Hi again! Wodka - I'm no angel by a long shot. I am using my Weight Watchers to guide me. My winter tune-up has a lot to do with mentally taking better care of myself. It's too easy to beat ourselves up - which I can do when I'm not taking care. And for me it is a daily effort to pay attention to what I am eating that creates a balanced diet. I totally get the not being hungry at times - especially when stressed. You have a lot on your plate to deal with. Giving as much as you do to support your husband takes a lot of energy which is why paying attention to trying to eat on some sort of regular pattern is very important right now. You need to pay attention Wodka to yourself too. Keep your strength up. I trip and fall all over the place on my journey. My help with WW is facing the truth and keeping a journal of my foods. Some days are great, some not too good. It's the overall picture every week I strive for. We all need a piece of cake, cookie (sorry Simon) and some comfort. I'm just trying to pay more attention to portion sizes. And I use lunch plates for dinner because it's more what my Mom used to serve and she kept her weight all her life. Granted she loved and ate many vegetables in her meals. So Hang In There Wodka. Even if one meal a day you can incorporate something for Wodka from your daily goals, I think right now that would be great. You have come such a long, long way from your first post here. I was so happy to see you still here after my coming and going over the last couple of years. Don't ever beat yourself up and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. You have been amazing on your journey. I'm so pleased to hear Bob's care can come closer to home. It will be of more comfort for Bob not to travel so much as well as for you. I continue to send positive energy, prayers to you and Bob. Hang in there Wodka. I'm so glad you are here. Hi Raeanne. I have not done SS but many folk have had lots of success with her diet. Suzanne is a wonderful lady. She is inspirational in so many ways. I remember years ago she published a book of poems. Her tenderness and intimate thoughts came out. Her beauty comes from within more than what we see on covers. I believe you too will have success with her positive energy coaching you along the way. Dee you are wise to stay home. Too many folk go to work when a few days of rest would get them on the road to recovery so much better. Years ago while serving in the military we had to report on 'sick parade' - medical clinic - where the doctors would decide if you went to work or went home. I hated that. There were so many times I should have been home in bed. Forget the fact I had to bus halfway across town to get to the clinic with a fever, or flu, infecting everything I touched and people I sat next too. Not funny at all. You take good care of yourself Dee. I am glad you can stay home to recover. My goodness I yap alot, eh? Hugs to all, Peggy

Sounds like everyone is in this together! -And doing very well! *************YOU GO, GIRLFRIENDS!******************* NWRoseLady: Where are you in Puget Sound? What part? I'm out in the islands off the Anacortes ferry. NHSuzanne: A little soulful, hopeful light for Belle coming at you from me! McPeg: How's the college app going????? Good luck! Wodka: I think eliminating alcohol makes losing easier. The alcohol calories + snacks calories = LIPS to HIPS! Jan, you will stay on track and not become a wuss(your words!) here. You see, I have these boots that are very pointy and have really high heels! Gretchen: Cool deal your daughter's doing. One word: DEET! I used a lot of it in Nicaragua, Alaska, and Aussie Land! Of course, in Alaska, the state bird is the mosquito! But, my gawd, woman, get out to Cali and see your son! Give yourself a reward! Your photo link is COOL! Thanks for sharing! Dee: I can't tell you if Biggest Loser is worth the time, but I can tell you that I haven't had TV since July, don't miss it, and I really like NetFlix and reading books! Lol! Hugs for your late aunt-hope you made all your travels okay. Great job multi-tasking, BTW! Raeanne: Lots of FLOODING in the NW--but none on the rock, except for the sheer volume on the roofs. Some roofs are failing--like ours--and water is currently pouring down the walls in our business office! The roofer is in there now, trying to fix it. BTW, we took our house off the market until spring. We're taking a mental vacation! Do you think you could send me the 3 foot tall version of the St. Joseph statue for when we put it back on the market???? LOL! I wish your hubby was here to sell it for us. I'd feel a LOT better! Let me know when you go to S.D. if you go in the summer. My in-laws live right by there; I'll fly down and we could rendezvous for a NON-FAT latte. Definately worth the air fare! DonnaSNJ: Most of the Biggest Losers DO NOT maintain their weight. I just read an article on them and it was very disappointing (and sad) to me to read about them and their weight creeping back on. It's a lifetime of a lifestyle---it's HARD! Milkdud- I'd go to the gym if there was a buncha guys there to help me work out!!! I tend to gravitate toward firefighters more than police officers though...(giggle) Okay, ummmm, things I'm doing for me: 1. My family bought me a light box for Christmas and I'm on my 3rd day of using it. It's so dark in the winter on the rock and I live in porched house with very tall trees all around. I cannot tell if the light box is working for a few more days, but it makes me SIT STILL for about 30-45 minutes a day! I actually look forward to it! The light is VERY bright and I like it. 2. I started using Slim Shots and it seems to help to curb my appetite. You can google them if you're interested but basically, it's a combination of oat oil and palm oil in a little cup the size of coffee creamer and you drink one with brekky and--if you want to--one with lunch. Anyway, it seems to help me a lot, so we'll see how it works when the psychological effect wears off in a week! 3. I am also keeping a food diary. I discovered I eat a lot crunchy food like rye toast w/ butter and veggie bootie when I'm stressed---and I am still snacking on the CRUNCHY FOODS when I'm bored, upset, or feel like I want to be a bad girl. I realized from the diary that I was drinking WAY too many lattes per week. I have stopped going to the latte drive thru---BUT when I have company--not very often--it's sort of a Northwest tradition to have a coffee with friends! I also have a late night eating habit that I need to curb. Soooooooooo, I've lost a pound since starting all this and hopefully, a downward trend on the scale will continue. I am making small changes and don't want to DIET because I just set myself up for failure. I will add in some exercise next week and continue to reinforce my 3 New Year's habits. I want to add water, but the water here is positively putrid to drink, and I hate buying bottled---ideas? I watched a great movie last night: PEACEFUL WARRIOR. A must see!

I thought I would check in before leaving for the weekend. Yesterday was a day from hell. I am asking you again for prayers and support for my family. What I am going to tell you is almost impossible to believe. It concerns two of my nephews. One is ninth grade, the other away at college, finishing up his senior year. Last week my brother and his wife received a call from the ninth grader's school, saying that he had suffered an "episode" and recommended taking him to the doctor. To make a long story short, he had gotten extremely stressed out at school (he is always on the honors list) and just cracked. They described it as a manic episode. He is seeing several doctors and has gotten better, went back to school yesterday. When talking to my mother yesterday morning, she said she had started receiving some very bizarre emails from our other nephew, who is away at college. She didn't want to bother my brother, because of everything they had been going through with the younger son. I asked her to forward them to me, and gosh almighty, they were more than bizarre, really out of it, almost suicidal. So I told her I was going to track down my brother and/or his wife at their work and let them know. To make a long story short, this nephew has also suffered some sort of manic breakdown - they tested him and did not find drugs or alcohol in his system and will be committing him to a mental hospital for evaluation. My brother is with him, as my sister-in-law had to stay home with the other son. I was hesitant to post this on a forum, but I believe in prayer and that it can help heal, and my poor brother and his family need it in the worst way. They are just stunned and in shock. They are the last family you would think something like this would happen to. Very stable environment, very supportive of their children. Thank you for letting me share.

Happy Thursday! Got part of my plant order picked up from the post office today. I was panicking thinking they shipped everything - too early for the whole order. I've ordered the oldest type of roses that deer don't like (hopefully same with rabbits). Got 4 Salet Moss Roses (pink) and 2 Apothecary (dark pink) roses. These are the old prickly stemmed roses that smell like heaven. At least today and tomorrow until late afternoon the rain is taking a break. I have to plant these now. When I'm not ready in the garden of course. It's okay because they are foundation plants - pink roses along the east side of our house where we're having our sitting area built up and terracing the sloped side a wee bit. The last pink rose bush and the 2 dark pink I'm thinking of planting down in the vegetable garden area where I've started my herbal garden while in the trailer. I want to build that up into a sitting garden over time. Just taking a break for the moment. Just washed out and reinstalled all the batteries on my outdoor solar lights (new last year for the trailer life). I'm glad I had the sense to bring them in and tidy them up in the fall. Things are not cheap anymore - these are those newer white light ones. For the moment many are in use to mark off the terracing for the east side garden. It's just dirt, small rocks, lots of roots from ripped out old growth lilac gone wild, sumac and weeds starting. I feel so sleepy hearing the billion frogs in the wet areas calling for mates, song birds fighting over nest areas and signing at the top of their lungs. But the sun is sheer delight. I'm taking photos of my progress on the gardens. Eventually I'll get them posted in a blog that I'm hoping to do for my garden adventure around here. I've picked up rhubarb that is growing and current bushes/vines?. Grapes too but not sure where to plant them. They are supposed to be planted now - judging by the speed of light they are growing at in the hall. They'll hate me when I plant them outside - I know. Wow, I can see the golden eagles over the fields outside - guess they're sizing up dinner. The trees still appear barren. A couple more weeks I expect to see buds. I'm glad to read the posts. I guess it's slow because everyone seems to have so much to attend to right now. I'm still working on drinking my water and desperately fighting the urge to nap. I'll take that as a sign to fill my water bucket now and get those roses in the ground. Enjoy your day...I need light and fresh air. No a/c here - still wearing a light winter coat outside...the wind bites. Chat later, All my hugs to everyone, Peggy