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.

Today is our 16th anniversary--Dave's & mine. Peg~I'm not sure I can give you any good advice but I'm certain Tikanis can or someone here. (Thinking b/c Tikanis is a nurse.) Tikanis~Thanks for commenting about the dog. Now we are getting 2. Can hardly wait. I'm so excited. Have already bought most the things we need for them. :) BJ~Hugs [[[ ]]] You are such a Dear. I would be an emotional wreck. You cannot imagine what I went through when the lady asked me to take the 2nd dog. They are rescue dogs. They weren't abused per se. They were taken out of puppy mills. We didn't have the money to pay what she wanted for the 1st dog plus the deposit for both at the apartment so she finally decided that she would give both to us so we could apply the money to the deposit. She knew we would give them a good home & that was the most important thing for her. NH Suzanne~That is one of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen. It should be sent in to a magazine. Honestly!!! Sally~I'm glad you listened to me. It really is the truth. I went to the dr today. We haven't been weighing. I was down 5 pounds. Now, that is from 3 months ago but we were on a 2 month vacation & since we have been back we told everyone we were moving & they have wanted us to go out with them & eat sweets plus we have had Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Super Bowl, & Valentine's just around the corner. :) Down 5 sounded pretty sweet to me! ;) Ivamae~I certainly hope I can force myself to walk the dogs in the cold weather. I have gotten them sweaters. I will have to get myself a heavy coat. Hopefully it will start to warm up once we get there. I'm not counting on it though. We were there last year in April & May & froze to death. UGH! I'm definitely going to do the best I can though. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Patti :)

Hello Suzanne! I'm here, just trying to get through a frustrating week with some inner-ear/dizzyness problems, which makes it difficult to finish projects in a timely fashsion at work. I was down another pound this morning. That makes about 6 1/2 pounds since February 20. I'm very pleased with that, but need to add much more exercise. It was difficult getting walking in this week (with the dizziness), but I did it. Don't know if I mentioned this, but I've not been to our fitness center in over a month because I hated the way my (old, ratty) yoga clothes fit me. Yesterday I stopped at the Kohl's sale (with an additional 30% off coupon!) and found 2 pair of yoga pants and a top that fit and look nice. Looks like if I feel good enough, I'll be stopping by the center more often. It's just that there are many young women there; its a corporate center with people (and MEN!) that I work with. I was too ashamed to be seen in such tight, faded clothes......I'm sure you all know how I feel about this. Anyway, it's a new start, so I'm ready when my ear stuff clears up. Enough about me! How is everyone? Ready for the weekend? Ready for spring? OK, let's get moving. MIA's---COME OUT AND SAY HELLO! Thanks! Dee

Exercising can be magical! I will not lie about that. Sometimes if you are stressed out it is because you are sitting around to long or haven't been getting proper exercise, that is most likely why the exercise "cleared your lungs." It is possible you are suffering from Insomnia. Insomnia is a symptom that causes many complications in the physical, mental and emotional quality of a person. When the body is severely attacked by chronic insomnia, the digestive system goes awry, and the liver is often in very poor condition. The nervous system is progressively destabilized, the person experiences exhaustion and wear, which affects their daily work. A vicious circle: the fatigue and inefficiency that results in the anguish of not finding restful sleep, which in turn leads to increasing difficulty falling asleep. Remember to always get as much sleep as your body needs and don't deprive yourself of it! Also since you said "it cleared my lungs" Here is a good yoga exercise for breathing: Hasta uttanasana: Yoga that Helps Breathing Stand up, feet together, arms dangling. Cross your wrists in front of the abdomen. Inhale deeply, raising your arms and stretching them above and beyond your head. Slightly bend your neck back and hold your breath a few moments. Exhale with open arms at your sides until shoulder height. Inhale. Cross your wrists again over the head. Hold the breath a few seconds. Exhale slowly, lowering your arms forward to regain the starting position. Do this exercise ten times. During the movement, feel the air go up a more lateral and open chest space. At the end, feel the air go out slowly and completely, as the thoracic space closes. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Live A Life Of Happiness!