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

[Suji]

Haaaay Everyone,
Sorry for the late check in!
I went out to Meadowbrook today to work on (What else) the gardens. THis time I was setting in the items that I hadn't been sure what to do with-trees mostly. Some, if they take, could be quite large later so I wanted t9o be sure I didn't put them in a bad place. I also started digging out the border on the other side of the sidewalk and putting in my pots of perennials that I started earlier in March and April. Assuming I go back tomorrow, I'll continue with that and also plant pole beans around the corn circles (Three Sisters which will include winter squash).

My lilies are absolutely gorgeous! Many bright colors (from my big box store rescues last summer). I got paid back with dividends! Guess I'll order some nice ones of the fragrant sort with the fall bulbs!
The zinnias are starting to bloom too and a couple of hummingbirds were visiting--probably my salvia garden. It sure is fun to see what comes up. On the sad side, the 100+ degree heat index fried my flower beds with the young seedlings I put in last week. I mean-dead and dried! I've never seen the like! I sowed some seed instead of putting in transplants and covered the bed over with a "cloth"-so we'll see what happens...

We have a friend of my oldest son's staying with us until Monday. I guess his GF kicked him out and all kinds of other trouble. Great.

I have 4 ducks now. One just up and let go of life. It had had a real hard "birth" and I think something was wrong with it. Three of the four are very vigorous. THe last to hatch has some issues with his legs--kind of a splay leg which may be congenital since the footing isn't slippery.

We had our first Dutch bantam hatch today! It is a soft grey chick about the size of a tablespoon! Absolutely teensy! ANother egg has pipped so perhaps it will have additional sibs.

I cam back home to find that the surveyors had indicated that our fence was off boundary line by a few inches in one place, so we had to pull it up this evening. Then I found out that the other boundary line to the south is only a foot or so away from my tiered raised beds. They are going to dig a huge bowl shape out of the hill to set these houses down lower. Our side yard is only about 20 feet wide! AUUGGGHHH! I am concerned about what may happen to our foundation in time with all this disturbance all around us. I am SO glad we bought the farm with all the acreage around it! SIGH!

Anyway, I am calming myself with a Gibson martini. :-) :-) :-)

I brought home a bag of snow peas and spinach from the farm. Didn't eat anything except breakfast and then I was starving when I got home--went for leftovers.

I hope your office transition turns out to be better than you think, Leslie (Ms Skinny!) :-) Glad to hear you are keeping on, Kayan. Hiya Pam. Carolyn--are you still reading???

Later gators!
Sue

[Pam in TX]

Morning all,

Sorry for not checking in for a couple of days..... been pretty busy around here.....

Working the extra hours really messes with my schedule.... and when I get home I am exhausted.... and still have stuff to get done....

Have stayed on plan this week and made it to exercise 4 days.....

Leslie: sounds like you are busy also.... Hope all goes well with the move.... Mt Hood is so beautiful.... love that area....

Sue: Ducks and chicks.... quite a menagerie you have going there..... Will they be at the farm or at your house? Still planting.... You you must have quite a bounty ahead..... Do you can and/or put up alot of stuff for the winter months?

Have had quite a bit of rain this past week...... chances for more today....

DH will be coming home this afternoon..... so will be making an airport run later..... His bday is Monday, so I need to go today and pick up a couple more things....

Have a great Friday everyone....

[Suji]

Hey Pam,
I was reading this mornings messages. The chicks and ducks are eventually to head to the farm. We will enjoy their youth here at home. :-)

Our garden at the farm is intended to be a production garden for freezing and canning--thus 75 tomato plants for starters! Our groundskeeper friend has become proficient at canning and between the two of us we should do OK with putting food by. I think the whole effort will become less year by year as the hard work is breaking new ground.

Have a fun weekend!
Sue

[kayan]

Morning All

Sue: 75 tomato plants. I can hardly handle a dozen. Girl!!! you have so much more energy than me.

Pam Have a nice visit with DH and happy B-day to him

Leslie. Use to have an uncle that lived in Chiloquin (?sp) Oregon. Actually he was my dad's youngest brother and he died in 1988. at age 50. Right now his widow is staying with my mother. She now lives in Fla.

Trying to catch up on the wash today, have to work the next 3 days and work has already called and they want me to stay late on Mon.

everyone have a good day and will catch you later

Kayan

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Ladies: It's good to hear from everyone:

Sue, poor duckie. It was probably for the best. It must be so exciting having the hatchlings around though. They are so cute.

All those tomato plants. My goodness. Oh and I love canned tomatoes. They are so good.

Are you down hill from the construction? That's scary if you guys get a boomer banger and a sudden dumping rain shower. They dynamics of drainage really change when new construction goes in above you.

Kayan: You work such long hours. I'm really spoiled with my 8 to 5 job. Chiloquin, Oregon. Actually I haven't been there. But it's in a beautiful part of the state. Well all of Oregon is beautiful. I have relatives that live in Florida too. We always worry about them during hurricane season, but they are far enough inland they usually aren't affected by tthe storms very much.

Pam: Sounds like you are doing great exercising. I hit the gym last night. Worked for about a half hour with the weights. I'm trying so hard to tone up my flabby arms and thighs. I'm back down to 193 today. Sure wish the scale would move some more. I got spoiled for a while.

Gotta get packing. Have a great day everyone.

[Suji]

Hi Guys--
I spent all day at the farm yesterday and got home exhausted so I didn't post. I put in herbs, scattered seeds and dug a bed for Asian black beans and melons. We had a short, swift moving rain come through leaving us hungry for more precip. Where the heck is the rain?!!! Seems like all we do is water, water, water!

The bull dozer is directly out the front of the house today skinning the hill. How the topo is changing! I keep wondering where those (darn) woodchucks on the hill are going to go with all this earth moving. Into what is left of MY yard probably.

So yesterday about 3 PM at the farm I was watering and out of the corner of my eye I note movement in the grass by the front of the house and see two baby skunks meandering nose to tail, unconcerned about my presence-- and they disappear under the front porch of the house. So cute, but UH OH!!!

Well, I have a lot of housework to do to make up for being away this weekend and yesterday so I had better get cracking. I hope you aren't suffering with the same heat and humidity that is going to seize us this week!!

Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Sue:

Good to hear from someone. Guess we are all busy bees. Skunks? OMGosh. Hope all goes well in that department.

We are having fabulous weather out here. 65-75ish and sunny. Supposed to rain over the weekend. We are in for warmer weather over the 4th. DH and DS are going camping that week. Yay, I will have some relief, although I have to work. I will use the 4th as a cleanup exercise day.

We are all moved into our new office. Still making some major adjustments. The first floor is under major construction, so it's kind of weird when clients come. I got the best office though. The most light and sun, corner windows with a western, northern exposure. It's delightful. Although smaller than most of the other offices, it's really the best. I thanked the partners for thinking of me when they put me in here.

Still weigh the same. Not dropping like I did last month. Darn. I knew it was too good to be true. I keep going back and forth between 193 and 194. Hopefully I will see a change soon. The scale flirts with 192 sometimes, but not for long.

Have a great day. Hi Pam and Kayan.

[kayan]

Morning All


Leslie: Hang in there, the scales will soon read in the 180's. You are so close.

Talk about about flab, I am the queen here. I think I have my eating under control once again, now I need to concentrate on my flab. I would love to try yoga. and searching for a real beginners class now that I have my zen room I can practice at home.

Sue: Yeah!! if your lilies are in bloom, then mine will be in a couple of weeks

Pam How was DH B-day

a friend is coming to finish up her quilt today and I work tomorrow. Then I am going with a girlfriend to visit her daughter in Providence RI for the weekend. We will leave Friday afternoon and come home Sunday. Her daughter is moving to Chicago in Aug. so this will be the last time to go down there.

everyone have a good day and will check in later

Kayan

[Pam in TX]

Morning Ladies,

What a busy and crazy week........ We had our vacation bible school at church every evening.....

Then there is the rain....... It has rained almost nonstop for days..... About an hour from here a little town got 19 inches yesterday.... 11 of those were in 3 hours.... and more is on the way..... Quite a bit of flooding around here...

DH had a good bday...... we will be doing the family getogether this Sunday evening.....

Am still doing ok with the eating and exercise..... but no weight loss.... This is really getting frustrating.... I just have to keep telling myself to hang on....

Leslie: You are really doing very well..... KUTGW

Kayan: I have always wanted to learn how to quilt...... Maybe one day..... Good luck finding a yoga class........

Sue: Skunks........... Oh my..... Lillies are such a beautiful flower..... I have some calla lillies blooming right now..... and my passion vine has really bloomed out the past week.....

Am off work until July 9th..... However, we have 2 out of town weddings this weekend. Then next week will be spent getting ready for the inlaws 50th celebration on the 7th....... Have the video almost completed, except I can't get my SIL to give me more pics of their kids.... am giving her until this weekend and then I am finishing it and just using what I have.....

Gotta run get busy...... Have a great day........

[Suji]

Hi Everyone,

I am hanging out at home this week, mostly due to the high heat and humidity. Only one room at the farm has an air conditioner and I'd rather keep it from turning into a dirt pit by running into it every little bit while I'm working!!

Overall there were 4 baby skunks and our caretaker caught all of them and relocated them on the far side of the property on the other side of the stream. We just couldn't have 4 skunks under the porch!! He says he took pictures of them coming out of the box and playing around in the water.

Today I am cleaning up the master bedroom. We have way too much stuff in there that has moved in over the last season or so. Do any of you have a sock box with unmatched socks? WHen is it time to give up that the lost souls are going to come back?! Geez!

Pam, are you having problem flooding at your house? It's such a year of extremes! The sky darkened, we had thunder and lightning and it rained for- I kid you not--30 seconds yesterday!! That is about the state of things in the mid-Atlantic. The men on the earth movers are working in clouds of dust--it's like the Okie Dust Bowl out front.

Hey to everyone else! Hope the rest of you are having a decent week!

Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Ladies:

Pam, glad you survived vacation bible school. I used to help with that every year. Of course, they would put me in a teaching position and not just a "helper" position because they couldn't get any one to do it. I have since given that up. I'm sorry you have had so much rain.

Kayan: Have a great trip to RI. I sure would love to spend some time on the east coast. I've never been. The farthest I've been is Missouri and Illinois.

Sue: I'm glad your caretaker was able to move the little kritters. Hopefully they will decide to stay where he placed them.

Funny you should mention it. We had a huge basket of unmatched socks. About a month ago, we spent an hour going through them and if we couldn't find mates, out they went. It had accumulated over several years. Now I work really hard on pairing up the socks. I try to get unique ones so its easy to find the mate. The evil dryer monster still eats one occasionally. You know, the one that disappears and you have no idea where it went.

No loss to report. Still hanging in there. Pam hopefully you and I will see a drop soon. I did measure my waist and its down an inch. Yay, it hasn't changed in such a long time, I'm glad to at least see the inch drop. I walked at lunch yesterday. Got carried away the day before and went too far. I was walking an hour and 10 minutes. Oops! I need to get acclimated to my new work surroundings and keep a closer eye on my watch. Then that night I had a fun get together with some of the ladies in my research group. We walked for an hour together. Lotta walking that day.

Gotta get crackin! Yack at ya all later.
Leslie

[kayan]

Hello everyone

Had a wonderful trip to R.I. got baack around 6:30 last evening and had to work today. Actually have to work Tuesday & Wed. long days then off the next four. Sounds like everyone is still real busy.

Isn't it amazing, I thought I was the only one with sock eating monster in my dryer. But it seems to have developed into an epidemic aacrossed the nation

Leslie: good job with the walking. I wished I had a neighbor that I could walk with

Pam have fun at all your weddings and events

Sue: Baby skunks, I wish I could say how cute but I think they are the ones that ate all my sunflowers s soon as they came up. NOT one left.
It is so dry here also. We have had no rain here in over 2 weeks. have to water the flowers daily and the garden hopefully Wed or Thur for the showers.

everyone have a good day and talk to you later

Kayan

[Suji]

Hi Kayan--
Yup-summer is keeping us all busy one way or another. I have been recuperating at home a bit since last week and this weekend's big push. Yesterday I was just dragging and so sleepy!

ANyway, I planted some broom corn for fun and now I only have a couple areas where I want to dig out a border and sow some late seeds (zinnias). That'll be it for the season other than maintenance chores and replanting areas with new seeds in the veggie garden.

The havy equipment is now right out front of the house digging. THey dug through our house sanitary line yesterday and had to replace it. I think someone made a planning boo boo since that line goes all the way to the middle of the acreage and if they dig the 2:1 slope in front of our house, the pipe will be exposed to the world. Wonder how they are going to handle that??

Kayan, the ground is so dry here and at the farm that the grass crunches underfoot. It feels as hard as concrete if you walk barefoot. I wish that system that is causing all the problems would break up and send soe more our way since the little bit we got last week was hardly gonna make a long term dent.

Skunks were relocated to the far side of the (our) property. Game warden said best thing would have been to kill them, but I just don't have that in me to take a life-especially of a baby animal.

I hope the rest of you are well!

Later!
Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Sue and Kayan:

It is really dry here too. Although it rained last week. Just enough so I didn't have to water my flowers for a day or two. The middle states need to share some of that rain, although I'm sure they would gladly send it our way if they could.

Sue, Zinnias. I love them. I need to plant my seeds to replace the panzies that are starting to look kind of bedraggled. They sure have been pretty though.

The office is still under heavy construction. It's so noisy and by the time you go home, a headache has set in. Yet we are still required to function at a normal rate. I didn't go to the gym last night because of the headache. I walked for about 20 minutes at lunch though. Hopefully I can go to the gym tonight.

DH and DS are on a fishing trip in Eastern Oregon. Haven't heard from them at all so I know they aren't bored and are having a blast. They went with some other male relatives. It's the male bonding thing ya know!.

So I have the house to myself tonight. DD1 had to go back home. DD2 is working, so it's just me! The men are expected to arrive home sometime tomorrow. Couldn't stay away long enough for me.

Have a great day.

[Pam in TX]

Hey strangers,

Sorry to have been MIA.... it has been crazy around here......

Rain, rain and more rain...... We have had close to 12 inches in the past week... and more to fall this week....

Our family reunion and inlaws anniv party scheduled for this weekend has had to be relocated because the place that we were going to have it is flooded and closed.... So have been calling around to find a new location.... Finally found one yesterday that will be able to accomodate everyone.... So will leave Friday about noon and return Sunday evening..... What a pain in the ***(I'll let you fill in the blank)..... We had to reschedule the caterer, the cake lady and today and tomorrow will be calling everyone to tell them the change and give new directions....

I have been out of town the past few days..... We had the weddings over the weekend, which were wonderful..... Then when I got back my mom called to say that my sister is back in the hospital.... So I went up there for a couple of days and came back yesterday.... Then DD had a car accident yesterday, and may have totaled her car..... She is fine and not injured at all... and then dealing with the party stuff, my stress level is through the roof right now......

No real time for personals right now...... I will catch up with everyone later.....

[Suji]

Man--what a stressful time Pam! Hugs to you and an atta-girl for all the craziness you have managed to steer around and through! I'm glad your daughter is OK--nothing scarier than those after midnight calls from officers telling you a family member has been in a car accident. (Several years back, our oldest boy was hit side on while turning left by an uninsured (car full of Hispanic laborers) driver who ran a stop sign). Son's car was totalled. He was OK, thank goodness.

Leslie, our "male bonding thing" here is watching stupid/funny movies together at home. My husband has a large collection of movies and adds more weekly.

My oldest son is being a "roadie" and is off to set up lighting for some music festival in Dallas. He'll be gone 8 days. I think it is some kind of Hispanic music for this event. Last week it was reggae fest in Maryland and then for some sort of gay music fest going on in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. It's interesting summer work now that college classes are over with for the summer semester he took.

Later gals,
Sue

[Dreamcometru]

Hi Ladies:

Sue the ducklings are so cute. That must be so much fun. How did your son get a job like that? It sounds really fun actually, but a lot of work.

Pam, I'm so sorry about the rain. What they show on the news here looks awful. You guys haven't had any relief. We are supposed to hit 90 today which is better than the highs originally projected. No a/c so I've got the windows open this am to let the cool air in. I will shut everything down once the sun gets over the maple trees. I'm so glad your DD is okay. It's so scary when you hear they have been in an accident. Now I've got DS to worry about too. He turns 16 in October.

So DS and DH called yesterday and said they are going to stay through Friday on their trip because they are having so much fun. DH sounded really good and very happy. I think he needed the vacation despite being off work for so long. I'm good with them being gone. It gives me a break too. I'm not hit with "what's for dinner?" when I walk through the door after work.

I'm going to spend the day with my mom buying flowers and planting them for her. Should be fun. Otherwise, I would be by myself because DD2 has to work. I've been invited to SIL's for a bar-b-que but declined. I'm having fun just hanging out. I have a couple of home projects I plan to work on.

Have a fun 4th

[kayan]

Morning all

Pam: Sorry to hear about all your troubles. It is misting here. Was suppose to get heavy rain, which we desperately need, but none so far only a mist.

Glad your daughter is okay. It is so scary when they are involved in an accident

Hope your anniv. party goes off without any more problems,This will certainly be a story to pass down to the future generations.

Sue: ooohhhhh your baby ducks are so cute

Leslie: enjoy your alone time As much as I love my family, sometimes its just nice to have time by your self.


My mom may come down this afternoon she wants me to help her cut out a quilt and then tomorrow I am meeting a friend out town at 9 to buy the backing & lining for her quilt that she has been making here.

Everyone have a good day

Kayan

[Dreamcometru]

Good morning ladies:

I had a 4th of July like none other. It was kinda weird. I did spend the day with my mom. Took her to pick out flowers for her beds. Brought them to her house and planted them. It was 90 out when I did so I was pretty sweaty when I got done. Then we went to lunch. I got home at about 4.

My DD2 was gone to work by then, so I decided to try some new LC recipies. Not what I had in mind, but thought it would be fun. I made those revolution rolls. They come out flat, but make great pancakes if you put SF syrup on them. Great find in a recipe just for that. Then I made fritata (crustless quiche) with diced tomatoes and peppers. Oh, so good.

I really enjoyed the time to myself.

I couldn't sleep that night because of all the fireworks, so I drifted off in the chair in the living room with the tv and fan going for some white noise. DD2 rolled in at about 1 a.m. which is about when I went to bed. So a little sleepy this am. Hopefully I can get through the day at work.

Kayan: My MIL is heavy into quilting as is a friend of mine. Hope you have fun.

Anyone else do anything exciting?

Leslie

[Pam in TX]

Morning all,

A quick note before getting ready to finish packing up....

Thank you all for the well wishes.... It really means alot.... We will get through all of this with prayers and faith....

Got the video finished.... turned out really good.... if I do say so myself.... Here is a link to the website of the place we are going.... It is really pretty.... http://www.rubyranchcelebrations.com/pictures.htm

Not quite as much rain yesterday...... Hopefully it won't rain this weekend (or at least much)....If I could I would gladly bottle some and send it to those who are in need of rain.....

Sue: what cute little duckies..... We have a friend who travels and does lighting for different shows like Ice Capades, concerts, etc.... he seems to really enjoy it.... hope your DS has fun....

Leslie: Sounds like you have enjoyed your alone time..... I made those revolution rolls before.... they reminded me of croscients....

Kayan: I have always wanted to learn how to quilt...... Maybe one day.... have a good time.....

Time to get..... Have a good day... and weekend.... Probably won't get a chance to check in until Monday....

[Suji]

Happy Friday!
I've spent all week at home so far. We had enough rainyish days that kept me indoors. We could definitely use more since even a 1/2 inch doesn't go far!
Pam, my DS seems to like this job, but I feel sorry for him that Dallas is experiencing so much rain while he is "visiting"--first time in probabaly a decade. He was born in the DFW area and lived there until his teens so was looking forward to visiting some of the old haunts.

Leslie--we had indoor picnic food on the 4th as it was raining on and off. We watched the fireworks that the Farm Museum has every year and the neighbors shooting off roman candles. As soon as the firework show was over, the rain started to pour. Nice of it to hold off! (chuckle) Pretty low key all in all.

We are expectng temps to go into the 90's starting this weekend and going through next week. Sigh. This is the part of summer that I loathe not being a heat lover *at all*. I've always had at least one friend who loved to bake or sweat and wondered at their sanity! I may go to the farm today to take advantage of the last 80+ degree day!

Yesterday the excavation started outside our bedroom. They have already dug out an area that a bulldozer can drive into and be below the normal ground level. I go to my raised beds and theres a huge drop off inches away! Unfrickinbelievable! Run awaaaaaaaayyyyyy!!!!!

Yeah, the ducks are so cute--there are 2 monster "Baby Huey" types that are only a few days older than the 2 younger but are humongous in comparison. Yet they are all runner ducks! I will have to start taking them to the farm for fun. We'll have to build an enclosure for them eventually since they are getting too big for the plastic container they are in now.My bantams are fledging out too but aren't as hand friendly as the ducks can be.

Well, talk to you all prolly Monday!

SUe

[BearBottom53]

Hi I am Donna and I was doing so goos on this diet then started cheating and slowly but surely I am gaining the weight back. How stupid could I be. I am 54 years old. I know I need to excercise more and drink more water than I do. I was doing some recipes from another site and they were awful. But have found some recipes on this site that are great. I did a cheesecake and a fudge and it taste like real food.
Finding low carb products at a store are hard here. But I think they are changing the labels from low carb to natural.
Love your cat sleeysue looks like mine.
You can have pork rinds can't you ? They have no carb. Or were you paying for it because they are hot !!! I like the BQ ones. Ever try the cinnamon and sugar ones can buy them on line.