.

alrighty, girls...have a good one!
TTYL...

Shell

__________________
~~~~
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!

Shelley, my daughter lives in fear of things like that happening. She just moved to a "closer" position for a BIG mortgage lending firm. Her previous position was to set up the processing. Heads roll at her place if "snaffus" happen.

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

Wow!

How great to "see" you guys this morning. Well, it is still morning for another 15 minutes! I was 2 and a half hours on the Mass Pike this morning!! Bumper to bumper traffic for some reason. Probably an accident farther up. But, I came 30 miles in that traffic. (Going East toward Boston. You probably have heard that Boston traffic is legendary for being so bad )

Yup! Me too! But, because I've moved so much no one comments about how far apart we all are.

I second that emotion! As the Vice President of the Procrastinators Club (Brenda is the President), I would wait until the day before school started ~ or even the evening before. I do understand your need, though, to get it done before you leave for the wedding. It sounds like school starts early for you folks. We don't start until after Labor Day. Of course, with snow days, the kids didn't get out this year until June 20th!

Brenda: OH! a V-necked top!!!! OH!! I'm still trying to figure out in my "Knitting for Dummies" book how to increase and decrease. I have this pattern for a vest that I told you about already. I keep picking it up and reading the pattern and then being very sure that I don't know how to decrease. So, back to the dumb prayer shawl.

I used to be a night person. But then I married this guy who wants to go to bed at 10:00. He wants me to go to bed with him. So, I do and then read until midnight. He gets up at 6:00, but I often sleep until 7:00. I would sleep later if he would. He is an elephant in the house, so it is pretty hard to sleep when he is up. The kitchen is right outside our bedroom, and he likes to empty the dishwasher while cooking bkfst. (I know. I know. I shouldn't complain) I DO SO appreciate his willingness to take on these tasks, but I would like to sleep a little later.

Shel: Glad you are getting a day off. Take your own advice and rest today. You work SO hard. I don't think I could work on my feet all day. But, then, my b*** shows that I sit on it all day!

Alida: i know what you mean about niggling tasks. I did that last week when I took a lot of my junk home from the church. We also packed up the last of the "cardboard boxes" from the Bad room and put them in the plastic containers that I had bought. The Bad room looks pretty good, even though there are plastic containers stacked to the ceiling.

You are right about the funeral. The regular organist is in Italy, so we have a sub who is here practicing right now. So far I haven't heard anything that impresses me. Yikes! She talks Bach and Mendelssohn, but can she play them?? Yikes! Many times with organists, they DO talk a good game. Whether they can deliver is always a question.
I suspect there would be at least 50 Alida. LOL Probably that lady who was sure that you scratched her window would be in the front row crying her eyes out. She would be saying, "Oh........I knew her well..........she was such a craftsperson..........she insisted on coming out to my home and doing the whole job over again (Sob!), just because she wanted to get it perfect." Um hmm..........I've seen it all, girlfriend! Then of course all of us would be there. Hmmmm. Macabre thought.........I bet you know where I went with that "virtual" thought.

Well, back to work, such as it is. Judy: You have inspired me. I think I will plan my last four sermons.

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

It's been a few days since I've posted so Hi everyone. I've been so busy trying to get the yard in shape for the party. Shell, no the party is next weekend. Thank goodness. I've found out that there will be 20 people coming. Nice round number. Only 8 vegetarians and 1 lone low carber (me). Last night I started ripping out black eyed susans from the garden. There were so many they were starting to lay down on the grass and I hate that. I like things orderly even in my gardens. lol

I had the most wonderful news and of course the first ones I thought of sharing it with was all of you. My son and daughter in law are not moving to Alberta now. Yippee. Now I get to see my grandkids grow up. ds isn't too happy, he really wanted to go and start his own business, but his wife clued him in as to the fact that family is more important. I knew there was something about her that I liked. lol

Also, I got an e-mail from my brothers girlfriend that they are getting married Aug.1st. It wasn't an invitation...I'm not invited. They've decided only her parents and kids are invited. It will be the 3rd time for him. I doubt he'll ever get it right. He's got a real wicked temper. I was hurt at first, and just about fired off a real snotty e-mail, but thought better of it. Now today, I'm just going to send them congrats and leave it at that. He's never been a family type person and now that my dad is gone, I doubt that I'll ever see my brother again. So sad.

Funerals.....I'm sure the whole ballteam would be at mine, with a beer in their hands while they sing take me out to the ballgame.

Still haven't received our passports. I got a call from the passport office last night that hubby forgot to fill in my eye colour, hair colour, height and weight. You know, all the silly little things? I was hoping to head to the states for shopping this weekend. That's not going to happen now. I knew I should have filled out my own. Just as much my fault as his I guess.

I've got to cut this short, it's just about lunchtime and time for the furgirls to have a pee break. It just doesn't seem like a good start to my day if I don't get to come in here and read everyone's post and add a little myself. So nice to have friends!!

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

LOL, Peg, you do and I'll have to demote you from Vice President of the Procrastinators Club that is, when I get around to it.....

Back later to say hi to everyone!

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

Brenda: Yeah..........well..............I thought better of it. I surfed the web all afternoon instead. Oh well. Then I spent three hours on the Mass Pike getting home. This morning the West bound side (the side I drive HOME on) was speeding right along and I was in stop and go for 2 hours. Then tonight, the EAST bound side was speeding right along and I was in stop and go for two hours. Ya know what?? I'm not going to miss this commute!! It's 40 minutes when there is no traffic. (Spoken like a So. Californian where we measure distance by time and not miles!)

Found a really snazzy place for Nancy and I to stay in Santa Monica when I go out to SoCa on the 26th. We're going to take the weekend starting the 29th and stay at the beach!! I can hardly sit still I am so excited. I booked us into the Fairmont Miramar Hotel. Go online and look at it. Whooppee!! I'll have to stop this HIGH living when I retire, but I'm going to enjoy it until then!

I've gotten addicted to a game called Jawbreakers on my Dell Axim. Sheesh! I just can't stop playing the silly thing. DH is getting a little frustrated with me for playing it all evening. Oh well. (Or as my DD would say, "Whatever!")

Ta ta for now TTFN
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 Peg...
I hope you plan a shopping trip to the Santa Monica Promenade while you are in SM. There is a boutique called L'Occitane; French soaps, perfumes, and skin care....just deeeevine stuff! My friend got me hooked on the L'Occitane products(she's an aesthetician) several years ago.
I love the Mimosa and Green Tea scents, for the body and the home.
Anyhoo...a very neat place to go; DD took me there when I went to visit last September Being from So Calif though, you prolly already know all this...LOL.
Have fun!

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!

Hi ya!

Today, I went swimming, drove my dog to my DD's house, went to the pre-drywall meeting with my DH )after driving around Oswego and Yorkville, trying to figure out where the elementary school my grandson would go to (I almost found it, I didn"t have time to turn down a side street) At the pre-drywall meeting, we discovered the laundry tub was slated to be in the wrong place. So, they will leave the plumbing rough-in in the wrong place and will also put it in the basement, where I wanted it.

Afterward, I picked up my grandson from his pre-school (he has 2 more days left). I spent the rest of the day at my DD's watching the grandkids while she packed and later painted.)

While we were out, someone showed the house. Just as I was heading out to get food for dinner, we got a call that someone wanted to show the house. I drove back home, sans food. We headed out to have dinner. The dog sat in the back seat and waited for us. We ate at a place that is pretty quiet and we can look out to the car easily. It's a fast food place. We got back to our house while there were still people in the house. My DH was angry that the back patio door had been left wide open when the people left the house. Forturnately, we were heading in just after they were heading out. I let our realtor know about the open door issue, however.

Tomorrow, I will head to my DD's as soon as I am done with swimming. Hopefully, more people will want to see the house.

__________________
Ilse

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

Hi Everyone....

Today seemed to be busy with projects and yard work and such, but it doesn't seem like anything of note got accomplished unless you want to know all about my sparkly clean bathrooms Truly, I must have the most boring life of any of you. However, my inner life always seems to be full of interesting currents blowing this way and that. The mind can be a fascinating place to inhabit.....


Alida, I don't think the knit shell is as small as it looks; at least I hope not!

Hope you got a good start on your big job, and can whack away at the niggly ones tomorrow.

Shell, imagine you had a lovely day off! Good for you for.....sleeping late????? 0600 is late?????? LOLOL! I wish I could switch my bio clock like you did, but even after 20 some odd years of getting up at 5:30, I never got used to it.

Peg, my DH is a morning person, too, but he is nice about being quiet and letting me go back to sleep after he gets up. He even takes the furgirls out for their first run, gives them a cookie, then sends them back to curl up with me. (Of course they have to slurp me silly and report on their morning adventure before doing so.) In return, like you I go to bed (generally) when DH does, but that's when I read, knit, or tippyto to the pc, like now....shhhhh! Perhaps your mutual retirement will offer the opportunity to renegotiage such things as dishwasher emptying before the birds are awake

Donna, ok, now it sounds like your party is going to go just fine! Frankly, though, I'm rather amazed at the ratio of vegetarians to total guests. I do know quite a few vegetarians, but I guess I've never thought about having so many at one party. Thank goodness for veggie burgers, huh?

Bummer on the passports!!!! I know you are disappointed!

Oh, that is so sad about your brother. I do know it happens and you make the best of it, but still it's a sad decision on his part to go his own way.....At least the good news is that you will have your son and his family close, and I do know how much that must mean to you. I really believe you and your DH are very important in the lives of your grandchildren.

Judy, Barb, Ilse and everyone out there, I'd better slip back to the knitting/reading ........see you all tomorrow

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

Good morning!

I got up a little later today and have lots to do before I head out. I also had to take lots of time tending to some e-mails. I am in charge of our Rome Alumni e-mail list. So it's up to me to send e-mails to our class about upcoming events, etc. I also put together our Alumni web site. SO . . . I forward an e-mail from Loyola about a reunion in Rome next year to our class. A lot of people didn't read it completely, so they are sending responses to me instead of Loyola. Sigh. Have to tell them all to contact Loyola and not me. One GUY even asked me to delete one of his pictures from our site. Says he's looks ugly. That little task will probably take close to half an hour by the time the whole site uploads.

Sorry I can't respond to all of you . . . quickly . . . Shelley, NO! I am not the Energizer Bunny! Why do you think I fall asleep on the sofa at 7:30, lol!

Have to cut some film this AM because I PROCRASTINATED yesterday! (Can I be Secretary of the Procrastinator's Club?)

XXOO

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

Hi All

Decided not to go in to work today. There is literally NOTHING to do there. Tomorrow is the BIG funeral. It's supposed to pour. The remnants of CINDY are blowing through tomorrow. Today, it's in the low 60's. It poured yesterday too. Good for the plants and the fish. The SP (you know, the one I'm interiming for?) will get back from vacation today and probably do over everything that I have done to prepare for the funeral. He is a micromanager. I learned long ago to let go when the volunteers are in charge. If they fail to do their jobs it reflects badly on them, not on me. It's called "self differentiation" in clergy parlance. (Probably in other "parlances" too )

Alida: Yeah, you can be the secretary of the procrastinators club, but you are going to have to try to procrastinate a little more....when you get around to it. Of course, we won't have minutes or anything........MUCH too organized for us procrastinators.

Brenda: I agree that late night is a good time to DO quiet stuff. I try not to knit when it's quiet though. I found that I get MUCH too introspective in the quiet. Pretty soon I've thought up whole scenarios with someone that never has and never will exist. I agree that living in the mind can be fun. (I do a lot of that with my commute), but it can be scary too. I've been dreaming some pretty intense dreams the last two days. Usually that is a sign that something is cooking in there. I suspect that it has to do with my leaving the church and retiring. DH asked me last night what I'm going to do in retirement and i had a list as long as my arm. He confessed that he is having "a little trouble" adjusting. WOW! Duh! This is a man with no hobbies; no friends; no LIFE other than the ministry which he did for 47 years. I'm TRYING REAL HARD not to rescue him. I did suggest that he learn Microsoft Streets and Trips (I loaded it on our laptop preparatory to our across the country trip in November) and start planning our trip. He said that he tried it but got frustrated. I said that I would help him today.

I promised a friend that I would take care of her cats while she is on vacation. It involves a trip to her house, which is on the other side of town (30 minutes from me) and then all the attendant tasks involved in cat care when I get there. I should have gone yesterday, but that commute just wiped me out. So, I'll go this morning. I usually say no to these requests, but someone she caught me in a weak moment. More to it.........I'll explain later.

Shel: Glad to see your perky face this morning. Have a good day, ya hear?

Judy: Gosh it was so good to read your long post yesterday. I bet you are getting excited about going to the wedding. It's getting close, I know. When do you leave?

Well...................................I have to confess. For some reason I ate like a wild woman yesterday. High carb foods with NO nutritional value all afternoon. Even made a drive through McD's for absolutely forbidden food. Let me float this by you and you tell me what you think. Night before last I was reading through someone else's journal on this Forum and she listed all the foods that she had eaten and her struggle with losing because she couldn't stay away from these foods. For some reason, I took that as a very sorry excuse to let down my guard and eat all the BAD foods. Isn't that just the most stupid thing you have ever heard??? I LOVE goddess's great reasons for staying on this WOL and skipping all the excuses I give myself to eat badly. I've thought of having them tatooed on my forehead, but it would actually take up my whole face! Yaknow......I've been doing this for two and a half years! Why would I just grab everything in sight?? Today I feel like a cow! I have incredible carb bloat. I'll push the water. I started to do that last night. Lots going in. Not much coming out yet. And, I have the stupid carb cravings now. Damn. Goddess has lost over one hundred pounds in two years!!!! I've lost between 20 and 30 depending on how I eat. I need to lose at least another ten. It's been that way for a YEAR!! What wrong? Why do I do this? Let me have it sisters........

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: I sure wish I had the answers for you as to why you're overeating. I've also been following Goddess' progress and she's amazing. I think it has to do with it just being the "right time". I've struggled with being overweight since I was about 10 and that's a lot of moons ago. I've lost over 60 lbs. twice and gained it back both times. This time it seems right for me. I don't cheat....period. But, I do have days when I overeat on low carb stuff. I do eat Atkins bars, and Ross' chocolate every day which I know is a no no. But, I've reached my goal with just about 90 lbs. lost this time, so I think I can have my little treats as long as I don't go overboard. That's why I weigh myself everyday. Another no-no. I think once you get to the point where you've really had it, then everything will click and the overeating will stop. Just my opinion. The last 10 lbs. is always the hardest to lose, we all know that.

I was so tired last night. Had a mamogram after work and then headed home and cut the grass, made dinner, walked the dogs and then watched Canadian Idol. I was really ready for bed. Once I hit the pillow all I could think about was the stupid menu for this party. The husband of the lady we are having it for is the pickiest eater in the world. Now he says he won't eat eggs so he won't have potato salad. I'm getting to the point where I don't care if he eats or not. Why did I ever get myself into this? I still have all my floors to wash and wax and the carpets to clean and now I'm stressing about the meal. Then I started thinking about all these people coming into my house that I've never met before and what my poor dogs are going to do. So, there went any idea of sleep. I'm going to be dragging my a$$ today, that's for sure....and it's invoice day again. Great!

On the good side, I've finally finished the yard. And, it does look good if I say so myself. It would be nice if a few more lillies would bloom or if my blazing stars would show their purple heads. Just found out my grandkids are coming for another visit on the 14th....2 days before the party. Remember the cat food all through the gardens the last time they visited? Hmmm...maybe I'd better have a chat with my ds before they come. I'd cry if they ruined all my good work.

Better get to work here. Boss has been on my back all week, so I'd better look like I can earn my pay. Have a great day all!!

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

Peg, don't understimate the role of stress in overeating. You're under plenty of it now, and things pile on. Now that your little binge is done, you can put it behind you. But are there some everyday strategies that will help you feel "un-deprived" in order to head off future splurges? Can you plan for a treat food once a week--or even once a day--that will satisfy the urge, but not make you lose it like a "wild woman"?

When you get resettled in retirement, you can map out a new program and go for it full-time. For now, maybe you should relax and not count anything.

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


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