PARTY all across America! Thanks for getting us started, NHSuzanne!

I have been so busy with my MIL in town, a school auction - did all the displays for silent and live auction, kid kitchen kid wrangling & server during auction, runner for auction items, and clean up. My dogs were BARKIN' at the end of Saturday night! And I felt very LARGE and out of shape. But the auction went really well! I'll work on my size later...thank heaven for Aleve!

This week is still busy, MIL still here until Wednesday, then I'm traveling off with a gal pal for her lumpectomy on Wed & Thurs - stage 2 breast cancer - she can't even SAY the word. Needless to say, I'm DRIVING. And possibly next week, a 2 month old baby failure-to-thrive with a brain shunt that I will be carrying in a front pack for a week. Oh, and I am treat and flower mom TOMORROW for Teacher Appreciation week at the school.

MARCI! What can I get that the teachers would appreciate? Or anyone with ideas? ASAP, please! haha.

Everything is as it should be....everything is as it should be...everything is as it should be...just TYPING THAT makes me feel a LOT calmer...lol...!

Love you guys! CHECK IN!

BJ - Is this for the teacher's to eat at school? I love when we get cut-up fresh fruit for a snack. I can nibble on it without feeling guilty. Who doesn't like fruit! So maybe a fruit tray with some dips and something light to munch on.

May 27th is right around the corner and I will be a retired woman!!!!!!!!

I promise to post more after that.

Hiya,

just a quick note. Haven't dropped by here or FB for awhile.... I suffered a nasty fall from a ladder a week and a half ago, resulting in a concussion, a hairline fracture to my jaw, a broken tooth and a nearly severed tongue. still in a bit of pain but am recovering. SO VERY sick of pureed soup! LoL!
Please send prayers. This has taken the wind right out of my sails.

Tikanis

Good Tuesday all,

Oh Tikanis I am so sorry to hear about your fall! Wow, you are lucky you didn't kill yourself. I had been wondering why I hadn't seen you anywhere. Do you have someone to help you? Tough way to lose weight that's for sure LOL.

BJ, one more day and you will have your house back! You sure do keep busy girl.

Marci, I bet you are counting down the days. I can't wait until we have you back posting with us.

The black flies here are insane. I cannot walk out in my paddock without them bouncing off my face. Really horrible. My barn animals are getting attacked too and staying inside. One of the not so glorious things about Spring.

Happy Tuesday!

Yes the NAVY SEALS ROCK! Whooo Hoooooo he's gone at last!

Tikanis I'm sorry to hear about your fall - it sounds horrid. I wish you a speedy recovery. ((((((((((((((Tikanis))))))))) That was a gentle hug.

Marci are you planning any special treats for yourself like a spa day or something when you retire? You should. You deserve it! LOL.

Thanks Suzanne for getting this started again this week. We'd normally have black flies just like you but our rain has been keeping them at bay - I even got a wide brim hat for the garden with bug netting for this year. I do have a netting top but I hate wearing it for some reason. We're now being very careful opening the door at night because the mosquitoes and a few black flies come in quickly. Because I don't have the scrubable paint yet on the hall, it looks like a murder scene by the front door inside. Eeeeewwwww. That's next on our hit list.

Did you ever have the universe hell bent on not letting you do something? My poor DH for the last few months - and not without a word of a lie - cannot have a lay down without interruption. Today we tried to have a wee nap from both of us waking up waaaaaay tooooo early and of all things out here there was a banging on the door like an emergency. I dashed to the door - 2011 Census delivery. This is the first year we can do it online which I think is pretty cool.

I'm still doing maintenance. To inspire myself along I've subscribed to WebMD and Eating Well magazine for their email newsletters. I keep thinking I'll unsubscribe from them because I signed up for just about all their options - oddly enough though there is always something of interest to read. I'll take motivation from any source. I get bored with stuff at home sometimes.

How are you doing for motivation?

Time to read some news. Have a fantastic day/week everyone!

Cheers,
Peggy

BJ I want to send good thoughts and best wishes to your friend. I have a friend who has survived breast cancer. I have no doubt your presence will be of great comfort.

((((((((((((((BJ's friend))))))))))))))

I just had my 11th radiation treatment to-day. Nineteen more to go. Not too bad so far but I am getting exhausted and resting quite a bit. I'm told that is one of the side effects. As long as the treatment does the trick, I'll deal with the side effects.

All the best to your friend and Tikanis, I'm so very sorry about your fall. You must have fallen quite a distance. Thank goodness it wasn't worse.

I'm not concentrating on the weight loss right now. That can come later.

ivamae

Tikanis~I'm so very sorry to hear about your fall. Please take good care of yourself.

Marci~I'm so excited for you! I know you are too! :)

BJ~You are a bundle of energy. I don't know how you do it. There is NO way I could do 1/4 of what you do.

NH Suzanne~So sorry you are already having to deal with those black flies. UGH!

McPeg~You have the ability to find inspiration everywhere! I love it!!!

Ivaemae~I know that one of our friends lost weight with his radiation & such. IDK if it was b/c it was on his esophagus & nothing tasted good or what but I certainly wish you the best. I know a great deal of my weight gain has been due to medications.

Have I told you about the 2 dogs that we got before moving here? I don't want to bore you if I've already told you. We have already spent well over $2000 on these "FREE" dogs. It pains me that someone that rescued them wasn't taking any better care of them than whomever they rescued them from. :(

Dave & I have managed to stay busy since we moved here but haven't met anyone yet. That is one of our goals. We need FRIENDS!!! It certainly is wonderful to come here & talk to my longtime friends! :)

Patti

BJ, I'll be interested to hear how that goes with carrying the infant, and if the child improves. Boy or girl?

Hi, Marci :) And congratulations on retirement! I believe you earned it! How do you envision this new phase of your life? I mean do you have any special plans?

tikanis - I cringed to hear about your fall, but I'm glad you are recovering.

Peggy - I have to find ways all the time to keep myself motivated and inspired. Sometimes I wish it weren't so much work, lol.

My thoughts are with all those who are dealing with cancer of any kind. That's one thing I've been lucky enough to pass by so far.

Patti - I think of you often, even when I'm not posting. Glad you and Dave are still going strong. It sure is daunting how much those beloved animals can cost. Heather is in the kitty hospital today, but hopefully just overnight. She had some kind of lesion in her mouth and couldn't eat. She is 13 years old now.

Be well and stay strong,

Amy

Hi all!

No time to catch up, because it's finals week. I'm asking for mucho good test vibes to be sent to me---one more on Friday, and i am through for the semester! Wooohooooo! (Friday's is horrible--58 chapter cumulative--u.g.h.)

Hugs,

Maddie

Mucho good test vibes on the way! Mucho GREAT GRADES are a DONE DEAL!!

Well, I got some sad news from the vet. Heather (my cat) has an aggressive cancerous tumor in her jaw. He said there is no treatment but to remove the jaw and asked me what I want him to do. I told him just send her home with pain medication and give me a chance to think about it. Not going to remove her jaw though. I knew her time would come in the next few years, but I wanted it to be easy, as I'm sure we all do. I feel like I'm not ready. She's been a friend to me for 13 years now, and even would come and wake me up when I had bad dreams. I know we'd all like the power to protect and heal those we love - animals and people - and sometimes we can. I wish I were a better healer.

Amy ((((HUGS))) You and Heather have a strong connection and I am so sorry about your sad news. You have been a great protector of her for 13 years. Unfortunately, a time comes when our loved one's can't be healed from our love and nurturing. I will keep the two of you in my positive thoughts.

Maddie - mucho positive vibes coming your way.

Patti - there is no doubt you will have many good friends shortly.

Ivamae - Sending you my best that these treatments are doing the trick and rest when you need to. I agree, worry about the weight loss later.

McPeg - I was going so strong a couple months ago and have lost my motivation, mostly because of stress. I like reading how you stay motivated and will take my inspiration from you.

Suzanne - the black flies are starting here too, with this wet spring, I imagine they will be really bad.

tikanis - hope you are healing, glad you are able to tell us about it, sounds like it could have been worse.

Marci - YAHOO! We do expect to see you a lot more around here. After you adjust to your new lifestyle (which I will be very jealous of LOL).

BJ - I am glad you can be there for your friend, that must be quite a relief for her.

Next Friday is the start of my Girlfriends Weekend and this is my horoscope for that day: This is an unfavorable time for social dealings with women. Your public relations skills need a little work today too, my dear. OHHH OHHH
(Glad I will have a couple of my Daily Support friends there for some support)

Amy, I am sorry to hear about Heather. I don't think anyone can ever be ready to let go. Every pet is a heartbreak eventually and I know how hard it is to lose one. I am so grateful that we have the ability to help them end their pain and suffering though. I will send prayers and positive thoughts for you both. I will be thinking of you both.

Raeanne, we are getting very excited about the Girlfriends weekend! Can't wait. You can count on us to help and support any way you need us to. Go find a different horoscope that says something more positive! LOL

Thankful for Thursday that I can post again!

I thought I had my problem beat last week, but it didn't last long, so now I've installed Mozilla Firefox, and I got in here easily.

I've missed everyone, but my computer was giving me such fits that I could never get in here to post, so I just quit.

Amy, I'm so glad to see you posting! My heart goes out to you about your kitty. Nothing hurts like seeing your fur baby hurting.

Raeanne, I still wish I could be with y'all next week. I'll live vicariously through yours and Suzanne's posts instead.

Tikanis, bless your heart! Take care of yourself and know you're being thought of.

Patti, just exactly where are you and Dave living now? I'm confused!

I saw on FB (another place I can finally get into again!) that today is her 11th anniversary. Happy Anniversary!

Marci, I'm excited for you about your imminent retirement!

Maddie, keeping you in my thoughts and prayers while you're finishing up this semester. You go, girl!

Ivamae, sending positive, healing thoughts your way!

Peggy, you are doing such a grand job of maintaining your weight!

BJ, I'll be with you in spirit this week as your spread your love over so many people!

Love to all! I've missed posting.

Good Friday all! Hope everyone is having a good day and looking forward to a great weekend!

Good Friday to you suzanne, and everyone! I'm about to ride over to the post office and see if I have mail. Heather is uncomfortable, and I think if she doesn't improve we will only have a few more days here. Thanks all for your kind words and support ((((hugs))))

(ok--forgive me for screaming, but....)

I PASSED MY FIRST SEMESTER OF NURSING SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gad, after the pharmacology test today, I really thought I was done for--it was horrendous, and people have flunked out like flies--

HALLUAJAH!!!!Excuse while I go get a well earned drink--or two

Hugs,

Maddie

Some week this has been, huh?

Ivamae - hang in there! (((((((((((((Ivamae)))))))))))
You will beat this. I agree worry about weight loss later - it's more important you can nourish your body right now and rest as much as possible. I can't imagine what it is like, I only know what I've experienced with a neighbour going through therapy. Friends I have that have gone through it before I knew them are cancer survivors. There's no stopping either of them now - they don't miss a thing in life. Every day is a new day for them and they grab it. That will be you once you recover from the treatments - keep those positive thoughts. Rest and let your body heal. Keep the faith! LOL

Maddie - congratulations! YOU ROCK!!!!! Take all the bows you can for a hard earned celebration. Doesn't it feel great to have this first year now behind you? Fantastic!

Aamylynne this is hard. You want to do the best to keep Heather comfortable and pain free. I've been through this myself - I hope you can find some comfort knowing you have given Heather the best in life. It's all we can do and share our love. May God bless all of you and help you through this.

Carolyntx I'm so glad to have you back! I use Firefox and Google Chrome. I prefer Firefox. You didn't say what you've been up to - hopefully "no good" in a fun way...it's spring - we should all be trying to have a little fun when we can. Smiles and laughter are the best medicine. If that doesn't work - there's always retail therapy (I do more window shopping these days - I enjoy watching people and talking to them when sitting down with a coffee). So do tell...

Aka_raeanne - Stress can be a nasty bugger. Exhausting, frustrating, overwhelming. Time for a bubble bath, lock the door and grab a great book, put on an old movie, unplug the phone, turn off the gizmos and gadgets - have some Raeanne time! One issue I continue to learn and work on is I can only do so much, I cannot control things/people. Life will go on whether it suits me or not. If you are stressing over any toxic relationship - step back from it. If life is overwhelming - put it on a list and just do 1 thing at a time. Let yourself rest when you can, get out for a walk/fresh air. It's spring, do stop and smell the new flowers. Take a time-out. You deserve to take care of yourself. It's your right to. ((((((((((((((Raeanne)))))))))))

Patti your 2 dogs have a wonderful home now. It is not funny that previous owners left their health for the next owners. Very irresponsible. What do your dogs look like? Are they fun to have? I love dogs, cats - animals. Unconditional love has no price. You are a very loving person to care so much for them. I hope you are rewarded with healthier dogs and a long happy relationship with them.

I know I've missed people - my heart continues to go out to our friends who need it. Jan I hope you are both hanging in there - remember we are all here for you.

Today let's try to take a moment for ourselves, take a breathe, try to have something healthy but enjoyable on your plate or in your glass. Remember you are not alone in life's challenges. We can get through our trials if we all stick together.

Hugs to everyone,
Peggy

Hi Peg - thanks for the pep talk! I'm really not stressed out and I try not to worry about things that out of my control (that is a tough one, but I am getting it). That being said I am tired and everyday something new crops up that needs dealing with, but I do remember to have some fun and enjoy some down time.

Maddie - CONGRATS, but no one here is surprised LOL.

Amy - ((((((HUGS)))))

Sending positive thoughts to Jan and Ivamae.

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

Hi, everyone.

I've hesitated to post, but feel it's time. I lost my dear, sweet husband of 40 years last month. He was asymptomatic all the way up to about three weeks before he died. The cancer just took over, with a vengeance. Until then, he managed chemo (never lost his hair or threw up), had a good appetite,continued going to work and living life as full as he could. We had family and friends visit for weekends at a time. He was admitted to the hospital on a Monday, transferred to Hospice on a Wednesday, and died peacefully that night. He had been in a deep sleep, then started breathing a little quicker (which I knew was a sign, since I had watched both my father and sister pass away.) My younger sister was with me, and we were at his side. He opened his eyes, looked at her, then me, and I kissed him and told him to please go, don't suffer any longer, that I would be fine (I lied.) And he closed his eyes and left this earth. He left us one final gift by dying so beautifully.

To say I am lost without him is an understatement.

To those of you who are battling cancer (Ivamae) and those of you who have loved ones with the disease, please do not let this get you down. That is one of the reasons I have not posted. Everyone's cancer is different. My husband's cancer was a rare, most aggressive kind. I have prayers to spare, so will keep you in mine as you go through your battles, and I know you will win yours. I live for the day when there is no more cancer and we put all of the oncologists out of work.

Jan, I came here to post a frivolous post, then I caught up on the reading and saw yours.

My heart is so full of compassion for you right now. I also lost a husband to cancer (leukemia) many years ago (when we were 25), so I feel like I can relate somewhat to you. You were blessed with a sweet husband, and you will have such good memories to sustain you. Please accept my sympathies and healing thoughts for you.

Peggy, you are such a wonderful cheerleader for all of us. Thank God for you!

Raeanne, I've been reading here off and on for the past 11 or is it 12? years, and you have always been such an upbeat person. There's no stopping you when you set your mind to it. Your girls' weekend will be the perfect rejuvenation to start off the summer season!

Maddie, I had no doubts about your success. There's an amazing brain under that lovely red hair!

Today I'm celebrating Mother's day with my oldest son, his wife, and their precious almost 10-month old son. We're having lunch at Chuy's Mexican restaurant in Plano - one of my alltime favorite places to dine. Tomorrow is my DIL's first official Mother's day, and my son has a very special day planned for her, so today is my day, and I'm so happy.
I've seen a few men so far, but I don't even call them dates because they've been more like meetings/lunches. I may not yet be ready to date, or I may not have met someone who sparks my interest. Either way, I'm meeting new people and having a nice time. It's like a girls' day out/job interview on these "dates" so far! :)

I promise to post any excitement when I have it! Y'all have been here for me through thick and thin, and I'll definitely share good news as it occurs! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and Happy Mother's day to all!

(((((((Jan)))))) sending you hugs, prayers and positive thoguhts. My heart is breaking for you. I am thankful that your husbands passing was a peaceful one. I am also thankful that you have a great support system of family and friends. Please lean upon us anytime you feel the urge. You don't ever have to feel you are dragging us down - we are in this together. Wish I could make things better for you. xoxo

((Jan)) - I don't know what else to say but "I am so sorry."
I can't begin to know what you are feeling right now, but I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I pray that you can find strength in the memories you hold dear.

Marci

Hi everyone :)

Wodka - are you Jan? I haven't been here enough to know. That was a beautiful post, and I thank you for your courage and efforts not to get others down. It's amazing to me that someone could be married 40 years. I was only married 12 and never remarried. It can be hard to see from here, but I truly believe that we walk together always. There is so much about this life that I don't understand.

ivamae - I'm glad that you are getting through the treatments ok. I know they are difficult, though I haven't had to go through that myself.

Maddie - congratulations on passing this milestone! I'm proud of you for your determination, efforts, and success, and I know everyone else here is, too.

We surely do have some sage people here, nurturing, loving, and strong. Seems we just keep getting through things, and there have been lots of good and fun and fulfillment along the way.

Raeanne - I don't think I've said much to you since I started posting again, except for a couple of posts I lost. I've enjoyed so much of what you've shared, including the arts and crafts and travels. Was it you who was doing drumming for awhile? I've lost track to some extent of who has done what, but it all has added richness and comfort to my life.

Cancer is a strange thing, and seems so wrong. I've been seeing more of it in recent years. I don't know if that's because there are more people, or increasing incidences, or just that I'm older and so it's around me more or I notice it more. My thoughts are surely with all who are going through any kind of pain, suffering, and/or loss. Mine is difficult for me, though she is "just a cat" and I've only been with her for 13 years. I have been visualizing her being with me always as one of my power animals - or whatever she decides to transition into :). Thinking of doing a painting if I can manage it.

It makes me feel humble to hear of what others have gone through and the courage with which you all have continued to live, and with those who have passed on always with us.

Not sure what I'll do today. Work in my virtual worlds among other things. It's been raining here almost every day, and it's nice, not too much.

Take care and keep eating for strength and health.

(((HUGS)))

Jan, I am at a loss to convey how sorry I am about the loss of your dear husband. Your post was a testament of your strength and compassion for others. I pray for you. Please stay around and don't feel badly about sharing the trying times. We are here for you.

Jan I am saddened to hear of the loss of your husband. It's never easy to lose someone so close. Any time you want to talk we are here for you. You cannot bring us down by posting - I don't know very many people who have not experienced a loss.

Please post any time, for any reason - I care and I know this forum cares and wants to be there any time.

May God bless you and help all of your family through this difficult time.

Peggy