Penpal match? Just turned 50, want to lose 75!

[sleepysue07]

The vet told us that cats are "self regulating eaters". We have tried lo cal food with Baxter and he threw up all the time. I have tried limiting his intake to half a cup per day and he follows me around all day crying incessantly eventually wearing me down. When fed to his satisfaction he is the epitome of "fat and happy." I love the name you chose for yours. It looks as though we are both fans of "Cats" as our own Grizabela passed away last year.

[PsychoLoser]

Cats and dogs can certainly get close to our hearts and be like family members, can't they? All this talk about cats reminds me of a 10 year old tiger cat we had to put to sleep last year-- it was the only time EVER I have seen my husband cry. He is a tough guy and it was quite a moment to see how much that bug guy loved our cat. Sometimes I think that our pets bring out the best in us as people.

Today has been a good food day. I commute 75 miles (each way) on Fridays to a treatment facility where I do consultant work-- I usually don't eat all day then grab the easiest and fastest food when I get home-- today I had a good lunch prepared then cooked a healthy meal when I got home. Better eating requires us to plan our meals, which requires disclipline. I'm working on it.... I'm still in ketosis, but not ready to get on the scales

Sue, stained glass is a fun craft to learn because you can make beautiful things. You sound like a very active person with a lot of different types of interests. In my area, The red hat ladies can be seen having lunch and dinner around town. They certainly look like they are having a good time! I was just thinking of a reference you made in an earlier email to the old woman who wore purple... was that woman someone you knew?? I love that poem and have often read it to a patient to make the point of not being afraid of living your life today rather than postponing your happiness to a future date.

Leslie & Carolyn, I can't believe how you are losing! The first time I did Atkins, I lost fast and it was easier to be motivated, but this time it feels like a sloooowww grind. I have to stay focused and writing to you all helps me. It helps me each night to reflect on the day and know that you all are working towards the same goals. There is no one else in my life that understands low carb eating as a way of life-- I'm thankful for you three.

Before I lost the first 60, my doctor told me I was borderline diabetic, I had a choestrol level of 260, and I suffered from nightly heartburn. Since the weight loss-- everything is better. No problems now with blood sugar and my cholestrol is below 200! And not a single episode of heartburn. In addition I dropped from a size 22 to a 14/16. I have a whole new wardrobe! I need to remind myself of the rewards I am already enjoying.....

Well girls, I am going to chill out in front of the TV and watch a movie.... Have a great weekend !
Sherry

[sleepysue07]

I am so happy this morning because I tried on a pair of jeans that I wore about 3 years ago and they fit! This means that I have gone down two sizes so far. I am wearing them now and they are comfortable even as I sit. This feels great and it's certainly more satisfying than any food that I have given up.

Have a great weekend girls,

Carolyn:

[Dreamcometru]

Well its 22 degrees outside. Brrr. I walked the golf course with a couple of friends this morning. Although not windy my face sure got cold. We meet again at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow.

We worked all day in the house. We got new furniture. But unfortunately only one couch arrived today. We hauled the old stuff off to the dump and cleaned out the garage. Took down the Christmas lights. Vacuumed everywhere. I need to go clean my kitchen now. Ugh.

Carolyn: Aint it great!! Contrats on your smaller size. It's such a great feeling. The low carbing it is worth it. It's still hard for me to go to the store, but I'm finding it little easier to resist the goodies and buy the right foods now. You said your cat threw up the low cal food. My cat loved it but he does have a very sensitive stomach. Yuck. We can't feed him anything but his regular food. Sometimes the bags have a free can of food in them. I give it to the stray that hangs around because Misty's stomach can't handle it.

Sherry: How long did it take to lose your first 60? I've never lost that much before. I'm going for it though. I, too, am concerned with high cholesterol. I just had a round of tests. My cholestrol is down by one from 210 to 209, that's over a 2 month period. My tryglicerides (oh gosh, I cant spell that) took a nose dive but my glucose serum went up from 85 to 96. What's weird is I'm not eating any sugar. My Dr. didn't seemed concerned since it is still considered borderline high. I guess anything below 100 is okay. So did your cholesterol go down further the longer you low carbed it? What about your blood sugar? I think I expected a bigger change when it came to the cholesterol, but how could there be with the types of food we are eating. Hang in there on the weight loss. It will come soon. I get really bummed when I don't see a change for a week or two because it makes me thinkg I restricted my food intake for nothing. It is such a slow battle. I'm in it for the long haul. Look at it this way though. Think of yourself a year from now. The reason I say that is we were all saying when Christmas arrived that it seemed like we had just done Christmas and here we are again. The year flew by.

How's it going Sue: Natatorium. Now that's a great name. Here they are called community centers. We also face the "club" situation. Swim club, soccer club, volly ball club, water polo club. The problem is all the club participants get priority over those who don't do club sports at the high school level. Your varsity teams are made of those who participate in club sports. Oh well, I guess I'm guilty, there isn't a music club, but my son takes private music lessons and's that certainly has given him an edge. My daughter played club softball and that helped her during her first (but only) year playing high school softball.

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone.

Leslie

[PsychoLoser]

Leslie,
WOAH it is so cold where you are!! I hate to say this but it was 70 degrees here today. And it was a fabulous beach day. I saw an earlier post about being stumped by snacks... I find this very challenging without getting totally bored by the same ole stuff to snack on. I eat pepperoni & cheese everyday, and other ideas are: oven toasted pepperoni (they come out like crackers that you can use for dipping), oven toasted spoonfuls of asiago & paremsean cheese (also like crackers for dipping), crab dip with celery, deviled eggs, sugar-free jello cups, tuna salad or chicken salad in celery or lettuce wraps, almonds (be careful with amount), guacomole dip, french onion dip, salsa...
By the way the scrapbook for your daughter is such a heart-felt gift. I think it's a fitting momento for the milestone in her life where she is passing from being a young woman/daughter to having a husband. I made a similar gift for my daughter when she graduated from college-- I made a quilt out of all the favorite t-shirts she collected (places she had been, schools she attended, & teams she played on).

Carolyn, I am so happy for you to be in those old jeans. Jeans are so hard to fit and it is a wonderful feeling to reach that goal. You're the incredible shrinking woman of the group right now.

When I lost 60 lbs it took about 10 months (Leslie, I weighed about what you weigh now). It went by very fast because I enjoyed all the low carb foods and I was never hungry. I stayed mostly in induction and around 20 carbs daily. Then I stalled for a long time after that. I think I needed to reduce my carb intake as I weighed less but didn't do it. Another possibility for my stall may have to do with a medication I have to take (HZTZ). Atkins says it is a problem for some people... but I really can't go off of it. I went off low carb the last week of Dec -- only for 1 week-- and gained 7 pounds! I didn't overeat, but I think my body can't handle sugar (even in moderate amounts). It was suggested to me that I give my body a vacation from the LCL. But the small weight loss freaked me out totally. I went back on immediately and have lost those pounds, so I am back to where I've been for about 1 1/2 years. I am ready to lose the rest of the weight though and am gradually reducing my daily carbs to less than 20 .

How many carbs are you all eating a day??

The scale is not my friend because I get discouraged easily. At this point in my journey, I am only going to weigh rarely and only when I notice my clothes fitting differently.

How are you doing Sue?? Are you still motivated?

Will check in later ladies, Sherry

[Suji]

I'm here!
It's one of those *sniff* weekends, since today is my #2 son's last day of vacation. He'll be spending 5 hours of it driving back to VaTech. I was a bit worried about him since he only had 2 hours of sleep yesterday--went to help a friend by driving to PA to get a car AND do a bunch of work on it for the guy too who is described as undermuscled by comparison. SO not only sleep deprived, but sore from working on someone else's car.

Drove south to my sister's yesterday so Son #3 could have his first day of practice at fencing. I wasn't there, but it was amusing to watch my Hungarian brother in law describe the class with the attendant motions. If we ask the boys we get responses like, "I don't know. I guess. Shrug. Maybe." The masters of the non-commital! I don't know why these 2 boys are so loathe to communicate anything descriptively.
That sore throat has mutated into an modest upper respiratory congestion that annoys me into morning wakefulness. Doesn't bother me the rest of the day, but on weekends when I'd rather not get up at Oh Dark Hundred, then cough cough cough.

Looks like DH is up to make the Sunday coffee--I hope. We are going to go out to the farm Sundays instead of on Saturdays for a while since I seem to be developing "happenings" which I will be attending that day. I have a new light for the kitchen to replace ye olde wagon wheel light from the 70's currently hanging in there. I also plan to cover some holes made in the plaster wall to install new outlets. That should be fun (Not!). It's time to be ordering fruit bushes and trees from the nurseries and select which neato things I'll be growing from seed this year. (I love doing that!)

Sis and I attended an in home working group of lacemakers yesterday and boy howdy! do they want us to join! I don't know if any of you know a thing about bobbin lace, but you sure can make intricate lace with just two hand movements with thread CROSS and TWIST. They had some exquisite items they were making from lace that could be sewn onto clothing to lace intended for display. Our 90 year old hostess has been doing lace for most of her life. Everyone was very friendly and sat us down to try our hands at the most basic types on specially made pillows with pins to hold each row. WE each made basically "bookmarks" that looked really cool. So, we were sent home with practice items to meet in a month with homework to show for our efforts.

Next weekend is my trip to Landis Farm Museum to meet up with the Backyard Fruit Growers, hear lectures, etc. I was hoping Mom would come, but she can't fly yet until her back is better (degenerative disk problem suddenly became an issue last week).

I have not been doing any cheats EXCEPT that my sis served coffee with milk in it instead of cream, so there's some carbs there. I am finding that I retain water easily and fall to the lowest levels of ketosis (trace) without even doing anything obvious that would knock it that direction. I have no idea what my weigh in tomorrow will show but I hope it's something since I had nada last week. I am eating 20 carbs or less daily. If tomorrow's weight loss is again negligible, I will have to consider the no coffee approach. Still bad on exercise, but I just don't have any extra energy to spare this week.

Talk to you later!

Suji

[PsychoLoser]

Sue,
Sounds like you stay busy. It's cool that your are planting fruit trees from seed. I have had some fruit trees and know that they take a lot of work, espcially when the fruit becomes ripe (apples, figs, plums). The lace making also seems interesting. I have friends who do that and its amazing what they can make!

Also sounds like you are gradually redecorating your kitchen-- we rennovated our kitchen last summer. In fact, we were in the middle of it when my husband was deployed to Katrina-- I had no working sink or stove for 6 weeks!! because we were doing most of the work ourselves. What a headache it was.

My daughter and husband have an upper respiratory infection as well. They are on antibiotics and decongestants. I think I am coming down with it too--scratchy throat and runny nose. Damn. I really can't miss work.

I know how it feels to be at the end of semester break with your son from college. It's sad to send them off again, isn't it??

I've had the same experience with ketosis-- light and dark changes for no apparent reason. Maybe water intake dilutes urine and that affects the detection of ketones?? I also read that protein intake can alter test results. I still take the ketosis test to stay motivated.

Good luck on your low carbing efforts and on your weigh in tomorrow.
Sherry

[Suji]

Hi Sherry,

I haven't done my weigh in yet--still having coffee. I'm praying for some positive change today!!
I'm not growing the trees from seed (grin), I'll buy saplings and bushes. It's veggies and flowers from seed.
My home kitchen is very 50's looking, my farm kitchen is kind of a 20's look meets 1800's meets kitsch--mostly due to my free standing cabinets that I had collected and were just sitting in the attic. I put them to use. I have tin signs on the walls for "atmosphere". Heck, its my "cottage" so I can just please my self!! :-)

I'll check in again later with results of weigh in (shudder).

[sleepysue07]

Well it's really cold here this morning. We woke up before dawn to discover that there was about 1" of ice on the ground and now telephone or electricity. Fortunately the power came back on about an hour ago, but the phones are still out. My husband's office will be closed today (Texans cannot drive on ice-not enough experience) so he will be hosting his own private John Wayne film festival from his recliner most of the day.

I gained two pounds yesterday! I don't know what I did. I kept to 20 carbs and didn't have anything forbidden. So I am at a loss. My sister-in-law has joined a gym and has given me her entire collection of Walk Away The Pounds videos, and several from "The Firm". I will pop one of those in today and give it a try after the treadmill, maybe I can send those two pounds back where they came from.

Sue, I am so intrigued by your lacemaking venture. I have never seen anyone making lace this way. When you mentioned bobbins I assumed they were using a sewing machine. Is this correct? My grandmother would crochet very fine lace, but I never knew her to use a machine.

I cannot wait to start landscaping the new place. DH and I are planning to put in a bunch of new trees, shrubs, and plants. He has to make a trip to the county seat on Wednesday, and I am going with him so I can visit the Agricultural Extension office for ideas, and advice on what to do about the grasshoppers. They come through like a plague in the summer and strip the crops and all other vegitation. I know something can be done because I have seen a few lawns that remained lush and green among the barren countryside. This farm was my husband's grandmother's weekend get away and she always kept everything beautiful. The lawn, huge vegetable garden, and little orchard were gorgeous. I really want it to look like that again on the seven acre plot that we are keeping. She was also a bee-keeper. I suspect that is partly why her flowers were so beautiful. I bought myself a little John Deere garden tractor this fall, and a new weed-eater, hedge trimmers, and other tools in anticipation of the coming spring. I am afraid of bees though, so I doubt I will try that.

Sherry, I am so impressed by your 60lbs in 10 months! I can't wait until I am down to where you are now. I looking forward to having a lighter load to carry around. I feel so tired all the time from dragging around all of this weight.

Leslie, you asked about cholesterol. My BF who lost 100lbs. on Atkins said that her cholesterol dropped by 90 points by the time she had lost only 70 lbs. I worry about this too because my last cholesterol test was 268.

Take care ladies, and have a beautiful day.

Carolyn

[Dreamcometru]

Brrr. It's still cold here. I walked the golf course again yesterday and it was windy. Oh man, I thought my face got frostbite. I didn't go to the gym, but later in the day, I went to a huge mall and walked from one end to the other with my daughter, while looking for a coat for her. Carolyn - sounds like you are experiencing some of the same. Stay warm. We haven't lost power or anything though. Been there, done that. It's not fun.

Sue: I can totally relate to being sad when the kids have to leave. My oldest doesn't get home much because she works where she goes to school. My middle daughter came home this weekend. Yay, but now she's leaving again. Its just me, DH and my son at home.

Wow, lacemaking. You are so ambitious. And all of you gardeners and tree planters, wow. We need to plant new trees along the hedge of our one-quarter of an acre lot (Yes, I know, we live in suburbia). We lost about 8 arborvitae when we were required by the city to hook up to the sewer system. Our leach lines were no longer and they fed the trees.
Carolyn - I'm with you. I've gained a couple. I will know for sure tomorrow when I weigh in at my group meeting, but my home scale is usually pretty accurate. I think its because we are required to increase our carbs. I'm going to go back to where I was. I increased to around 30 per day. We are supposed to be at 35 now, but gaining at 30 per day, no way will I increase any further. I'm told to keep it the same for a couple of weeks and if I still don't lose, to decrease again. I don't want to wait two weeks. It's so discouraging. I'm usually so psyched when I lose. Although, it may be because I indulged last night and had a diet cola or really the equivalent of two diet colas. I haven't had diet soda since Christmas.

Sue, do you think caffein consumption is the culprit. I love my coffee, but I'm happy to switch to decaf if I have to.

Sherry, thanks so much for the snack tips. Oh, don't tell me about the kitchen nightmares. We added onto our house about 9 years ago. A great move by the way. Anywho, the only part of the house we didn't change was the kitchen. It's early 80's and right now, just nasty. I have throw rugs all over to cover up the missing flooring. Our cabinetry is obsolete, but functional. I never really liked the kitchen when we moved in and here it is 22 years later. We are planning to move in 3 or 4 years. Since we did the furniture thing this year, we are going for the kitchen thing next winter. Even if we have to take out a loan to do it. I might as well enjoy it for a couple of years before we move, right?

Well, I need to get to work. I got to my building this morning and NO ONE was here because of the holiday. Oh well, my office is and we've got a lot to do. Take care everyone.

Leslie

[Suji]

Well,
I checked my scale and no change AGAIN. Still 208. I read about plateaus on another website and it said to expect 4-8 of them along the journey--usually lasting less than 3 weeks stall. I checked with a ketostick and it was just a trace.

I wonder if it could be from cream (although I have been drinking coffee right along, but started with 1/2 and 1/2 before going to cream). That's why I'm not sure if it is the culprit. Maybe there is no culprit and it's some sort of physiological process. I don't know BUT I can tell you I did lose weight much faster (No stalls) than this 4 years ago on the same program.

Oh well. I'll keep on like this for another week and if there is still no change, start tweaking.

Carolyn, actually not like a sewing bobbin. Imagine a spindle shaped wooden piece. Since I am unsure if we are allowed to post websites: look at the van sciver bobbin lace website (.com)--and there are pictures of bobbins and pillows, etc. These gals we met with had gorgeous items: some could be sewn on cuffs and necklines, others would be put as a display behind glass, some as freeform pictures. The finer the thread used, the more exquisite the final product. WE were given practice pillows with a total of twelve bobbins and all you do is cross and twist and tighten across and down for each row then pin each end in place with the tiny dressmakers pins. There was also a lady who did tatting, some who do needle lace and weavers too.

Still overly warm here, but that should end tomorrow. So far, it's the winter that wasn't.

Sue

[PsychoLoser]

It was warm here again today-- the high 70s-- it was a good air-out-the-house day-- opened all the windows and it was great. However, the weather man says the temp will drop to 27 tomorrow night with a chance of snow flurries!!! This is crazy weather... maybe the effects of global warming??

Oh Sue, so sorry to hear there was no change in your numbers-- since you're been in ketosis perhaps you'll see a weight loss next week. Try not to get discouraged. Atkins literature says that you can lose inches without losing pounds. Do you feel like there has been a change in your body or clothes?? On the other hand, I've noticed that this time on low carb my weight loss has been very slow -- what do you think causes this? Maybe I'll do some research on the topic.

Carolyn, I love to work in the yard and have done quite a bit of landscaping over the years. I share your joy-- its like decorating and interior design, only outdoors! We have to work with a lot of plants that can take the heat and humidity here. Azeleas seem to thrive. I also use a lot of seagrasses. They are beautiful blowing in the breezes. My all time favorite flower is the iris and I load the yard up with them. Even though I enjoy yard work, I can't even imagine what maintaining a 7 acre plot is like You must burn some calories out there.

Leslie, what is the purpose of the study you're in?? Is it conducted by a university?? It sounds like it is about LC eating. right?? Something having to do with the carb ladder?? My carb ladder is a short thing-- I can't eat more than 20 or I gain. If I ate what you are eating, I'd pack on the pounds again. I wonder if I have thyroid problems?? Do they check thyroid function in your study?

Well, I'm geared up for another work week... I have low carb snacks ready to stash away in my desk and I brought in a case of water so that I can drink less coffee.
( Sue, have you heard of the new Splenda coffee flavorings? They come in Hazelnut, French Vanilla, and Mocha-- they all are only 1 carb per serving and they come in individual packets so you can be sure of the carb count. When I use them I don't add cream to the coffee. It's a nice change.)

Good night ladies, Sherry

[Suji]

You know, I really look forward to reading these notes from our little forum. I'm on some others too, for different reasons and they also have different "flavors".

Sherry--bearded iris? Siberian? Rebloomers? My Mom collected iris, but has seen a lot of "reversion" in some. I have a few that I got at a plant swap (Oh, do I love the GW swaps!) and from my Mom. I have thought about getting some more. Do you put them in their own bed or intersperse them with other plants? My big issue if keeping the corms from rotting in the new bed (sank down when I wasn't expecting it!) I have not yet experimented with grasses--but the picture you painted is lovely. I have one area I was thinking of doing a meadow /prairie garden out at the farm. It's fun to think about.

No, I haven't heard of the Splenda alternatives. What grocery do you typically find them in?

Leslie, I don't know if it's the caffeine. I'm mixing decaf and whole coffee beans anyhow... I'm just glad I'm not gaining back while I'm learning how to get the pounds off. Maybe I've reached one of the old "set points" too. Not having used a scale in so long, it's possible that is so...

Carolyn, landscaping is such fun but when you have a large property, even putting in a bank account breaking number of trees and shrubs looks so-so-so miniscule in the vast space! I think propagation is the name of the game then!

Well, almost time for DH to leave for the office...

Have a productive day!

Sue

[Dreamcometru]

I'm goofing at work today. We got snow to the valley floor. My DH drove me in but we are at about half staff. The wimps! Anyhow, I hope this is the end to our cold snap. It's usually a good sign. But snow clear into the city is rare. It happens about once every three to four years. Today's the day. Schools are closed, etc.

Sherry: Here you are opening your doors and windows to air out the place. I'm looking forward to those days again. I hope you guys don't get hit with too hard of a cold snap.

Sue: Did you get the ice storms they have been reporting about here on the west coast? Hey, don't worry about the weight loss. I too depend on the scale too heavily for a determination of my progress. I need to stop. I'm not down either. I won't have my group weigh in today because it will probably be cancelled due to snow. But my scale at home says I'm Not down. I'm going to hang in there though. I got spoiled with the 3 lb a week losses for a while.

Sherry: Here's the scoop on the study. It's being conducted through the local university hospital. It is a comparison between low carb and low fat diets, the effects, side effects, long term effects, etc. I'm in it for 2-1/2 years. I, obviously, got selected for the low carb study. I have been through a battery of tests including a dexa scan that shows bone density. They are concerned that low carbing it affects the bones and other areas. They do safety checks, blood tests, blood pressure, etc. every once in a while. They provide counseling and a once a week group meetings for the first six months. Then we have group meetings like once every six months so I will be on my own starting in May. I won't be at goal then, so hang in there with me guys, I need ya. Dr. visits will be conducted again at one year, six months, 18 months, etc. I just went through my first safety check which is where I got the blood sugar and cholesteral readings. It's all free which is cool and look, I'm actually losing weight! It helps to be accountable to someone. We record our carb intake and exercise minutes every day and turn them in at the group meetings for the study's data. So far, the low carbers have lost way more than the low fat people. And our safety checks have revealed reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol, triglicerides, etc. That's a good sign. Let's see what happens long term.

Well, I guess I should get to work. The snow isn't letting up. We were supposed to get a light dusting. We are at about 3 or 4 inches now in the City. I'm sure it's more at home. Take care.

Leslie

[PsychoLoser]

Well, we did get that cold front. It's so weird-- one day I have flip flops on with a tank top and the next day I'm in my Ugg boots with a sweater!! C R A Z Y!! Leslie, we rarely get snow here too. It paralyzes the roads and everything closes. I lived in Maine during my childhood and they would surely laugh at us here in Virginia Beach.

I plant bearded iris in the yard (love purple the most)-- in clumps and all around the yard. Have not had trouble with bulb rot, but find they need separting almost every year to keep them from overcrowding. But then you have more to replant elsewhere. The grasses are very cool-- drought tolerant and easy to grow. There are many varieties-- one has spiral leaves and is unique and beautiful. In the fall the plant feathers and turns amber. Its beautiful then too.

Leslie, your study seems to be replicating many other studies that show low carb diets can produce fast results in weight loss and improve blood values significantly. The testing you are getting is probably worth a lot of money plus you have good group support. (Group therapy alone is worth about $80 a session) When I turned 50 in September, I had a full series of medical tests done-- arterial blood flow, EEG, EKG, bone density, blood panels.... The results showed that I was in great health. My bone density was well above average. Even though it was nerve racking to wait for the results, it was such a piece of mind to finally know the exact status.

Sue, I always drink my coffee mixed half with decaf and half with regular. I figure that I drink a lot and so should reduce the caffine content. I serve it that way in my office as well and people seem to like it. I get my coffee via mail order-- Gevalia. The coffee flavorings are made by Splenda and come in little sugar-like packets. The mocha makes coffee smell like a cup of hot chocolate. Yum-O.

It's getting late and I gotta get to bed soon. Have a good day tomorrow ladies.

Sherry

[Suji]

Hi SHerry, Carolyn and Leslie!

What a cold morning--it was 17 degrees at 6 and had dropped to 15 by 7 am. Woo! Makes me glad to be inside! I could feel the temps drop when I took Carabeannie out for her evening "Stroll"--the wind was up off the hill and blowing down inside the sleeves of my coat in in the neck. BRRR! But, looking up the stars were out and bright and sharp as diamonds. If it hadn't been so bone-chilling, I would have stayed out and admired them for a while longer. One of the reasons I like our location is that the light pollution is still minimal.

Leslie, no ice storms at all in my area. Yesterday, as I was leaving the library, some microsnow was falling intermittantly (first sign this season)-but it didn't last. I would definitely like to see some snow!

Got a bunch on my to-do list this morning--lots of little things and a few errands. I guess the one I'm really looking forward to is ordering from the seed and plant catalogs! (grin) This weekend I'll be driving out toward Landcaster, PA to the Farm and Home Building where Back Yard Fruit Growers has its' meetings, speakers and workshops. This is where I join their group for the first time so I figure why not go to the Jan meeting. It's about 1 1/2 hours to drive there, but there isn't anything comparable in my area.
With so much to plan for the farm, I figure this is well worth my time.

SOn1 goes back to work today. I don't know if I mentioned , but the restaurant had some sort of major problem with the gas utility and everything related needed to be replaced. The restaurant shut down for an entire week as a result. So, Son1 had a vacation which he sorely needed.

Haven't heard from Son2 since his return to VaTech, but today would be his first full day of classes. He's only a few hours short of Jr status although he's only been there one semester. He tested out of many classes and had lots of APs and took additional hours his first semester. He wants to get to the "meat" and honors courses quickly and get into grad school. He's a smarty pants. :-)

Son3 is in his grousing about school phase (unfair to have so much homework). These kids don't know what homework is, I think. I can remember having it in every subject nightly but things are different now.

Well, hope everyone has a great day. I hope to get everything planned done. (I'm about 3/4 through my bookclub tome picked up another book by same author!)

[Pam in TX]

Ladies,

I just saw your thread and was wondering if I could join you? I actually couldn't stop reading and have now read the entire thing.... Seem to have so much in common with you...


I just turned 50 in September and have been eating LC for 2 years..... I have been married to my DH for 25 years.... We have 2 children DD 24 and DS 21.... I was a SAHM while the kids were growing up and went back to work about 10 years ago.... I work as a Data Analyst for the school district, so taking off for the kids school events has never been an issue....

Had a hyst in Feb and haven't lost anything since then.... Have struggled getting back into the swing of things after the surgery.... Got very comfortable with "taking it easy".... Also my accountability partner for exercise lost her momentum, so there wasn't much inspiration there.... I am a member at CURVES and have been getting back into the routine of going....

The past 3 days we have had snow and ice everywhere.... no school since Monday.... in fact most businesses were closed yesterday and today.... Temp right now is 29... 98% of the flights have been cancelled as they are running out of the deicing chemical needed.... We just aren't used to this kind of weather in Central Texas..... so aren't prepared for it....

Off to get some coffee..........

[Suji]

Hullo Pam--
Welcome! Come on in and put your feet up and join our little "kaffee klatch."

I just got back from a bracing walk up the hilly neighboring street (with my dog). I am quite pink cheeked now. Isn't it interesting how it's so cold while you're outside, but the minute you get in the house all you can think of is how quickly to peel off clothing?

I managed to get our downstairs in pretty good shape this morning--nothing like the dreadful words "I'm expecting some repair men for the printer. They said they'd either be here today or tomorrow." So, I looked in our computer room and O MI GAWD! the dust, pethair, boxes, CDs, books, paper--on and on. Of course the Kirby would need new bags and I don't have any (another errand to run)--but it looks so much better now that I've attacked it and the family room. Now there's just umpteen giant garbage bags to take out and the fake tree we set up by the bar to be hauled to the attic.

Are your kids on their own or like so many "returnees to the nest"?

I *need* an exercise partner (thinking walking). I have thought about posting on our community website which is a sister site to freecycle. But--I feel like a dork. How pathetic to have to find friends to walk with. I've been *such* a recluse.

I have heard that hysterectomies (or the associated prescriptions) are a culprit in weight gain or difficulty losing. Maybe it's an initial thing that gets better?

Tell us some more about yourself. What kind of hobbies do you have? Tell us about your town and neighborhood. What part of central TX--Austin? Nagadoches? (I prolly spelled that wrong)


Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Welcome Pam in TX. My sister lives in Weatherford TX. I wonder how they are doing cold wise. I haven't heard from her. Wow, we have a lot in common. I've been married 25 years. I have two away at college and a freshman in high school at home. You are fortunate to have been a SAHM. I have always worked full time. My kids are daycare kids. But they are no worse for it. In fact, they are all on the right track so far. It's still cold here too. The streets are still solid white from yesterday's snow. I love it though. It's a nice break from the west coast usual gray clouds for six months.

Sue: OMGosh, I had to laugh at your reaction to your computer room. I experienced the same this weekend when we were having furniture delivered. I cleaned and cleaned. Oh well, good exercise, right! I have been a recluse too. I've been so involved in my children's lives, their activities, etc. that my closer friendships have kind of gone by the wayside with a couple of exceptions. I did advertise for a walking partner. There's a website called ___________________ oops, I can't say cause I'll get in trouble. Maybe I can PM you. Anyway, I found a walking partner there. It keeps you informed of who joins the site by the area that they live. We walked all summer long before I started LC. But she had other plans and quit coming. I've had other inquiries, but haven't been able to find a convenient match. Now that I've been in the study, I've matched up with three ladies. The one I walk with at lunch and two I walk with on the weekend at the golf course. But yes, I felt pretty pathetic to have to search for a partner.

My DD2 is like your son. She qualifies now as a sophomore even though she's only been at school one term. She got a bazillion college credits out of the way in highschool. She got excellent grades and is a smarty too, TAG. She even got an academic scholarship. She does have to work hard though. DD1 is a human sponge. She has always had it easy when it comes to school. She has alwasy been the TAG kid, extremely smart. She's close to graduating with her BA. She is stuck going all four years though because one class is only open to seniors and it's for the whole year and she switched majors one year in. She actually had senior status after fall term last year, but the class she needs starts in the fall so it meant another year for her. I think that's so they can make the kids stay there a full 4 years and get more money out of us. She passed her entrance exams for grad school and hopefully will get in.

Sherry: The weather is usually so mild here that I don't take my bulbs out of the ground. In the spring and summer I get a ton of new beautiful flowers including glads, iris, lilly's and dahlias. We haven't had a cold snap last this long in quite a while, so I hope my plants survive. Especially my tulips.

Hi Carolyn.

Well, I've finished my coffee now and I need to get to work. Have a great day ladies.