DH just had 12 (benign) polyps removed during a colonoscopy. Better get him on the black tea! I just wanted to report that I have lost 6.4 lbs. in the past 6-8 weeks, which for me is such a rare accomplishment that if I didn't just have a physical a couple of weeks ago, I'd assume that I was gravely ill. I made a pact with myself (I think I mentioned this here) that I would lose 10 lbs. before I turn 50. Well tomorrow is my 49th birthday, so I'm well on my way, assuming I can sustain this loss and continue. I have gained 10 lbs. in 10 years and I'm determined to change that trend. All I've done, and it's been painless really, is stop eating anything that has more than 3 g of sugar -- with a few exceptions, like an occasional yogurt. Oh, and I still have a few beers each weekend but that's really it. Also, I don't eat anything after dinner, except for maybe a couple times a week I'll crave something and I'll have a small square of good dark chocolate (which actually tastes very sweet to me now!). So yesterday I went to the jeans store, wanting to buy more of the same "uniform" jeans I have been wearing for years. Not necessarily in a smaller size, though my jeans are loose, just a fresh new pair. The salesperson convinced me that I was wearing my jeans too big and that I should try the smaller size. I said, oh, I don't think so, I haven't worn a 10 in jeans forever. In a nice way, she forced the size 10 on me, and in a different style than what I usually wear -- I wear the "Easy Rider" Lucky jeans because they're cut fuller in the hips. Well, the size 10 fit perfectly. Actually, at first I said I thought they were a bit snug and she said she actually thought they seemed a bit BIG (and then made me try the size 8, which was far too small). Anyway, I ended up trying on a bunch of different sizes but NONE in the size 12 that I've been wearing for probably 5+ years. When I put my old "loose" jeans on I could then see how unflattering they were. I was so full of confidence after buying my new jeans, I tried on about 100 pairs of pants in other stores in the mall, but didn't have one bit of luck. I must be the only woman in America with saddlebags. Anyway -- that was a great way to keep me motivated, and also educational! I never "use" salespeople in stores because I think I know everything. Maybe I should get help more often!

I love their Wamsutta sheets and the Yankee cancles have monthly "Scent of the Month" 25% off sale that you can use a coupon for after that, like a $5 off coupon. Love the Cranberry Chutney scent. I've gotten fabulous deals on Mikasa and found my "Antique White" pattern on the BBB clearance racks for one reason or another, and snapped them up (like eight luncheon plates for $9.99, usually $10 a piece). Got our Fitbits there, and will stock up on sundry items when I have a 20% off your entire purchase coupon, which I receive once or twice a year. I think the 20% off coupons make the "Harmon" drug store items very competitive price-wise. I would never pay for that service however. Not Prime either. I'm not paying a retailer to shop there.... except Costco. : ( Finally, Macy's is having their "Thanks for Sharing" promotion, which gives you 10% of your Fall-Winter purchases back in the form of a gift card in January. I paid $25 for that privilage, but it was taken off sale shoes, and the associate doubled that coupon.

I've worn a watch since I was grown up: don't remember the circumstances when I got my first one. En route home on furlough from my mission in Korea in 1957, I attended a conference near Geneva, Switzerland and came to know a young woman who worked in the World Council of Churches office there. She'd worked with a manufacturer of watches earlier and took me there to buy one. The name was "Jeanrichard" and as father's name was "Richard" and stepmother's "Jean" I was pleased. Dad didn't want the second that I bought: he, who always wore a watch, had one that pleased him ... but my youngest brother, also named "Richard" did, so he was pleased with it. A feature that they offered was that they needed no winding or batteries: there was a lever inside that wound their spring as one moved one's hands. I guess there was adequate storage, as they never lost time while one slept ... don't know if we ever let one sit still for an extended period to find out how long they kept the time. Don't recall how long it lasted: several years. I've had several since, usually Timex, and it's hard to find local watch repair places, to get the batteries replaced. My second last, the watch guy told me when it stopped not to replace the battery, as the insides were plastic and so badly worn that they weren't worth the cost of a battery. Daughter recently sent me her second gift of an Indiglo Timex, that lights up with the push of the crown to show the time in the dark ... and this frugal fella shed a couple of tears when viewing the postage fee of $U.S. 15.50 (about Cdn$20.00). ole joyful

I looked it up....."Relax" is guided breathing and "A Reminder To Move" is what your referring to. The "Relax" app can be loaded as a feature on these: Fitbit Charge 2, Fitbit Blaze and Fitbit Ionic Reminders to move: Most wrist-based Fitbit devices feature reminders to move.