Fat Lady's Diary

There's a trick to it...

2010-02-08T08:06:00.001-08:00

Once again I ended up on an airplane with the dreaded task of fastening my seat belt. At least I wasn't alone in the task - my sister was along this time instead of my skinny husband.

We had seen the flight attendant walk past us once - she appeared to be glaring and gritting her teeth so we were doing our best to not ask for such a thing.

Fortunately, we had managed to get on the side of the plane with only 2 seats instead of the side with 3 seats - I dearly hate to be stuck in a middle seat but I can stand it for the 2 hour flight to Phoenix.

I knew there was a trick to fastening the seat belt, but for the life of me, while I was struggling, I couldn't remember it for a while. Then it hit me.

You brace your feet on the legs of the seat ahead of you, use the leverage to push your hind end as far back in your seat as you can, and the seat belt clicks! Needless to say, I really had no use for the "How to tighten your belt" instructions from the flight attendant, but I watched attentively anyway.

Every time I fly on Allegiant I get tickled at the instructions to "return your seat to the upright position". The seats do not recline. Maybe old habits die hard.

Certainly not knocking Allegiant - their rates are reasonable - or as reasonable as anything can be in this economy - and it is great to have an airline willing to take on the smaller market of Springfield-Branson.

As for the security measures at the airport nowdays, well, I have to get a "pat down" search anyway so I found nothing new. But as I put my belongings in the bin to go through x-ray and pulled out my little zip-lock bag of liquids, the TSA guy held it up and pointed... "Hey! First one today to get this right!" Apparently folks have started to slip up on that rule? Oh well. If so, shame on them! It isn't like anyone is asking THAT much out of you, just bag the bottles!

As for the pat down itself, well, let's just say - the second one (return flight) actually felt my pacemaker and asked what that was.... A bit surprising since my doctor sometimes can't even feel it! Oh well.

I sure enjoyed the Phoenix weather - dry and in the 70's. Then I had to return to the Missouri snow and cold.

At least when I returned the new window had been installed in the back wall. The cats and I once again are able to enjoy Bird-O-Vision.

The Signs Were All There

2010-01-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

When you get out of bed on Monday morning and head to the kitchen to make coffee and you look out the kitchen window and see a dead armadillo in your driveway you should know that is the First Sign.

So, a couple hours later when you scorch the homemade chili in your very very favorite stock pot, a sensible person would just take some Tylenol PM and go back to bed and pull the covers up over their head and remain there for the rest of the week, right?

Obviously, I am not a person with that much sense so the aforementioned trip back to bed didn't happen.

Maybe I'm a bit stubborn, or maybe I'm an optimist with faith that things won't be bad for that long; and in the grand scheme of things, I guess a dead armadillo (HOW redneck can you get?? LOL!!) in the driveway isn't really earth-shattering - at least in this part of the world.

All of this is before noon. In the afternoon I spent a few hours trying to help a family purchase a headstone from e-bay.

Yes, e-bay.... Anyway, I finally got that task behind me, including doing a bit of photography work the family needed.

Then, the beginning of The Bad Thing happened.

It started innocently enough. A dear friend of mine had come over to sit and drink coffee in front of my big back window. You see, I have a 4 foot by 5 foot picture window that overlooks my back yard and my friend and I often sit here in the back room/pantry/utility room/computer room/Gayla's Cave and watch the birds come to the assortment of bird feeders I have out there.

On this particular Monday, since I had so many other things going on, my bird watching buddy decided to clean the window. She understands my physical limitations and claims me even if I do drift off to sleep once in a while - that, folks, is the sign if a real friend!

Anyway, as Maddy was cleaning the huge window she noticed there was a gap at the top - about a half inch or so between the glass and the wooden frame. Kinda like the window pane had decided to try the new "Pants on the Floor" (POTF) look.

A bit of window history here. When Rick and I first bought this old rock house, there was an addition built on the back that had obviously been intended as a utility room. There was a washer and dryer hook-up and such but the entire back wall had rotted out. The small aluminum-framed window had fallen out of the wall, the wall studs were mostly rotted out and the wall was pretty much ready to fall in.

Shortly after we moved in, I had a yard sale and the neighbor asked if I would mind trying to sell this big window he had. No one bought it and it ended up in a shed in our back yard.

But one morning a group of folks from church descended on us and tore out the rotten wall and built a new one. There was a bit of discussion about a window for the new wall and the big window was put to use. What a wonderful wall! New paneling on the inside, the rest of the room wainscoted with the paneling, wallpaper above. A beautiful, room with lots of light and a view of the back yard with the five mature oaks - birdwatching paradise! A 12-inch wide window sill completed it and I moved in a recliner, a love seat, and my laptop. It was perfect. I could do laundry without walking far, and I had a quiet, relaxing place to watch TV, visit friends and write.

But now the big window had a gap at the top. Maddy showed the gap to Rick and we showed the gap to Steve - our jack-of-all trades friend. Rick and Steve decided they could fix it - but a bit later in the week. So for the moment, we filled the gap with weatherstripping.

Really, the weatherstripping could have stayed there until summer - or at least spring.

But the attempt was made to fix it. Now there was 2 guys with big suction cups tugging at the window and it broke. So now, in middle of January I had a 4 foot by 5 foot hole in the middle of my wall - and it happened in the middle of the Bad Week.

So I decided to do something happy. Doing something happy has to improve this week, right?

Our church collects toys for a local hospital, we wash the stuffed animals and the emergency room then has a warm fuzzy for sick kids who need something to cuddle. That might sound gross to some people, but really, by the time we run them through the washer and dryer, they are probably cleaner than they were when they first came out of the store. But last week we were given a doll with no clothes.

It was a nice doll so it was in a "too good to throw away, not nice enough to give away" category so the Deacon who had brought it in asked if maybe I could find something for the dolly to wear. Since I was in the midst of the Bad Week, I decided to tackle the Naked Dolly issue and I got out my sewing machine.

I have never, never in my life made a doll dress - and I had no pattern. So I laid the doll down and marked off a couple of dimensions and cut out a trial dress top - sewed it together and tried it on. Too small, so as I was cutting out the second attempt Maddy arrived and after pouring herself a cup of coffee, she was offering moral support. I though I was doing pretty well considering everything and I had to show off the burgundy apron I had already assembled. Soon I had a dress made. Well, almost made. There was a bit of trial-and error through this whole process and since my fine motor skills are fading a bit I was thankful for the help getting Dolly dressed and undressed with each new fitting. I gathered up some hook and eye fasteners and a bit of lace and some of those pearls-by-the-foot they sell in the craft section at Wal-Mart and by the time all was said and done, I have to say, Dolly made the week improve when I saw her all finished wearing her tan calico dress with the full skirt and the print burgundy roses all over it. She had a burgundy apron and a nice lace collar that was topped with a row of pearls sewn all the way around.

So, I still have no window - but hopefully, someday, a little girl will have a doll with a pretty dress, and inside the dress, at the back, she will find a label that says "Made With Love and Kisses". She won't know I was having a terrible week, but maybe her week will be good.

The Big Squeeze

2010-01-15T03:53:00.000-08:00

You probably already know I am not a big fan of buffets. Hubby loves them and I go along because in most places I can order something off of the menu. I end up taking half of it home with me anyway.

But there is another angle. Most of you have already read my rant about restaurant booths being too small; well, news flash - in many restaurants the tables are entirely too close together.

I always try to guide our party to a table around the edge of the seating area so when I try to slide my chair out I will be sliding into the aisle, rather than being packed in back-to-back with someone at the table behind me; especially if we are at a buffet-only place.

Then there is another aspect - for me, at least. Hubby is right-handed; I am a lefty. He always wants to seat us where we won't be "bumping elbows", even though, in the 10 years or so I've been eating with him, I can't remember us ever bumping elbows. If we are eating at a buffet place and land in a booth, if anyone is dining with us I always get shoved to the "wall" side of the booth, then have to try to scrunch up as much as possible to fit my purse on the seat beside me and leave room for Hubby to sit since he makes many trips to the buffet - and I can't exactly say this makes for a relaxing experience.

We have a few restaurants in our town that have non-crowded seating, places where I actually "fit" and I can have a nice relaxing meal. Needless to say, I tip better in the places where I am more comfortable.

So I will say, IF you are one of the folks I have (through no fault of my own) been placed back-to-back with in a restaurant, and I have bumped your chair trying to get in or out of my seat, I am truly sorry. Now, come complain to the management with me!

Not Much for a Big Woman

2009-12-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

11 or 12 years ago, Hubby and I were on our first date. We had gone to a Chinese buffet because he loves (I have since found out) buffets.

We both went and got a plate of food. I slowly ate and we talked and he went and got a second plate of food.

He finished that second plate and headed out for the third plate full. I meandered over toward the dessert section and got a couple coconut macaroons and a small dish of soft serve chocolate ice cream.

I was slowly eating my dessert and he finished his 3rd plate then went to the desserts himself. I finished my cookies and ice cream and pushed my plate back.

"You can go get more - you can eat as much as you want" he informed me.

"Yes, I know. I'm full"

He looked amazed. "Really?? You're kidding! You don't eat much for a big woman!"

There it was. I sat in stunned silence - there was about 75 pounds less of me than there is now days - and I wasn't quite sure how to respond.

I was fully aware of his plane crash and the resulting injuries, and I was aware of the personality changes that can result. But then, I hadn't known him before the crash so I had no yardstick with which to measure.

So I sat back and thought this through before answering. Do I reach across the table and smack him them run out? Or say something snide?

Well, I am (even then) a Big Woman so I decided I would just own it. After all - he was being honest and if there was one big thing missing from my past relationships, honesty would have to lead the list.

"Yeah, I guess maybe I don't eat much for a big woman. Just imagine how big I would be if I ate a lot!" Then I laughed and he laughed too.

I have never regretted the decision to handle it that way - he's a great guy.

But past experience had demonstrated to me I don't eat much. I can gain weight on 1200 calories a day - I know, I've tried. 1000 calories and I will just maintain.

Increase my activity? At that time I was a nurse in a very busy clinic - on my feet walking 8 - 9 hours a day.

SO I'm a big woman. I will be the first to admit it.

Will ever weigh 120 again? I doubt it. In my early-mid 20's I got down to 120 and kept it off for a few years. I ate breakfast then drank coffee for the rest of the day. I went those years never having a candy bar or ice cream. Is life really worth living if you can't have a Snickers or a Turtle sundae? Not really, to me at least.

One day I decided I was hungry so I started eating. oh, glorious FOOD! Baked potatoes, Snickers bars, M&M's, Hershey's with almonds, Hot Fudge Brownie Delights from DQ (back in the days when I fit in their booths!) and all of the other goodies I had missed.

Even when I started "eating" again, I didn't overdo it - I just don't want much food at a time. I refuse to be guilty about leaving food on my plate if someone else has served it to me. In a restaurant I will often order 1/2 of my meal put into a to go container before it even makes it to the table.

Yes, my thyroid has been checked. All is normal.

I just don't eat much for a big woman. Get over it.

Is it KIDDING???

2009-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

I had been thinking I really needed - in the worst way - to be healthier.

This was somewhat influenced by my recent trip to AZ to visit Sis. With the new direct flights between Springfield and Phoenix-Mesa, we are now only 2 hours apart.

That's great but with the recent controversies about obese passengers on planes I was a bit apprehensive. So I searched the subject and found.... Not much specific info. Well, except for the fact there is a certain percentage of the population who doesn't think obese passengers should fly at all.

They should, at this time, adjourn to the celery stick bar and not bother to read the rest of this.

All I could find was this: If you weigh over 250 pounds and cannot fit into a seat - using a seat belt extender - and/or cannot put both armrests down, you should buy 2 seats. It seems, if there is room on the flight, most airlines will seat you in a double seat for no additional charge, and some - again, according to space available - will refund the price of the second seat.

I could find no specifics about the airline we were using (Allegiant) so I just prayed it would be okay.

At 290 pounds, I was a tad skeptical. After all, the last several times I had flown I had been able to just get the seat belt around me with no extender so here I go.....

The outbound flight we were assigned seats on the side of the plane where there were 2 seats. I got my belt snapped without an extender - and I put down the armrest with no problems.

Coming home, I was really worried... After all, not only had I eaten a Thanksgiving dinner, but also ate more than I usually did overall. (But, oh! Was it good!!) But again, I fit into the seat belt. Phew!!!

With the exception of the seats not reclining on either flight it was a great. But then, those airplane seats don't really recline anyway so that minor detail was no loss.

However.... Before we left I had ordered a scale that analyzes body fat percentage and hydration levels along with weight. It was waiting at the post office when we returned.

So I unpacked it, put in batteries, read the instructions and tried it out.

Bear in mind... The last time I had stepped on one of these I was working as a temp in the office of a bariatric doctor and at that time I weighed around 200 pounds and according to their scale I was 58% body fat. So this time I was expecting a reading of 80 or 90%. Maybe even more.

I got my weight - 289 pounds, then "Err3". Hmmm...... I looked up "Err3" and it said my "body fat percentage was outside readable levels". It didn't give me a hydration level. Back to the book. After all, I had to be something less than 100%, right?? (Yeah, I know - but not by much - LOL!!)

As I was scouring the book looking for the problem Hubby came through the kitchen and his eyes lit on a new gadget.

"Here," I said "take off your shoes and try this."

"Do I HAVE to take off my shoes?" Now, before you all accuse me of husband abuse - he was wearing house slippers...

"Yes, you have to take off your shoes and socks and stand on here barefoot or it can't do a reading".

After just a bit of whining he took off shoes and socks and (after I played with the settings) stepped on the scale.172.4 pounds, 78% body fat, 48% water.

So, okay. This told me the scale does, indeed, work.

Here I was, proud of finally working myself up to 2 minutes a day (from 15 seconds!) and I find out my body fat percentage is "above readable levels".

I took hubby's advice. I made us some chocolate malts and we sat and watched TV a while to think it over.

Now my goal is to get to the point where my body fat is down to "readable" levels. Then I'll work on the rest of it.

Good (EARLY!) Morning!

2009-10-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

I got up at 3 am because I woke up about 2 am and couldn't get back to sleep. Partly because I am hurting and partly because my heart rate decided to hang out around 190 and I could hear the "thump-thump-thump-thump" in my ears no matter which way I turned so I knew I would have to get up and sit a while to distract myself from it.

This morning I go to Springfield for a pacemaker check - this is the yearly one where they download it and check buttery level and such. This particular visit adds further to my frustration with the whole situation. I only have the pacemaker check this time - the doctor visit has now been pushed to April. I remember the frustrating months leading up to my diagnosis, thinking that when I had a diagnosis I could be treated and resume my life. I was wrong.

We will make our trip to Springfield this morning, probably eat lunch somewhere down there then come home and collapse and watch TV.

In our shape, we love satellite TV and DVR's.

But I'd still love to see a magic pill.

Oh, What a Bargain!

2009-09-15T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hubby was out and about a couple days ago and he came home with great news - he had found an elliptical exercise machine at a yard sale - the tag on it said "make offer" but he figured it would still be more than we could afford so he started to walk away when the lady yelled, "How about $5?" So, of course, he returned with a larger vehicle and we brought it home.

The thing weighs - according to the online info he found - 125 pounds. So it was a bit of a struggle getting it in and out of the car, but once we did the little wheels on the front were great! We managed to wrestle the thing to the kitchen.

In the meantime, Hector the cat escaped to the Great Outdoors.

We discovered it an elliptical trainer takes up roughly the same floor footprint as a kitchen island. (I threw in that tidbit just in case you are considering installing one of these in your kitchen)

So Hubby stepped on it and did... 20 seconds! Whew! What a workout! I lasted 10.

By later that afternoon, Hubby had found an online owner's manual to our new Weslo 710 Elliptical Trainer - we now could use the pulse counting feature on this machine... Which really did not do me much good since I apparently couldn't stay ON the machine long enough for the pulse counter to kick in.

So Monday morning, as my coffee was brewing I again stepped on the machine with a goal in mind. 20 seconds... I managed to do 15. But it was long enough to watch my pulse track - I went from 64 resting to 147 to 192.

Okay - I expected this, after all, I have Sick Sinus Syndrome. No, it doesn't mean my nose is stopped up.

The Sino-Atrial node is a bundle of nerves in the middle of your heart - the "coordination center" if you will... Kind of like a 4-way traffic light. It tells each chamber of your heart when to beat to keep things in rhythm. Mine does not work properly - in other words, I have "electrical problems".

I know from several multi-day heart monitors my heart rate frequently runs up into the 190's several times a day without the activity of the shiny new elliptical trainer.
Just think, a lot of people pay money for someone to help them exercise to raise their heart rate. I can do it just sitting and reading.

But I know I still need the physical activity - and this morning? I did a whole minute on the elliptical!

Oh - we turned the machine around where we can now watch the living room TV while exercising.

Maybe having an elliptical in the kitchen will become a style - is there a better way to remind us to watch what we eat?

BTW - the 2 pounds I put back on this week? I'm certain it is newly-gained muscle weight from all the exercise!

Size Matters

2009-06-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

The neighbor came knocking on the door a few days ago. He needed me to take digital photos of a booth he was building for a local pizza place.

I took the photos then he asked "Would you sit there and eat pizza?"

"No".... Then I tried to fit into the booth - it was a tight squeeze. "I'm not the largest person around."

Somehow, in his calculations, he had forgotten that not everyone is the same size he is. Fortunately, he had constructed the booth in such a way it was easily dismantled and adjusted.

I just spent most of a week traveling with my sisters, we stayed at 3 different motels, 3 different chains. Only the last one, Super 8, had chairs that comfortably fit me.

Even doctor's offices have a lack of seating that will comfortable fit a plus-size person. I'm well aware the decorators that purchase the furniture are not connected to the doctors, but they need to be more aware of this issue.

Okay, I realize that earlier in this blog I went off on Dairy Queen.... Now I'm picking on motels and doctors offices. But the problem is everywhere.

Maybe we need a "Be Kind To The Fluffy" week to raise awareness?

Decoration Day

2009-05-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

That's what I grew up hearing - "Decoration Day". I asked Daddy what Memorial Day was and he explained it was what people called Decoration Day.

Decoration Day was the day the cemeteries should all be mowed, trimmed, old flowers cleaned off of the graves and replaced with new ones.

It is - Springtime in the cemetery. Time for renewal (which might sound silly to some) and a general "spruce up" of the burial grounds.

I know, it started out as a day to decorate the graves of Confederate veterans - and now as "Memorial Day" it is considered a day to honor all veterans. But I'm a bit Southern; and as a Southern woman, I reserve the right to fuss over cemeteries.

Some may ask why anyone would bother with cemetery maintenance.

We humans have an innate need to connect to our past - to know where we came from. Perhaps to give us a more grounded feel for where we are going.

Some may think me morbid, but others, I know, will understand what I am saying.

Many years ago, in the early 1980's, I went for a walk every evening. My first husband and I lived in Memphis, TN and I followed a street back to a long-deserted cul de sac and followed the broken sidewalk around the loop back home. I began to smell gas on my walk so I called the appropriate city office to report it. The next day the road was closed - a major gas leak was found and during the excavation an old cemetery was also re-discovered.

It makes you stop and think. Did the people there have no descendants? How, exactly, is one "lost" to time?

I know, people move and don't bother (or maybe they are/were unable) to write back to loved ones and tell of their whereabouts. Many things happen in this world that separate loved ones. I've been known to drop off of the face of the Earth myself.

The cemetery at our church has 2 "mystery" graves - one headstone simply says "Little Girl", the other says "The Stranger"...

They were both unknown to us until last year when a lady in the community died and her husband ordered a double headstone for them, and smaller ones for Little Girl and Stranger.

It seems that back in the 1880's a wagon train was moving through this area and the people were sick - one little girl died and she was buried in our church cemetery. Her name has been lost to time and once in a while I search out and read historical notes - hoping to perhaps read an account from this wagon train and maybe find out a name for this little girl. I know that her momma and daddy undoubtedly mourned her passing - for as long as they lived. In their honor, and in honor of the sacrifices these early pioneers made to explore and open this great country we live in, we keep her grave neat and this year we planted some daffodils on her grave.

The Stranger has a different story. In the 1920's, here in Dallas County, MO, there were several "squatters' shacks" in the area. Stranger was found dead in one of these shacks - searches of the man and his shack turned up absolutely nothing in the way of identification. He was wrapped in a sheet and laid to rest next to Little Girl. This spring, we also planted daffodils on his grave.

I'm positive that somewhere Stranger also had family - maybe he was a husband and father who came to this area to make enough money to send for his family. Perhaps he was a brother of a family who came here looking for a way to help his parents and siblings.

We will probably never know. But they were living, breathing people whoever they were. Lost souls? Maybe. But they are being remembered. Their final resting places are now marked and we can only hope future generations will do the same.

I know I do my best to make sure others are aware of the stories, such as they are, will be handed down.

Times Are Tough ALL Over

2009-04-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

I can especially see it in the thrift stores the last few times we have been in them.

Usually when we got to Springfield we visit a few. Sometimes looking for something specific, sometimes just to see what they have.

Yesterday we were in one of our favorites for Hubby to look at some jeans. I wandered around to see what they had - I'm nosy...

I spotted a great-looking Targus laptop case - black leather, many compartments - it was marked $2.59 and I was opening each compartment to check it out. As I opened one of the Velcro compartments with a "RRRIIIPPPP!!" this elderly gentleman (I use that term loosely!) stepped around the corner and announced "THAT is MINE!! I SAW IT!!" and he grabbed it out of my hands. "MY projector fits right here and my laptop goes right here!" And off he went. Proudly carrying the wonderful bag.

Well, perhaps I should have stood my ground. On the other hand, if he wanted it bad enough to snatch it from my hands I would have felt pretty stupid wrestling an old man to the floor right in the Thrift Store For The Blind.

And I probably had 175 pounds on the guy.

Okay - maybe he wasn't too sharp...

It's a Spring Thing

2009-04-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Insomnia. Yes, I get it at other times of the year, but this year the allergies are really starting to get me. I lie down and my head hurts from congestion. I get out of bed and sit up for a while, either drinking hot tea or maybe just writing for a while, and it improves.

So I go back to bed. After all, it is only 3AM, why not go back to bed?

I will be back up within a half hour, head still hurting.

I went through this last night and this morning, and was still miserable when I got up this morning.

Thankfully, Hubby slept through most of it. Although, he seemed to think I was up most of the night.

On the other hand, these Ozark hills are blooming and beautiful. You can see the former old homesteads by the lush lilac bushes and Daffodils coming up in otherwise strange places.

We have been here since 2004 and still every spring will bring a surprise or two since this place has been here for so long.

I know that eventually Spring will give way to the long, hot days of Summer and those days will run me into the house and the air conditioner. I know Autumn will come and bring a whole different set of allergens. Then the cold of winter will be here for a while before Spring once more bursts forth.

They all have the good and bad. I am a bit hard put to pick a favorite. But probably I enjoy the feeling of walking through "green kool-aid" I get sometimes when I step into the heavily wooded area around my house. I can smell the lilacs, I can listen to the birds, I can enjoy the sight of the flowers and the buds on the trees, and know there's always more to look forward to around the corner.

He's Obviously from Washington

2009-03-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today I got a bill from Aetna for my Medicare Part D plan. $29.10 per month was supposed to be deducted from my Social Security check each month to cover the premium but somehow Aetna missed the boat and now sends me a bill for $116 and change - they thoughtfully, no doubt for my convenience, added on the April premium too.

So I called them to find out why the premium was not being deducted. They said I had not signed up for it and I asked if I could do so. No, not until I have a zero balance; but I was welcome to make a partial payment and the young man let me know how terribly generous they were....

Aetna: We also can deduct from your bank account so it won't come out of your Social Security.

Me: The only income we have in this house is from Social Security, so, ultimately it will come out of my Social Security.

Aetna: You could also put it on your credit card, that way, it won't affect your bank account either!

Me: Well, even if I put it on a credit card, it would still come out of my Social Security.

By now, it was getting a bit entertaining so I carried the phone in to Hubby's computer room so he could enjoy too....

Aetna: Oh, no! No, ma'am... if it was put on a credit card or deducted from your bank account it has absolutely no bearing on any money you get from Social Security.

Me: Okay, Social Security is the only income we have so any way I go about it - it will come from Social Security.

Aetna: No, absolutely not!

Me: You're from Washington, aren't you?

The Butter Dilemma

2009-03-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

It was a nice morning and I was in need of some onions to put in the 15-bean soup I was making for this evening's HopeKeepers meeting so Hubby and I decided to go out for breakfast, that way I wouldn't be making a trip to "town" for just one item.

We debated where to eat as we drove the 8 miles to town and decided to eat at one of the older, full service places instead of a fast-food establishment. It left us with 3 choices: Breakfast Nook, Simms, and Time Out Cafe.

Breakfast Nook has an omelet Hubby is very fond of, but they have a smoking section... More often than not, the desire for smoke free air outweighs the desire for the omelet - and since they are about 25% pricier than the other places they lose out more often than not.

Time Out Cafe has a great breakfast - and it is breakfast anytime - but they don't seem to have comfortable seating anywhere in the place. Plus trying to pay your check to get out of there is very unhandy. However, they have great carry out service and a lot of times on our way home from church I call in a take out order and we pick it up and bring it home.

So we went to Simms. Sat down in a booth, and looked over the menu. Hubby ordered an omelet, I ordered 2 eggs, scrambled - well done, with hash browns, bacon and whole wheat toast.

There was only one other table occupied when we went in - very unusual - to say the least. Normally at 8:30 AM on any day of the week the place is a bit crowded. Not today.

The waitress brought me a cup of coffee that tasted like they had brewed and re-brewed the same grounds for a few days, the non-dairy creamer I was given didn't do a thing to redeem it - it had a slight taste of diesel fuel. (uhmmm, yeah, I DO know what it tastes like!)

But the hash browns were perfectly crispy, my eggs were nice and done and the bacon was great. Then I took a bite of the toast. They had served me dry toast!

Why, WHY in the world would a restaurant serve dry toast?

Then comes one of those Great Debates....

Do I, as an almost-300 pound woman, ask for butter? Hmmm.....

I didn't.

Tattletale!!

2009-01-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

"Maaammmaaaa!!!!!! The mean goats escaped! They're scaring away all the birdies!!"

"Bad goats... BAAADDDDD GOATS!!"

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

Mimosa Hill is starting the year of 2009 by celebrating the arrival of Nina - named for the year she was born. (Her Auntie Carolyn came up with the name!)

Nina and her momma Holly are doing well.

Holly, however, says we have admired Nina long enough!

The New Year Approaches

2008-12-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

Some may be intimidated by the thought of a new year coming. Not me. MY resolution for the approaching year? NO RESOLUTIONS!!!!

Nope.

Nada.

Ain't gonna happen.

Granted, there are things I want to accomplish this year, goals I want to see come to fruition, but I'm not going to make a big deal out of them. I'm just going to keep working in the general direction.

I want Hubby's Botox treatments for his headache (the one he's had since 1990!!) to be approved.

I would LOVE to see the attic completed. Or at least see the plumbing put in up there? Another potty in the house would be great! I mean, come on - is that asking too much??!?!?

In the grand scheme of things, I already have more than I deserve. I have a wonderful hubby who loves me, a cozy house, and 2 snuggly kitties. Every spring I have beautiful flowers blooming in the yard (thanks to a past owner!) I can enjoy, and once in a while one of the Pygmy goats has a baby to admire and spoil.

A New Year?!?!? Bring it on!!!

Gray and rainy

2008-12-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

But its better than snow - or worse yet, sleet!

Our furnace is acting up - it keeps blowing cold air. We had it installed in 2005 so I would think it would still be under warranty. The HVAC guy says it is a "rollout switch"?? (rollover?? durn if I know!!) anyway, Hubby has to turn off the breaker then go into the attic and re-start the whole thing later. HVAC guy came and did something to it, and said if it keeps misbehaving he will order a new switch. Needless to say, he HAS been called to get a new switch!

Good thing we kept the infrared propane heater in here when we had the central heat put in. We would have been in trouble a few times.

December 23, 7pm our HopeKeepers group is having a "footwashing" again. Last year a good time was had by all - and soft, smooth feet reigned throughout the Lindley Christian Church. Anyone who thinks they are interested in attending - drop me a line!

There's a Chill In The Air!

2008-10-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

I do believe Autumn is coming. I see the big black-and-yellow garden spiders have their webs built all over the property, we have even had a couple days when the furnace has been on, leaves are beginning to change.

On the other hand, my bones don't appreciate the cooler weather. Oh well, I suppose this is one of the "rewards" of getting older maybe? God's way of telling me to take it easier?

It is knitting weather - I can sit and knit for hours - when my hands don't hurt!

It is also "baking" weather. This is the time of year when all the baking I didn't do in the summer because the weather was too hot is welcome. Nothing warms the house quite as well as a batch of cookies!

6 Years

2008-09-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Since I last worked. I went to work that day determined to at least stay until 1pm, because we were having a memorial prayer service for the victims of 9/11 at noon. But by 10 am it was obvious I could no longer sit up, much less walk to the service then stand for it, so I had to call Hubby to come get me.

It has been a long 6 years - mostly frustrating - but I feel like things are settling down a bit.

Now I am working on a book about Hubby's plane crash and his life with a head injury. It is coming together slowly, and it might take me a couple years - but I hope not.

6 years. It seems like a lifetime ago I was a working, productive person. I have times when I feel like I'm useless, but then I think about what I CAN do. I participated in a clinical trial for a new drug earlier this year, I lead a support group for people with chronic pain and illness, I have been doing pilot studies for Continuing Education Units for a company who makes CEU's for health care professionals. I help people with Medicare Part D problems - and really, any medical insurance problem that requires an appeal.

Maybe I'm not in the "corporate" world anymore. But I'm here!

Just A Bit Of An Update

2008-07-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

The rains we have had thus far has put us more than 13 inches ahead of "normal" for the year - it seems to rain ALL the time! But that's not a complaint - our yard has managed to bloom in ways I could only imagine. It has been beautiful.

Progress has been made on the attic room. Slow progress, but progress none the less. I would LOVE to see it finished - at least enough for us to make a move to - before school starts so David can move into his (currently our) room. The guys have part of the plywood for the floor down, the insulation has been purchased, the paneling has been purchased, the wiring and plumbing has been purchased.... now the thing missing is... energy! Of the human kind. But we will get there.

For the past couple of weeks my fibromyalgia has flared and I am having a hard time just walking around. I missed church last week, then yesterday I did not have coffee - it slipped my mind I guess because I just wasn't up to getting into the kitchen all day - and today I am on the leading edge of a migraine. Then this morning I had my telephone pacemaker check and I couldn't get a reading with the magnet on the pacer so we have to make a trip to Springfield on Friday for them to check it.

Flowers!

2008-05-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

I love this color!

Okay - I love this color too!

I have never seen "this" peony before! Apparently all the rain we have had this year has brought it out. The darker pink ones are budding but not bloomed yet.

The Dentist...

2008-04-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

Not one of my favorite things to do - going to the dentist.

I know... It's a totally unreasonable fear. But it's there.

Not that my dentist is a bad guy - actually, he's a very nice guy and he has never hurt me. But a childhood trauma has left deep scars.

So - I will hit the Xanax and go. And sleep.... And get through it.

I waited all winter!

2008-04-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

I love this yard! The peonies and several other things aren't even bloomed yet.

Electronic Meltdown

2008-04-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

No, not just today. I saw the signs well ahead of time and it is just now catching up with me.

It started a few weeks ago with, of all things, my sewing machine. The Singer my ex-husband begrudgingly bought for me at Wal-Mart in 1996. The bobbin case broke and when I took things apart I saw the nylon gears were worn and pretty much stripped so not worth the effort/cost to repair.

Then Roomba went nuts... Poor Roomba. The faithful little vacuuming robot that keeps the living room and hallway free of the worst of the Hector hair. It now goes just a few feet before playing the "I'm full" song. Not to be confused with the "I'm stuck" song or the "my battery is low" song. I have cleaned Roomba inside and out. Poor baby.... Maybe it's an "I'm tired of cat hair" song.

Well, the last straw came Wednesday when I discovered I could not send out e-mail. I mean, really!!!!

For me, that's serious stuff. It's the way I stay in touch with my friends and family. By yesterday the condition had turned serious enough that both sisters actually called me.

I hoped, really hoped, the situation would fix itself - that maybe one of the squirrels running on the wheel that makes my computer run was back from vacation or whatever the problem was. But at 4am I turned on Toshi the Toshiba and sure enough, my e-mail still would not send. It kept sending me a "message undeliverable" note. Not really a note - an annoying e-mail.

So, I called Centurytel. As much as I hated to, I did it. I expected to spend at least an hour on the phone,but the problem was taken care of quit quickly. YAAY!!! Now I'm back in business. The techs there that I have dealt with have been very nice.

As to the sewing machine and Roomba, I am debating. The sewing machine might not get replaced. Roomba.... Well... I'll think a while longer on that one!

Some things

2008-04-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

just don't make sense.

Take, for example, fast food restaurants.

A few days ago Hubby and I went to Dairy Queen. What, I ask you, is THE main item Dairy Queen sells? ICE CREAM!

Not exactly a diet food. But Hubby and I went there for breakfast. He placed our order then went to a booth - I was lagging behind because I stopped to fill my coffee cup, then I went to join him.

THIS is where one of my greatest pet peeves comes in. I cannot fit into the booth. Okay. I will fit, kind of. It is a squeeze and my tummy is rubbing against and hanging over the table top which makes me think I do not fit.

Okay. I do call myself "Fat Lady".... and I'm not trying to hide the fact I am a fat lady. But let's be realistic - at 270 pounds I am far from being the largest woman around. Indeed - at a size 24 jeans, MY 270 is rather... well.... trim.

I mean, I know other large ladies who weigh in at 250 and wear a 34 or so.... (Uhmmm.... I wonder if they go to Dairy Queen?)

I don't want to pick just on Dairy Queen, I mean, I have the same problem at Hardee's, McDonalds, Wendy's (but I must say, the Wendy's I have been in have far more table and chair set-ups than booths).

So are they trying to, maybe "help" us? Are they sending a message?

"If you no longer fit in the booth, you aren't welcome"....

Hmmm..... And Hubby wonders why I usually want to take the food to go or eat in the car!

It's Monday

2008-04-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

Feels like it's Monday times three.

I go back to the doctor today. My blood pressure goes up (yeah - TOO high!) when I lie down and since I tend to pass out when I sit upright too long that is a problem.

On the upside - I have managed to move my computer back to my laundry room where I have my big "birdwatching window" and that is an improvement.

The Pain Wall

2008-03-23T02:36:00.000-07:00

It's 4:30am, I have been up since 3. Sir Hector came in to check on me about 2:30am probably because I quit snoring and he wanted to see if mom was all right. He snuggled and purred a while then I decided there was no use tossing and turning and waking up Hubby so I got up, did some stretching (it didn't help), unloaded the dishwasher and made some tea.

Easter morning and I have hit the pain wall.... The point between "I can handle this" - that's about a 6-7 on a pain scale of 1- 10 - and "I can't do this!" which is 8 or above... The point where you will find me in the fetal position on the couch or bed.

I really need to go to church this morning - it is, after all, Easter. And I also need to just medicate myself enough to just sleep the worst of the pain off. What to do??

More than likely I will go to church and just end up laying on the floor of one of the Sunday School rooms for the majority of the service. But then, again, I might go ahead and medicate myself and crawl back in bed.

March

2008-03-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here I am, barely half way through March and it ranks high on my list of months-that-are-not-my favorites.

First of all I seem to have been struck with the dreaded gastroparesis. Not unusual for someone with autonomic issues and so far I have considered myself very fortunate to have escaped issues of that nature. Uncomfortable to put it mildly. But I am trying to handle it. I figure I will get through it; or not.

Of course, gastroparesis is aggravated by narcotic pain meds and I can't take NSAID's so that has left me trying to manage pain with hot packs and hot baths. Not good. When you wake up in the morning with pain of 5-6 on a 10-scale and it progresses to a 7 as the day goes on, it is difficult to manage simple day-to-day things like just getting up to go to the bathroom, much less a daunting task like cooking. Cleaning is out of the question and if it were not for a nice lady from church coming by a couple times a week we would undoubtedly be living in a real pig sty!

Then there is the weather. At least we have escaped the severe ice storms we had last year. I know I am spoiled first of all by the Montana Banana Belt winters - where ice was unheard of and the snow was so light and fluffy it would all be blown away within a couple hours - then the first few winters we were back here the winters were mild. I know this one is "average" for us but it seems like it is lasting forever.

I have missed church a couple of times, and I am cutting back on the few things I participate in there. The HopeKeepers group now has one meeting a month at the church and we go out to eat for the other meeting.

Tomorrow I am scheduled to make a presentation at the DAR meeting, and this time the ladies are going to get me ... reading out of a book. It is Women's History month and I have an excellent book I will take, then pass around. This is my last DAR meeting. This is something else I can't deal with. For the moment I will maintain my membership but not attend meetings.

I feel like I am slipping down the hill. A hill where I have never reached the top, a hill where I know I cannot reach the top. But now I feel like the hill has had an avalanche!

What sibling rivalry?

2008-03-07T16:59:00.001-08:00

Hector and Callie...

What sibling rivalry?

2008-03-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

Hector and Callie...

It's a bad sign

2008-03-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

The gas man backed into the driveway this afternoon - which is rare because he usually shows up early in the morning. But, anyway, here he is - at 1pm...

He first went to the backyard and looked at the tank then he came to the kitchen door. He told us our tank was 40% full right now - since we weren't needing gas now, instead of topping it off he thought we should wait. Because the price has gone WAY high (no, he didn't say how high!) and maybe by next time the price would be down. So I hope the price doesn't continue to go UP!

A Painful Truth

2008-02-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

The first painful truth is this. We watch "American Idol". So those of you who were watching last night saw each contestant reaval something personal about themselves. One plays tennis, another is a gymnast, etc.

One young man, from Blue Springs, MO, revealed he is a "Word Nerd". He loves words, he loves to do crossword puzzles, he can sit and contently read a dictionary. He sang his song - very well, as far as I am concerned, and Simon told him his singing was boring. HE was boring, His interest in words was... boring.

I commented to Hubby that I did not find his video boring, I thought he was interesting.

Hubby's response?? "Of course you thought he was interesting! You ARE a Word Nerd too!"

Uhmmm..... Oh.

I seem to be at a loss for words.

Our Anniversary

2008-02-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

We went to Branson to celebrate our anniversary - 8 years! Wow, it doesn't seem like that long. They have been 8 great years. Maybe not from all points of view - but the bad times I have been through, it has been wonderful to have someone beside me to share the burden.

This man has stood by me and supported me, held my hand during some dark times, and never complained.

Love you, Hubby!!

2008-02-22T00:18:00.000-08:00

Allow me to go back to Monday; I felt bad to begin with, I had been up all night with the baby goats, and Hubby and I went to town to pick up stuff for the babies and make a very quick trip to Wal-Mart. I picked up some children's chewable vitamins.

I just can't take vitamins - but I am always hearing that I should. But they upset my stomach and I don't feel any "better" when I take them. I decided I would try some children's chewable vitamins since I seem to have better luck with things that are chewable.

Wally World's vitamin selection had an Equate brand of children's chewable so I got a bottle of them - when I got home I ate one and I broke a second one in half and crushed up one part of it to mix with the baby goat's milk.

By 2pm I started to feel like I had tendonitis - all over my body.

Okay - I had spent the whole night pretty sleepless; and getting up and down from the floor while dealing with the goats. So if my hip and back were hurting that would probably explain it. But then my knees started to hurt; and my skin was starting to hurt. At 4pm I found myself just sitting huddled on the couch crying. I had taken Vicodin twice, 50 mg of Phenergan by then and some Excedrin Migraine. For a few minutes I debated going in to soak in a warm bathtub but I wasn't sure if I could get myself out of it once I got in. I ate 4 (81 mg) children's aspirin and waited. I thought maybe the inflammed feeling I had in my skin would surely subside at least. Or maybe the Phenergan would put me to sleep. This went on until around 6 or so.

I sat and wondered what I had done to myself to bring this on. Then I remembered the vitamins...

Sure enough - they contained aspartame!

As someone who has fibromyalgia, I cannot blame anyone but myself - I should have read the label more carefully. But who, WHO in the world would have thought about an artificial sweetener in a children's vitamin?

30 pounds!

2008-02-21T16:32:00.000-08:00

Yaay!! That is a milestone.

Sunday our young nanny goat had triplets - again, she rejected her babies. Last time she had a single and rejected it, and we lost it, this time by the time we took the babies one of them had managed to find her way into the neighbors back yard. It died of pneumonia overnight. I worked and worked all day Monday on the second one. Antibiotics and warmth didn't help, though and it died. The third one is quite healthy.

But I told Hubby I am not up to this and neither is he. We called a neighbor who had been wanting goats and I told her of this nanny's history of rejecting her kids - and I offered her both the nanny and the remaining kid. She was thrilled to get the goats and I was thrilled to be rid of them.

Tuesday she brought the kid over for me to kid-sit while she took her MIL to the doctor and the kid is SO healthy! She followed me around the house, slept and is very heartily eating from a bottle. I know I made the right decision for the goats, for me, and for the neighbor.

I still feel as though I am in a downward spiral. A lot of days I barely have the energy to fix my morning oatmeal - in the microwave!

28 pounds!

2008-02-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

269 - YAAY!!!!

It's slow, but it is coming off.

Today I polished the silver at church in anticipation of Tuesday's dinner. I also let it be known I will NOT be doing this dinner next year. It is just too much for me.

I hope I will have the energy to do pictures Tuesday night like I did last year. I also hope and pray the weather will cooperate! Ice storm expected tomorrow - but it is supposed to end Monday afternoon then have a bit of a warm up.

Tomorrow I need to bake a couple of cakes for Tuesday. I also need to make Rick's bow tie.... It never ends!

Supposed to be a day of rest

2008-02-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

But it wasn't. We have been entirely too busy for the past few weeks and it is just too much for me. After spending the majority of yesterday in the ER with a friend of ours we resolved for today to be a day of rest.

I have had a really rough time lately and I feel like I am at about 50% of my "new" normal... Which is not much! Believe me, I have been a slug for the past several years. At my worst was 2002 - 2003 in Montana when I was stuck in bed for months. I had days when making it the 5 steps to the bathroom was an issue and self-care, even washing my face or brushing my teeth was out of the question. I can, at least keep up THAT much now!

Fortunately we have friends who will come and help once in a while with the heavy cleaning, and my Roomba is once again running so that saves me a lot.

Dusting I can't keep up with. Kitchen floor, cleaning the bathroom, laundry....

Some weeks I can't function well enough to make it to church; sometimes I make it but I end up lying on the floor of one of the Sunday school rooms.

Cooking - oh boy - there's a challenge! But I manage once a week or so to make a big enough batch of something to eat on it all week. Maybe whole-wheat pasta, perhaps brown rice and veggies.

I suppose in time this, too, shall pass.

But I am EXTREMELY frustrated in the meantime!

I have more important things to do.

A White-Out

2008-01-30T23:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, a white-out! As in, blizzard conditions! It was 61 degrees at 11am then, by 1pm it was 20 degrees and visibility was very bad.

Fortunately, Hector weathered the storm just fine.... As you see!

The wind was so bad our swing in the front yard blew over.

For tomorrow -we are forecast to get 10 - 12 inches of new snow.

Hurry, Spring!!

Yay!! 25 pounds!

2008-01-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

272 - yes, indeed, I am 25 pounds lighter and it isn't quite the end of January.

I know the weight will be harder to get rid of the longer I go, but I believe if I just hang in there I WILL be able to lose 100 pounds.

I am impressed by the fact the Abs Diet stresses healthy eating habits - not just certain things you can and can't eat. Nothing is off limits.

Just Not Myself

2008-01-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

I have been struggling with fatigue for a couple of months. Not my usual fatigue, but something all-consuming that knocks me down so bad I can't get past it.

On my last visit with my doctor he did an extensive blood panel, all was normal. Apparently I am feeling the effects of the normal chronologic progress of NMS. The exhaustion is all-consuming.

I went off of my diet for a little over a week thinking that perhaps it would help. But no. So, at approximately 276 pounds, I resume my diet.

But I'll be open with the fact I am greatly bummed out with the fact my energy is slipping away more. I feel that I am treading water and I just can't stay up.

Size 24

2008-01-18T08:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, my size 24 jeans FIT. Not just barely - not squeezing into them - they comfortably fit.

Yaay!!

I put a batch of brown rice i the steamer this morning, along with some frozen peas and carrots. I froze several small containers of them. I can microwave them then add a bit of olive oil and some sliced almonds - YUM! My version of a TV dinner.

Of course, I can also stir-fry some cubed beef with mushrooms and onions to put on top and make a bigger meal.

2008-01-18T05:11:00.000-08:00

276.2

Yesterday we had an exciting time trying to get a tiny pill down Hector. I finally got it encased in peanut butter so it wouldn't be so hard to evade and accomplished my mission.

Problem with him is he does not like anything except his dry kibble. What cat doesn't like tuna???

New Scales!

2008-01-17T14:58:00.001-08:00

So - starting point: 279.4

The old ones had so much variation in the readings I could never really tell what was going on.

Had some snow today but not enough to even cover the ground and it left as quick as it fell.

2008-01-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

Planning is underway for our annual HopeKeepers Banquet. This year the main course is Baked Ziti.

Last year I was too frazzled trying to do too much so I believe I will ask someone else to speak.

Right now I'm getting invitations ready to go in the mail.

2008-01-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

276 this morning - doctor visit this afternoon. Wonder what the doctor's scales will read?

It was cold. I'm talking really, really, cold. 8 degrees cold. Late at night I woke up and thought I heard the sound of a goat in distress.

"Maaaahhh... Maaaahhhhh.... Maaaahhhhh...."

I envisioned coyotes - those sneaky varmints I hear yipping back in the woods sometimes - going after the adorable baby goats and I could just picture Nanny being distressed by such a thing, and of course, being a mom myself I couldn't let anything happen to the babies so I jumped out of bed, threw on my big thick terry cloth robe, ran to the back room and slipped on a pair of shoes, opened the door and ran out.

Silence. No goat noises.

I walked a little ways toward the barn. Still silence.

Cold, cold, silence. (REALLY cold...)

I waited a couple minutes. Freezing.

Finally went back into the house, turned the heater up to 9 on the electric mattress pad, stood by the heater for a few minutes, then, still shivering, went back to bed.

Again I heard the distressed goat. This time I raised up on one elbow and leaned over near Rick.
It was HIM!

Okay - sometimes he makes a noise like a cat in a distant room who has its tail caught in a lawn mower (yes, I have been known to get up and count kitties!) but the distressed goat noise is new.

THEN it occurred to me. I just went out coyote-chasing in my nightgown.

Well, any coyote in his right mind would have been running scared of an (almost) 300 pound redheaded woman, wouldn't it?

2008-01-12T05:04:00.000-08:00

275 - 22 pounds!! Woo Hoo!!!

The goats escaped yesteday. Fortunately they will come running if they see you heading to the barn because they think you will give them more corn. Yes, they got more corn! Spoiled goats.

Miss Calley got a bath yesteray then her Daddy turned on the heater in the living room so she could lounge in front of it and dry off. He washed her in Garnier Fruictis so she smells nice!

2008-01-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

Back to 279 - so the pesky pound went away again. I have a goal of losing 2 more pounds by Sunday, which would make a total of 20.

Phew!! I hope to lose 100 pounds this year. ONLY 82 to go!! LOL!

BTW, Hector this morning decided skim milk was better than no milk, so now he has milk again.

2008-01-09T06:38:00.000-08:00

280 today - and that's okay. Last night was my weekly "splurge" meal - the one where you eat anything you want. Especially things you have been craving. So I ate a pork tenderloin sandwich with fries and for dessert Hubby took me to Sonic and I got a Butterfinger Sonic Blast.

The Butterfinger Blast was well worth the pound!

Still going down

2008-01-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

Which I find amazing; 279 today - YAY!

On Jan 1 Hubby and I both went on The Abs Diet - but a couple days into it he was staying the same and I was (hee hee!) losing so he went back to Adkins. He has now lost 4 pounds.

Hector the cat has lost 6. Hmm... Probably due to my giving up (*sob*) half and half in my coffee! As you can see - poor Hector isn't too happy about this weight loss business.

Coffee without half and half is sad. Okay - in years past I have convinced myself it is better... but not really! So, many times now I drink tea. It so happens I bought myself a pretty teapot at a yard sale a while back - now I actually use it.

So I have cut out half and half, I no longer eat potato chips by the bowls every night while I watch TV, I no longer eat huge bowls of ice cream - but I DO still eat ice cream. Full fat, full sugar, real-thing ice cream - just not as much or as often.

I eat brown rice, oatmeal, sliced almonds, whole wheat anything-I-can-get-my-hands-on.

This IS, most definitely a lifestyle change. It is doing what I knew was right all along but just didn't want to do.

High fructose corn sweeteners - a lot of cautions in this book about this insidious ingredient which seems to be everywhere in our food. Even in the spaghetti sauce I have been using!

Well, okay. I now do a lot of my food shopping in the nearby Amish Bulk Store. That's okay, the Miller family are all very nice people!

Blech....

2008-01-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

I am typing in green today because that is how I have felt for the past 4 days.... Tummy trouble - it's been going around!

On the upside, I got on the scale this morning and weighed in at 281. Okay - I know it will come back because weight you lose while you are ill always does. But I will enjoy it while I can!!

Brrr!!!

2008-01-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

11 degrees out this morning; 5 yesterday. Too cold! I would normally stay in and keep warm but since Hubby sleeps late I take the dog out first thing when I get up. Glad the cats "go" inside!

290 today - 7 pounds!!!! Can that be right?? WOW!

Day #2

2008-01-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

Down 2 pounds! 295 this morning.

I am actually eating 6 times a day. Last night before bed I was a bit hungry so I had some cereal with skim milk and sliced almonds.

Yesterday for lunch I fixed some whole wheat high-fiber pasta with spaghetti sauce and extra-lean ground beef - not bad! Easy to make. Hopefully I can keep this up.

January 1, 2008

2008-01-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

I got on the scales and it said 297.

For breakfast I had a bowl of oatmeal with sliced almonds and skim milk.

Took Dawg for a walk. Hubby is still trying to come up with a name for him.

Night Before 2008

2007-12-31T20:04:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the first day of 2008. Ten years ago I would not have believed you if you told me I would be retired at this age. Of course, not really retired - but unable to work.

Last night the church would have had a traditional 5th Sunday Singing but we decided to do something different - a foot washing!

One of our members is an Avon Representative and she furnished the foot soak and scrub and lotion. We all had a great time! Even the guys got their feet done. Have you ever heard a group of Missouri farmers discussing how their feet have never been so soft and smooth? I have now!

So, here's to another year of possibilities!