Good Morning, DeeMarie!

My struggle is with exercising consistantly. I am so afraid of hurting the ol' knee that I get lazy and put it off. I am taking action this week though. I find that if I schedule exercise in the morning, I am more likely to follow through. Then I feel good about it the whole day.

I have "penciled myself in" for 3 cardio workouts this week. Each time I follow through, I will put a happy face sticker on my calendar. Sounds corny, but get THIS!! When I get 10 stickers I am buying a new pair of summer SHOES as a reward!

Posting here for accountability helps too!

Tikanas

Good morning! I hope to post more now that school is over.

Tikanas, I love your attitude about scheduling yourself for exercise and rewarding yourself with stickers for the goal of NEW SHOES! :) And obtaining good health isn't a bad motive either!

I leave in a few minutes for lab work. Have my well checkup this afternoon. I'm sure with all the bad eating I've done lately that I'll soon be given the incentive to do something about my poor eating habits and lack of exercise. lol

Take care and have a great day!

Only have a few minutes but thought I'd just drop in and say "HI" Hope you all had a nice weekend. Weather here was beastly hot but we got a lot done so I won't complain too much anyway...LOL

Tikanas ~ Love the shoe reward I may have to steal your idea. You know me, anything for a pair of shoes :-)

milkdud~good luck with your lab work.

Need to take time later to catch up on everyone from last week.
Will try to check back later
zig

Hello! I am now officially on summer hiatus! I dusted off my walking shoes and hit the pavement. Hoping to average 4 days a week, 3 miles a day. If I do too much more, my plantar fasciitis acts up. Next, I plan on getting back to lifting weights or doing Pilates, 2 days a week.

My last couple of weeks of school were stressful. First of all the kids were wound up and so NOT ready to work, listen or follow rules. Then DH called me at work 2 Mondays ago and said his arm was numb and he was having chest pains. Off to the emergency room we went. He has a family history of heart disease, so even though the preliminary tests came back OK, they kept him over night and did a heart cath and an echocardiogram the next day. He was so convinced that he was going to need open heart surgery or at least a stint put in, that he wouldn't (or couldn't) believe it when the doctor told him he had "0" blockage. Now they are going to run tests on his gall bladder and see if that is the source of his symptoms.

DD came home this weekend and we cooked out. I sent the leftover cookies from graduation back with her and went to Costco for some fresh produce this morning. Broccoli, snap peas, blueberries and lettuce are what I bought. Next I need to hit Aldi's for some more fruit. I am hoping that with enough good food around, I can resist the temptation to buy or eat sweets.

I hope to get lots of books read this summer. Made my first trip of the summer to the library today and brought home 4 books on my TBR list. It is 90+ºs today, so reading inside my airconditioned house is about my speed at the moment. Also, I slammed my hand in my bifold closet door and pinched the "fatty" part of my palm. Hurts like H*ll! So I am sitting here with ice on it and sipping some iced tea with mint from my garden.

I got so many plants and flowers from my preschoolers, that I could have opened my own nursery! Right now, they look so pretty spread all over my front porch. And my neighbor was throwing away a perfectly good patio table and 2 chairs, and asked us if we wanted them. They look great on the porch and gave me someplace to put some of the potted flowers.

Well, I am dripping melting ice on the key board, so I had better go fix my ice pack.

Later,
Marci
(14 miles on my way to nowhere!)

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[Marci & DH]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] You can start on your way to my house, Marci. You are 370 miles away!

I planted mint this weekend too (along with red/green peppers, tomatoes, cucs, chives, basil, and Italian/curly parsley). Will join you in a mint ice tea when I get home. Feel better!

Hello All,

Wow, such resolve here. I am having my usual struggle of not losing any weight! I am exercising by walking 30 minutes each day at lunch and maybe getting a weight workout at home once a week, watching what I eat, especially portions and still it won't come off! It's frustrating. Some of it is my age.............50 and most of the problem is my belly........argh. So, I am plugging along hoping for a change without starving. I have to figure out something cause what I am doing is not working and it's frustating.

On a fun, fun note... my baby chicks arrived in my office this morning. All the way from Iowa, 25 chicks (10 going home with my co-worker),in a tiny box with holes! We haven't gotten any work done today as we are all acting like mother hens tending the chicks. We had the arduous task of identifying each type as I got a big variety. I thought they would be tagged but they weren't. We had to go to the website to make an ID. It was fun. I can't wait to get home and play with them for a while. They are so sweet and amazingly sturdy considering the traveling they just did.

I had a wonderful weekend. I rode like the wind and it was good to get into the deep woods because it was so hot here. Almost 90!! The bugs were pretty bad in the woods though - you just can't win.

Sunday I had Hags with Nags and husbands over for a cookout. I made beer can chicken and it was a great hit. I also made a wonderful coleslaw that I put apples and walnuts in which was a big hit. The other hags brought potato and pasta salad. It was a lovely evening on the porch and it was warm and the cold white wine was flowing!
Monday, DH and I worked on the chicken coop some more and it's nearly complete sans fencing. I will post a photo later.

So it's back to work and all I can think about is chicks. I think I need to start a new group.....Hens with Chicks or maybe Chicks with Hens??? LOL

Tikanis - I love your shoe reward too. I think you are on to something. I tried on a couple pair of shoes today, but resisted the urge. I bought a new handbag instead LOL.

Marci - You are off to a great start WTG. Very scary about DH - was he under much stress around that time? - that can mimic heart attack symptoms.

Suzanne - I just made a coleslaw this past weekend with apples and walnuts - it was very good. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I hope you can share some photos of the chicks - how cute.

Dee - you did a ton of planting this weekend - how did your knee hold up?

Donna - did you say you were going to the movies? (or am I making that up) if so, what did you see?

Has anyone seen the Davinci Code yet? I can't wait.

Milkdud - how does it feel to be a free woman?

My eating still has been pretty good and I am still exercising, although this past weekend I put it off. I don't see any real changes, but I am hanging in there.

We just had an hour and half of thunderstorms and it feels good after 82 degrees with high humidity.

I hope everyone else decides to check in soon.

Hi, what does SS stand for?
Thanks

Good Morning,

What a hectic week! My eating and exercise is back on track. No more sugar or bad carbs. Maybe this will get the weight moving.

lynne, SS stands for Sommersizing. At one time, most of us used to follow Suzanne Sommer's diet, now we each kind of do our own thing. It's a great bunch of people.

Marci and DH, (((HUGS))) I hope they find out what's going on soon. Take care.

NH Suzanne, My girls would love to visit you. My parents raised chicks a couple years ago and they loved them. They just wondered what happened to them 3-4 months later.

Gotta run. Have a great day.

Jen

Over the hump day already!

Marci, (((HUGS))) to you and your DH. What a scare! Relax now and enjoy your summer. I hope that hand feels better too.

How did the check up go Milkdud? How is your knee feeling?

Hi Zig!!

NH Suzanne, REAL peeps! Lol! Not fattening at all. All I could come up with was "Birds with Nerds" and that is NOT very flattering! : (

DeeMarie, I love planting all those vegies too!

Raeanne, WTG!! I admire your dilligence. You KNOW it's gonna pay off soon.

Hi Jen. Doesn't it feel good to get back on track?

Well, I am wearing my pedometer, have started the day with a good cardio work out and stretching and am right on track. Another happy face sticker for me!

Have a great day everyone!

Tikanas

OK - DeeMarie - I will take you up on your offer and walk to new Jersey during the summer! I may stop to smell the flowers along the way, so don't wait up for me! LOL

I have so many jobs on my todo list, but I can't seemed to get motivated to actually do any of them. LOL I am content at the moment to read, clean a little, read, cook a little and read some more. Hopefully this won't last long and I can accomplish something useful soon.

NHSuzanne - The chicks sound adorable. Pictures? We take our kids to a farm in the spring and I love holding the baby chicks, ducks and bunnies. One year they had a litter of kittens and I never wanted to leave! LOL

Thanks for the good thoughts for DH. He is scheduled to have some more tests run on 6/22, but for now he is feeling ok and has returned to work.

Does anyone take glucosamine/chondroitin? I have been having some mild pains in my joints, especially in this humid weather, and I am hoping it helps. I just started taking 1500mg daily this week and was wondering how long before I would see results.

Have a great day!
Marci
(17 miles closer to NJ)

Hello all,

Marci, it's so good to have you posting again. I am glad DH is feeling better. I hope his test go well - don't worry.
I gave my 33 year old Morgan, Paddy, glucosamine/chondroitin and an MSM supplement. He did very well on it but I can't tell you how long before or if you see results. I have spoken to people who have mixed reviews. It can't hurt to try. What is 17 closer to NJ - did I miss something?

Jen, what happend to the chicks? Did your parents eat them? or did something get them? I am raising laying hens -I could not eat them.

Raeanne, great minds think alike don't they? Good for you sticking with your workouts. I has to pay off sooner or later. Don't you get so sick of it though?

Tikanis, I wear a pedometer and find it quite motivating. I shoot for 10,000 steps minimum per day. Some days it's hard to do that but most of the time I exceed it. Birds with Nerds? Thanks alot!! I think I will be a Chick with a Hen............but I will probably always be a Hag with Nag at heart!

My chicks are absolutely magical. I brought them home last night and really tried to get to know them. It's fun and they are growing before my eyes! They romp around for hours and then fall forward, beak first with wings spread. WHen I first saw one like that I thought it was gone but it was fine! I got 8 varieties and can you believe they don't band them for ID? I had to go back to the website to try to ID them that way. I think I have it down but still not completely sure. It won't be long. I will post pictures soon.

Yesterday all the animals had spring shots and they don't feel well. It makes me feel bad but it has to happen.

Maddie, we are still waiting to hear about your trip to Canada and your visit with Zig. I didn't miss it did I??

NHSuzanne - I am going to "walk" to NJ this summer. It helps to have a goal and I think I "walked" to Maddie's one summer. It should help to keep me motivated and posting my mileage will keep me accountable.

I loved the visual of the wee chick falling over! I sometimes felt that way at the end of a day spent with active preschoolers. I just wanted to collapse, face down onto a nice soft surface and not move! LOL How cute.

I upped my Netflix rentals to 2 at a time and I am enjoying seeing so many movies. I loved Mrs. Hendersen Presents, Transamerica (strange but the story pulled me in), Ladies in Lavender (I love Dame Judy Dench) and Capote. All good stories, well acted and worth the price of a rental.

Marci

I had my 3rd and final post-op visit with the ortho surgeon today. He was most impressed with my progress, and told me he'd see me for x-rays on my knee in 1 year!!! I fairly danced out of there on a cloud

Tikanas and Dee, I hope your knees are doing better now. We could start our own "aches & pains in major joints" club.

Marci, I use Joint-Free daily and it seems to help. At least I like to think so. I'm also stocking up on books to read and videos to watch. My first two official days of vacation have been spent with doctor visits, but tomorrow I'm home without a car, so I'll do some projects here. I have my bone-density scan Friday. Oh, and I also take Fosamax for the osteoporosis.

Suzanne, I can just imagine the fun y'all had in your office with all those cute little chicks. I remember my neighbor friends getting chicks for Easter every year. They were so sweet.

Raeanne, I'm loving being off from school. :) I had to run up to school this morning to pick up some end-of-school presents that children brought for me yesterday. It felt good to be a visitor for a change!

Jen, I'm envious of you for being back on track with your eating. I was hoping my GP would read me the riot act yesterday to the point that I'd change my attitude, but he was very gentle instead. Guess I'll have to change my attitude all by my lonesome now. LOL

On a totally different topic, I found out yesterday that I'm going to have another granddaughter come October. I'm so happy. This will be my 2nd grandchild. My dson gets to pick out the name for this little sweetie. Can't wait to see what he chooses.

Take care and stay cool!

rabbit - rabbit

LOL Marci! Here I set my alarm extra early to get up and yell "rabbit, rabbit" and you beat me to it! Next time I'll just post at midnight! I think you deserve some R and R after the school year. Just bask in it for a couple of weeks and your motivation will bounce back.I just started the glucosamine too. I'll keep you posted....

NH Suzanne, your peeps sound like fun. I'll bet a LOT of work went into that coop, though!

Well, off to Curves this AM (first time back!) and then off to work.I have an interview today. I have decided to free lance as a visiting nurse rather than stick with just one company. The earning potential is so much greater this way and the job description ( which I love) is always the same. Wish me luck!

Tikanas, putting another happy face sticker on my calendar : )

Goodmorning - Thunderstorms cooled the air last night, but kept me up. At least it won't be in the nineties today.

Milkdud - I take Fosomax too. Was diagnosed with osteoporosis two years ago. Had a bone density scan done after one year on Fosomax, and my bone density had improved. Now I don't have to have another one done until next year. Does Joint-Free contain glucosamine/chondroitin?
I do notice that my joint pain is much worse when the humidity is high. Great news about becoming a grandmother again. My turn will come some day and I can't wait.

Skipped my walk this morning but will try to lift weights or pull out my Pilates DVD and get in at least 1/2 hour of strength training.

Have a great day.
Marci

Good Morning!!

June 1st Already??? Where does the time go. This year is almost half over.

NH Suzanne, The chicks got ate!

Milkdud, Congrats on the good doctor report. Thats great. My eating plan just finally clicked for me. I realized that Exercise wasn't enough. My mind frame was set. So far I have lost 5 pounds. I am on a mission. Its about time!

Marci, read a few books for me. I don't when the last time I set down and read a book. I love to read, just don't have time. Wonder why?

Well, gotta run.

Have a wonderful day.

Jen

Rabbit, Rabbit..........or should I say, Chick, Chick?

OOH! NH SUZANNE! I've got it.....
"Cheep Chicks"! Whaddya think??

WTG Jen!!

Marci, which Pilates DVD do you do?

I had a good work out at Curves. Looking forward to building strength and endurance, "outgrowing" Curves and rejoining the Y where I could swim, take classes, use the machines.... One step at a time!!

See you tomorrow!

Tikanas

Has anyone seen my post from yesterday? It was long, the message stated that it was submitted, and now I cannot find it! Maybe it's on another forum (and those reading it will think I am from Mars because of obscure references to you guys!)

Make today count.

I've got a 2-hour meeting this morning on new software. This loon thinks he can recreate one of the systems I use and charge us less. He's had over 3 months to work on this; we'll see....................

Hi all!

I've had major computer problems since I've been back, and now I find that I can't log in. ????? Sorry I haven't posted, nor read; Ifinally gave up and went to the library--sigh....

Canada was wonderful, but seeing Zig and her DH was THE BEST!!!!!! I swear, she is so incredible; it seems like we've known each other all of our lives, and we just kept talking--(poor DHs--couldn't barely get a word in edge wise!! LOL!!) I got to met their son, too--he has the greatest smile--looks just like his mom's!! I'm not kidding--they made us feel so welcome, it was if I'd come home. And speaking of homes--their's is marvelous--I want their bathroom! (My first apartment wasn't that big!! Lovely, lovely paople--I am so glad to know them, and am honored to call them friends! Smootchies to Zig!!

Rog surprised me by taking the last day of fishing, and poacking up and taking me to spend the night in Mackinaw City, and then we spent the next day on Mackinac Island. (I was thinking of our Allie when I was there--) WOW!!! It's so beautiful! It wasn't very crowded, and we had a blast! Although, I was disappointed that you had to pay $12/per to go see the Grand Hotel if you weren't a guest. I understand completely, but I would have liked to have gotten pics for my mom (she's a huge fan of the movie "Somewhere in Time, which was filmed there). A wonderful trip in all! :):)

I didn't think we were going to get to go up til the morning that we left. The prior Thursady I had gotten something in my eye, and the optomologist said I had a severly scratched corena, and I spent that weekend in misery. I looked like I had a welding flash in my right eye, and when I went back to see him on Monday morning (we left Monday night), he put me on steroid drops, and today was my last day. He said that apparently what ever blew in my eye was maybe covered in a chemical (oil, gas, who knows?), and that I was having a sever reation to it. I'm OK now (and was as of Tuesday afternoon of the trip), but it was really scary!

We're leaving early tomorrow for Cincinnati, OH and then Dayton. We're going to an aquarium, the Wright-Patterson AFB, and to see a Princess Diana exhibit at a museum--they have her wedding dress and a bunch of personal items that I'd love to see, so off we go again! :):)We'll be back on Tuesday, and hopefully, the ????thingy that he needs to fix the 'puter will be there--and then I'll get to catch up on thing! :)

Hope all is well!

Hugs,

Maddie

Hi All!!!!

I am still alive and kicking (somewhat)..will check in over the weekend!

Have a great one!

Donna

The sun is shining and it promises to be a beautiful day! I have a graduation picnic to go to this afternoon, so I am glad it finally quit raining.

Not much else new to report. I think I am going to get out my quilting material and start a project. I need something to keep my hands busy and out of the fridge!

Tikanas - I have 2 Pilates DVDs. One is the beginners Pilates by Mari Windsor and the other is from Prevention magazine. I like Mari's tape, because I can actually do the movements! LOL

Maddie - Have a great time in Ohio. Glad your eye is feeling better.

Have a great day.
(26 miles closer to NJ)