Sunday, August 17, 2003

This morning the smoke from the forest fires was hanging low over our town. That stuff is dangerous, especially for senior citizens. So I will not be taking my usual walk this evening.

I am possibly the oldest person posting to DietTalk. At least I have not noticed anyone else who is in their 70's. I have thought about this for some time, but have not come to any conclusions.

A brief history of my weight-loss efforts. I never expected to live long enough to see the year 2000. Since I did, I felt I should honor the occasion. So on January 1, 2000, I began my weight-loss efforts. I am diabetic, so the exchange program was my WOE, but I invested in a Richard Simmons program complete with Foodmover and some exercise videos. Portion control was my big problem. It took some adjustment in my life.

In the period of time from January 1, 2000, to October 15, 2000, I lost over 45 lbs. Then I hit a plateau until May 1, 2003. A two and a half year plateau is really something to struggle through.

I am now losing very slowly again. Controlling carbs is helping. I have no goal in mind, and actually if I drop no more weight that is OK. My health is OK for an old gal. I survived some surgery last month, and am glad that I lost weight prior to the surgery.

I have been reading some of the journals, and posting to a few. Having a journal looked interesting, so I will now give it a try, at least for a while.

Life is a day to day struggle, but I am enjoying it. I enjoy DietTalk, and appreciate all the information I glean from the postings. There are a lot of good people posting here.

Enough for today. :D

Hi Jo, :wave:

So glad :D you decided to join the Journal Forum ..... I am looking forward to reading your posts .....

Make it a great evening .... and make tomorrow a great day. As always, Monica :wn

Hello,

it doesnt matter what our age to make sure our health is good and i must say congrats to you on making such improvements in yours. your doing very well and i commend you on the efforts.

take care.

Monday, August 18, 2003

It is still a bit smoky from the forest fires, but it had cleared enough this morning so I could go for a welk in the neighborhood. At 8:00 AM it was cool enough so that a heavy sweatshirt was necessary. I walked a little over a mile. Prior to surgery I was doing three miles, six days a week. Hope to get back to that eventually.

It is due to warm up again. But today has been nice and cool.

Today my eating was OK. We had fish for supper. I'm a little tired this evening so I will go to bed early. Probably will do a bit of research for one of my volunteer jobs this evening. I am planning the programming for our womens' group at church for the current year, and that takes a bit of digging.

Life is good, I am enjoying it. :D

hello,

glad to hear life is good.
do you walk with other people from where you live?

I think it is wonderful that you walk. i love to walk too. though i have heel spurs and they hurt i still do walk.

i have indoor walk tapes by Leslie Sanstone called walk off the pounds and they are super.

have a good day and take care.

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Today is the three week anniversary of my surgery. I continue to feel OK, and I am working at regaining my strength.

This morning I walked about 1 1/2 miles, maybe a bit more. I am trying to increase the distance a bit each day. Minnie, I usually walk alone. Very rarely do I have a walking companion. Being alone I can pick the route, set the pace, and think beautiful thoughts. :D

I had work to do at church this morning. As a retired parish secretary I can usually find the things I need for my projects, and my hunt this morning was successful. Then I went to Walmart, the public library, the grocery store, and finally home.

Today the eating has been well within plan. The exercise was the walking. I plan to exercise my brain this evening by reading my new library books. Does reading burn any calories? I doubt it, but I enjoy it.

Life is good, let's all keep smiling -

Jo Jo, I was checking out the new posts and the title of your journal really struck me. I agree, aging is mandatory. I'm really trying to make the effort necessary to do it in a healthy manner.

I am one of the older ones here at DT, though I must admit you have me beat. I lost my weight much the same way you did, slowly, with lots of pauses. And the motivation to be successful this time was the health of my mother and an older brother who developed diabetes. I decided if I had to grow old, at least I could do the best I could to be healthy.

My journal is Mastering Maintenance, One Day at a time. Drop by.

Jo

Hey it's nice to see you here, and I love reading your journal. Actually I don't know the numbers, but I know that you burn more calories reading than you do watching TV.

I think your proof that what my Nana used to tell us was true, age is all in your mind, if that where you want to keep it :)

How wonderful Jo, you never too old..........my daughter's hubby has a great great grammy, she will be 101 this year and still as coherent as the rest of us............Im hoping to be fit by 50, quit the cigs over a yr and a half ago, now battiling my bulge..LoL keep up the good work:)

Tuesday, August 20, 2003

My DH had his appointment with the opthamologist this morning which required dilation, so I drove him. He and I are both on a twice a year visit to the eye doc, and one of the necessary things is an annual eye exam prior to renewing our drivers licenses. I am of mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I firmly believe that is is good to get unsafe drivers off the road. On the other hand I'm sure that our driving days are limited due to age and deterioration. DH has glaucoma and has had one cataract surgery. I have had cataract surgery on both eyes plus I have age related macular degeneration. But there is a bright side, DH passed everything OK this AM so he is OK for another year. :D

When we got home it was too smoky again for my walk. I will probably walk this evening after posting this since a bit of wind has blown most of the smoke away.

Eating today - quite good. Wednesday nights is our soup night which is a crock pot full of veggies, legumes, etc. Cleans out the fridge and provides a good, healthy meal. Why Wednesday? DH goes to Lions' Club for his noon meal on Wednesdays so we can eat light on those evenings.

It's been a good day, although I'll admit I didn't get much done. But tomorrow is another day.

jowc123, vtmom13, and BlueEyez - thanks for stopping by. I will visit your journals later. Jo, we used to live in many towns in Missouri: Columbia, Salisbury, Herman, New Haven, Washington, Arcadia/Ironton, Williamsburg, Independence, etc. Long time ago. In the late 40's DH was employed by various railroads and we lived in a tiny house trailer and moved from place to place to place. Newly married, poor as the proverbial church mice, but having fun. Happy memories.

Life is good, let's all keep smiling.

Jo Jo, we live very close to Independence. And we love Herman Mo. I'm sorry to hear about your concern re driving. I know it is an issue. I actually now try to avoid driving at night or in rush hour. And we are fight with my mother over her driving. Have lost that battle so far. She is 85, in a wheelchair most of the time in her apartment, has bad arthritis, but insists on keeping her car. (She uses a walker when she drives.) She is living in a senior citizen housing and we have her set up with an aide who does her shopping for her. She tells me she only uses the car only rarely, but who knows. I don't know what the answer is for our senior folk.

I am working hard to see that I am in better physical condition at that age. (My mother has weighed 275 pounds most of her life and is shorter than you are.) But I am also thinking about plans to move in a few years to some place that has no stairs and will be close to grocery and pharmacy. Heavy thinking. My husband doesn't like to think about it, but between issues with his mother, my mother, and my ex's mother who I'm still very close to, I can't help but want to make things easier for my kids.

As far as the SBD, I think the level II is a very good plan. I tried level I, and managed for three days. But I ended up with terrible cramps in my feet. So that won't work. Today I added a bread serving, and will add fruit. I'd like to stay at one starch serving a day for another couple of weeks, but I will add my fruit back. I'm amazed at how much I missed it.

Actually, starches have always been my downfall. And they have been the bug a boo for maintenance. I manage portion control very easily on everything else, but not bread. Especially crackers.

Anyway, I'm real glad to meet another Jo. What is your real name? Mine is Mary Jo. People at work used to call me Josephine for fun.

Jo

Hi Jo,
Reading your journal is inspirational. The older we get the harder it is to lose weight. You have accomplish a great weight lost and should be very proud of yourself. Congrats! I know you will continue to succeed,

Mia

Thursday, August 21, 2003

I got my walking in early this morning while it was still quite chilly, chilly enough so that I needed a sweatshirt to keep warm. Fall is on its way, especially here in the mountains. I probably walked about 1 1/2 miles at a pretty good clip. This afternoon it warmed up into the 90's again, so I am glad I walked early. It is still pretty smoky here from the forest fires.

I did a bit of shopping for myself today. My size has changed since I lost weight, and many of my clothes hang on me. What a lovely problem. I really don't enjoy shopping for clothing all that much. However we are going on a trip in September, and the reunion of my DH's WWII military buddies will include a banquet, so appropriate garb needed to be found. And I think I found it. It is a festive dress in dark blue, which will be fine for the reunion banquet and also for the upcoming holiday festivities. No, I am not much of a party animal, but we have a few things to go to occasionally.

This reunion will be in and around Kitty Hawk NC where the Wright Bros. had their first flight. Anyone live around there??? I enjoy traveling and seeing new parts of the country, and I have never been to Kitty Hawk.

It's been a good day for me food wise. I plan to go to bed fairly early.

Everyone, life is good, enjoy!!!

I share your love for clothes shopping 8-| I've never been to Kitty Hawk but if it's like the parts of NC I been in I'm sure you love it. My first Hubby was a Marine and we were posted at Camp in Jackson,NC.

Any how just want to say Hi.

Good Morning Jo, :wave:

Just wanted to stop by and say hello ..... know that I read and enjoy your posts ......

I have missed chatting with you .....

I want to stop by and post in some other Journals ... then I need to get going and be at the hospital with Dee ..... Len is going to have more tests today .....

Thank you for your support ..... YOU ARE A GREAT SOURCE OF SUPPORT ... Make it a great day. As always, Monica :hug:

Hello,

glad to see you doing so well. i love to clothes shop especially for smaller sized clothes.

never been to NC but i know you will have a great time.

take care and enjoy the weekend.

Hey Jo, bet you will have a wonderful trip this fall. And good for you to buy new clothes. Actually, I have pitched all of the big clothes. So if I gain, I will almost have to go naked. (Always before, I kept some stuff, "just in case"). Not this time. This time is forever.

I love to shop too. And since I am sort of retired, I have time to haunt the sale racks. This spring I bought a beautiful pant suit, faux sweade, for $20. Each piece was originally over $50. Now before, I would have worried that by next fall it might not fit. Now, I still worry, because the pants were a little loose, even though they were size 12. They might be too big? No such luck I'm afraid. But they should surely fit, since even my jeans still fit.

So anyway, good for you on your find of a nice dress. And happy vacation.

Jo

Friday, August 22, 2003

A very strange thing happens at our house every weekend. My cooking stove breaks down. Isn't that strange? It repairs itself rather magically by Monday morning each week, but zilch for the weekend. Which means I do not cook on the weekend. This is one of the perks of being retired - we eat out on the weekends. Which we did this evening. I enjoy it, my DH enjoys it, and we both eat properly and healthfully when in a restaurant.

Today the exercise was a nice, brisk walk in the morning. Eating has been OK all day. The wind picked up a bit today and blew all the smoke away. The sky has a few little clouds but right now there is a lot of blue in the sky, I hope that later on we can see Mars. We have been having lots of cloudy evenings and I have yet to see Mars this month.

Hi, vtmom13, Monica, Minnie, and Jo. Thanks for stopping by.

I plan to visit a few journals myself before DH requires the computer. Everyone, let's stay positive about life. It's lots more fun to be positive than it is to be negative. :)

Hey Jo, we don't go out to eat on weekends anymore, EXCETP for an occasiona Sunday champagne brunch. But we do eat out twice during the week, when places are not so crowded. Normally we eat out on Monday nights and Thursday nights.
Being retired is wonderful. But actually, we ate out twice a week when we were working too.

I just spent some time looking through the archives of a Yahoo group I was on. I first hit my 50 pound goal (155) in October of 2001. Then I hit 145 on October 22, 2002. (Those scales were a little lighter than the ones I use now.) I haven't been back in the 140's since Christmas. :( Part of that is the change in scales. Part of that is that we winter in Texas and do champagne brunch once a week instead of occasionally. Part of that is the difficulty of maintenance.

However, I have maintained my original 50 pounds off for close to two years, which ain't too shappy. I sure would like to be down to 147 on these scales by October.

Hey, I think it is great that you and your husband both do internet. We bought my mother an inexpensive computer for her 80th birthday. She enjoys E-mail and jokes, but otherwise does not really utililze it.

I on the other hand, am a compulsive cyber junkie. I belong to several groups and recently have started stalking the web blogs for political insider news and information. I also read the NY Times every day and usually the Washington Post. I would be in deep do do if I get to where I can't read to do the computer.

Jo

Originally posted by EmilyRose
Now git in the kitchen and fix me some viddles. :rofl:

Saturday, August 23, 2003

I had to cook today after all, and it is not just for you, Emi. I suddenly remembered that our church's annual picnic is TOMORROW and it is a potluck, so I had to get with it.

I am taking a couple of pies, and a crock pot full of my world famous sauerkraut meatballs. These are always very well received. I enjoy potlucks, I can always find something that I love to eat and that is good for me. No, I won't eat a bite of my pies, but I will probably eat one of my world famous sauerkraut meat balls.

I am taking extra food, I always do, because we always have extra people attend. And of course my DT friends are all invited!!! Sunday at noon, on our church lawn. It should be easy to find. Ya'll come, I'll be lookng for you.

Today has been a good day for me. I walked in the morning, but since it is Saturday and I walk in a residential neighborhood, I kept finding yard sales. My, oh my. Those are tempting, aren't they? Such distractions. But I did get my walk in. Eating was good, too.

Jo, you have done a great job of maintaining your weight loss, and that isn't easy to do, either. We have some life long eating habits that can return if we aren't careful. It is a day to day struggle, but well worth it.

Church in the morning, then the potluck picnic with all the visiting with friends. I'm looking forward to it, so will get to bed early tonight.

Let's remember that life is good, and we should enjoy it. Now I am going to visit some other journals.

Jo, since you are pretty much where you want to be weight wise, have you ever been over to the Maintenance thread? (My Daily struggle to remain at Goal) It is a great group and we have lots of discussions about the difficulties of maintaining, plus the joys of having lost the weight.

And please, tell us about your sourcraut meatballs?

Jo

Sunday, August 24, 2003

Sunday Weigh-In - No change. Good.

Church in the morning, picnic at noon, home for a needed nap. I usually don't exercise on Sunday. But the eating has been good. There is always healthy food at a potluck/picnic.

Hi, Jo. I have posted at the Goal/Maintenance thread. In fact I have posted at most DT threads at some time in the past. Tonight I am sorta tired, so I think I will find a good book and snuggle down in my recliner. Tuesday will be four weeks post op, and I don't have my stamina back.

It's been a good day for me. The "munchies demon" hasn't struck yet this weekend. Hope I can fend him off.:D

Oh Jo I love tag sales. I'd of had more fun going tag saling on Friday, than I did going to the city shopping [when I say city it mean I drove 2 hours and got to place that has a Wal-Mart :D , VT is kind of rural too]

Your getting around great for so soon after surgery. I still think your are great inspiration to us all. We'll keep that "munchies demon" locked away somehow:o

Monday, August 25, 2003

Exercise - about a two mile walk this morning. A new walking path has opened up near us and I have been walking there. Today I took the part that loops down by the river and through the park. It was very nice.

Food, I have done OK today. Nothing outstanding, but OK. Supper was left-overs from the picnic yesterday, but they were good left-overs.

Now I will go visit some other journals as time allows. Still looking for Mars each evening, but each evening we have been having cloudy skies. :c(

Hello,

I love yard sales and any kind of thrift stores. i cant resist either.

your picnic sounded fun and good food too. i used to love picnics but not too much now as i tend to overeat even though i tell myself i wont.

thanks for posting in my journal with your support and take care.

Tuesday, August 26, 2003

I got to working on the computer this morning and got so involved in what I was doing that the time just slipped away and it got entirely too hot for my daily walk. Bad me. Actually I really don't like to exercise, so it is so very easy to forget to do it. I will do some tomorrow. I am promising myself.

Four weeks post op for me today, and I really am feeling pretty good. I am still on the don't lift more than 10 lbs. restriction. That's OK, though. My DH, Bob, quite willingly does things like vacuuming, laundry, etc. But I do want to get back into useful activity before it turns colder. The windows need washing, and all that good stuff. I will see the surgeon in another week, and probably that 10 lbs. restriction will be lifted.

Eating today was great. We had grilled salmon this evening, and it was mighty tasty. I do enjoy eating, that is part of my problem.

I still haven't seen Mars. It gets cloudy in the afternoons in the mountains. I'll try again tonight.

Life is good. It is a gift we should cherish and appreciate. :D

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

Exercise - about a 2 mile walk this morning. Food today has been well within a good eating plan.

I have been doing some church work, getting ready for our program year with our ladies group. As an old parish secretary, I do enjoy staying involved.

I did finally see Mars.

Now I am going to watch some good TV tonight, PBS has a good concert on. Plus I will be reading a bit. Tomorrow morning I will be seeing the dentist, which is never something I enjoy. It is for cleaning, but you never know what else they may find. :D

hello,

your doing so good with the food and exercise and maintaing nicely.

part of my problem too is i like to eat but i like to eat too much.

finding a good balance of in between.

glad you saw Mars.

I have cleaning to do too before winter hits.

so much work so little time.

well gotta go. take care.

Good morning, Just wanted to thank you for your kind words of encouragement. Curious how long did it take you to get to goal? I see you luv Richard too.........he is my hero:o Keep up the good work

Thursday, August 28, 2003

Exercise - I walked about a mile this morning.
Eating today - Well within my plan.

I had my teeth cleaned this morning, and I am happy that no problems were found. All the teeth in my head are originals, I have not added any extras through the years. Unfortunately I do not have as many teeth as I started out with, but they are still functional. :D

It's been a good day. The weather is beginning to change a bit. Early in the morning it is chilly, then it warms up during the day. Summer is winding down. Here in the high counry we could have snow any time after Labor Day. We did have traces of snow back in June. Our summers are always short.

Everyone, life is good, enjoy.

Hi Jo, :wave:

Glad :Dthat your dentist appt. went well ..... those are the best kind of appts. -- when they don't find anything. In case I miss seeing you ...... HAVE A GREAT LABOR DAY HOLIDAY ... As always, Monica :hug: :wn

Friday, August 29, 2003

On my almost 2 mile walk this morning I got to see birdies, squirrels, bunny rabbits, cats, dogs, horses, cows and a real deer. I don't see the deer very often although I know they are around. What we have in his area are mule deer, and this was a pretty little doe who bounced across my path about 50 feet ahead of me. That was fun. They can be pesty, though, getting in people's gardens and munching on the plants.

We went out to eat this evening, and I had halibut. It was good.

The weather is chilly and windy. Fall is coming.

Let's all keep smiling -

Saturday, August 30, 2003

It rained most of the day today, and it was chilly. I don't think the temperature got warmer than the 50's at all. But I did get my walk in between showers, and my eating has been OK. Wonder why weekends are always a bit of a problem regarding food. Guess we want to snack more.

I've been doing some church work, making a booklet for our ladies group. The makings are scattered all over the dining room table getting in the way of everything. But I'll get it cleaned up eventually.

Everyone, keep smiling. Life is good. Enjoy the holiday.

Hi Jo,
Your walks sound wonderful. I only know to well about them deer. They also like to restyle your vehicles..........I just got mine back friday. Thanks for stopping my journal, its so nice when I get visitors. You lucky with your teeth. I had problems with calcium deficiency in my pregnancies and dont have many of my own left, alot of crowns and partials,,,,,,,,but the work........:D LoL, take care.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Weekly weigh-in - no gain, no loss, that's good.

Church and Bible Class this morning. This is the first morning I have been able to handle both the worship service and the Bible Class since my surgery. I missed one week of church, then figured I was doing so well getting myself to church that I shouldn't push it by staying for another hour for Bible Class. But today went well, so I guess I am continuing my recovery OK.

Tonight we were guests at our son's home with DIL and two young grandchildren. Steak on the barbie, and it was great. Nice visiting with everyone, just a good family get-together.

Now I am tired, so it will be early to bed. I'll be checking in tomorrow. Have a nice Labor Day, everyone. It's a good day to remember our ancestors who worked so very hard. I know my ancestors worked harder than I do. We lead a rather easy existence compared to them.

Sleep well.

Monday, September 1, 2003 (Labor Day)

We flew our flag today for Labor Day. Some of our neighbors fly their flags every day, but we just fly ours on patriotic days, of which Labor Day is one. Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day. We did. It sorta ends the summer season around here.

This morning Bob and I got in the car and drove around town looking at all the new construction. There's been lots of building and repair going on in our town this summer. Of course in Wyoming our summer is rather short, and building must happen during the mild weather. Pretty soon it will be come too cold, snowy and windy to do much construction. But we checked out lots of new stuff. We also ate luncheon at a Hardees, which is something we haven't done in years. I was careful, though. Fast food and I don't meet very often.

We walked down by the new whitewater park, so I did get my walking in. In spite of the fast food luncheon my eating today has been OK. Tomorrow I get a check over by my surgeon. Tomorrow will be five weeks post op. We'll see what she says.

Taking it a day at a time these days. Hope September will be a good month for everyone.

Keep smiling -

Hey Jojo,

Thanks so much for visiting my new journal, it is always nice to have a clean fresh start. My old journal didn't have much good in it.

Glad you are doing better.

How long did it take you to get to goal? And how long have you maintained? Congrats by the way!!!

Good morning Jo Jo,
Glad your holiday was nice. All we had was rain....last weekend of summer and only rain. Yuk.......still cooked out saturday under the patio of course:o Like you our summer is short also. This year shorter than most, winter lingered on and on ...way into April. Then most of summer was rain. Oh well, just wanted to drop in for a quick hello. Have a great day, and hope all goes well with your doctor visit.

Tuesday, September 2, 2003

Eating today - good. Exercise today - good. I walked a couple of miles this morning, and it was nice .

Saw the doctor this afternoon, and I am still doing OK. I should continue to be careful about lifting things, and she wants to see me again in another month.

Nice to have you visit, crazy2 and BlueEyez. Always nice to have friends drop in.

I have much church work to do this evening, writing and stuff like that. Best get it done.

Keep smiling.

September 3, 2003

Exercise - good; eating - good

I met Marie at the church to set up for our meeting(s) tomorrow. She is President and I am Christian Life Chairman, and we will have a meeting in the morning and one in the evening in order to suit everyone. The meeting(s) are identical in format. This is the first meeting(s) of the program year, and we are going to have a good time.

I have been putting together the program booklet, and preparing my report. I am getting a little old for this stuff, but I enjoy doing it. Guess I just like to stay involved.

I think the little smilies that John has made available for us are so cute. I will have to start using them in my journal. 8-}

Everyone, remember - life is good, enjoy.

Hello,

glad to see you keeping yourself busy with good things. i have been busy myself but to busy i think but that comes with raising kids as you already know that.

i am going to work soon and wanted to say hello and wish you a nice day. :)

Hi there Jo,
Just stopping by for a quick Hiya!:) I have to admit I enjoy the little smiles too. Such cute lil critters. Glad to hear all went well with your visit to the doctors. Take her advice and proceed with caution...its wonderful how active you are. I wish I could inspire my mom to do so. She just sits at home alone. I try to encourage but ends up in a shouting match. I can be frustrating...so I will enjoy your love of life. Hope you dont mind. Later

Oh, blue_eyez, I know you are wanting the best for your mother. But she is probably as stubborn as I am and will do it if and when she decides to do it. Us old gals get stubborn. And life slows down a bit as we get older.

Today my eating was OK, my exercise was about two miles - Bob went with me and we walked down by the river - it was nice.

I am spending most of the day today at church meetings. But tomorrow will give me a chance to catch up, if I need it.

The microwave seems to be in the process of breaking down. Tragedy~!!! Guess I'll never have to cook again, ever.

Actually it looks like we may have to get a new microwave. The warranty ran out you know. We'll know more tomorrow. I really don't know if I could run the kitchen without a microwave.

Friday, September 5, 2003

We did purchase a new microwave and Bob installed it. It looks nice, too. I really doubt if I could do without a microwave these days. They are so handy for so many things.

However, I haven't used it much as yet. We ate out this evening, and shortly will call it a night.

Today - exercise - insufficient. Eating - OK. Water - yep. Positive thinking - lots of it.

And on into the weekend we go. :D

Saturday, September 6, 2003

It's been a good day today. I actually got my walking in this morning, and the eating was OK. We had lentil soup for supper, and it was not only good tasting but also good for us.

This morning we took an old baby bed over to the kids' house. DIL runs a day care and we were happy to get rid of the crib which will get much more use with her than with us. Actually I am sorta trying to cut down on our possessions a bit so that when the time comes our son and DIL will not have so awfully much to cope with. Nothing morbid about it, but the time comes to all of us, and I am not planning to take possessions with me when I go. :D

The weather is changing a bit, nippy in the mornings but hot during the day. Fall is in the air, and I do love fall.

Everyone who reads this, have a happy weekend. And keep smiling -

Sunday, September 7, 2003

Sunday AM weigh-in - no loss, no gain, that's good, and sorta surprizing, really. I must continue to be very careful.

Sunday we attended church, stayed for Bible Class, ate an early lunch because Bob and our pastor were attending an afternoon meeting in a town about 80 miles north of here. They are not back yet, but then I have no idea how late the meeting was to run.

It's been a sort of dull day without Bob here. I could have gone with them, but chose not to. We are busily gettin ready for our trip which is coming Thursday. Bob booked us on flights on the second anniversary of 9/11. Something to think about.

I have pretty well figured out what to take, now to get the house in shape to be left for four days. Our black cat will miss us. Our son will check on the house, tend to the mail, and all that good stuff. I am looking forward to the trip, which is a reunion of the 49th Fighter Group. Some of these guys shared tents in New Guinea in 1942. The 49th Fighter Group is continuing in existence, so we will have veterans from not only WWII, but also the Korean War, the Viet Nam War, Desert Storm, and probably the current conflict in Iraq. One highlight will be the visit to Kitty Hawk, where the Wright brothers made the first flight. This may be our last reunion. There are not that many WWII veterans left. But they are proud old guys, who love to get together and talk.

Today, no exercise, eating has been good, I have drunk gallons of water like a good person should, and I continue to think positive thoughts about life. Life is good, everyone, keep smiling - :D

Hi Jo, :wave:

CONGRATULATIONS ON HAVING MAINTAINED ... THAT CAN BE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS HAVING HAD A LOSS I am sure you may be somewhat disappointed .... BUT KNOWING YOU MAINTAINED MEANS THAT YOU DID FOLLOW YOUR WEIGHT LOSS PLAN AND ARE SHOWING THE COMMITMENT AND FOCUS IT TAKES TO SUCCEED

Have a safe and wonderful trip to your husband's reunion ..... enjoy your time away ..... As always, Monica :hug: :wn

Monday, September 8, 2003

Hi, Monica, thanks for stopping by. No, I am not trying to lose any more weight, just maintain the loss that I worked so hard to achieve. My weight is in normal range now, so is my BMI. I'm happy with it all.

My new microwave is different from the old one, although it is the same brand and same configuration. So I had to dig into the instruction booklet more than I had planned to do. But I got it figured out, and we can eat, eat, eat. Which we have done today.

Actually I did well with the eating today, and have closed the appropriate windows of my little Foodmover. Richard Simmons would be very proud of me. Exercise was a two mile brisk walk this morning. I'm sure I have drunk enough water to float a battleship, but I am still smiling. Can you see me smiling? ;)

It's been a great day, and I will do a little packing this evening before bedtime. I've got it all figured out as to what to take, now to fit it all into the suitcase. 8-|

Everyone, keep smiling -

Tuesday, September 9, 2003

It's been a good day for me.

Exercise - about 2 miles brisk walking this morning with Bob along. He usually doesn't go with me, but I think he enjoyed it. Eating has been OK for sure. I have drunk a gazillion glasses of water. And I continue to think positive thoughts.

I purchased a light jacket/windbreaker this morning for our trip. I seldom wear a jacket here in Wyoming because we usually go straight from short sleeves to parkas. And along that line, there are storm warnings out this evening for snow above 6,000 feet. Our town is a little over 5,000 feet. 8-} But I am sure that there will be more warm days for us.

For those who read this, stick to doing what you know you should be doing. It is so very easy for us to get off track. Seems like there is often this gap between our good intentions, and our actual actions. That's 'cause we are human, and prone to making mistakes. But each day we are given that opportunity to restart ourselves. That is so nice.

Keep smiling -

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Today - Eating, good. Exercise - good. Drinking that water - good. Staying positive - good.

Tomorrow morning very early we leave on our mini vacation. Actually the alarm will go off at 4:30 AM, and we are in for a loooooong day of going from plane to plane to plane to get to the east coast. My exercise will be running through airports, and the food is probably going to be a bit dismal.

The weather is a problem. I don't think the temperature got above 45 degres here today, and it has been raining. But in North Carolina where we are going the temps are in the 80's, with bright, sunny skies. I sure hope I am taking the right clothes. 8-}

But we should have fun seeing old friends and new places.

I'll check in when we get back. Farewell for now. . . .

Have a very good time Jo..
My idea of a mini vacation is a 30 minute daydream. lol

September 15, 2003

We got back yesterday after having a great time. Bob enjoyed talking about old times with his buddies, and I enjoyed sight-seeing.

We visited the memorial at Kitty Hawk, NC, where the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane almost 100 years ago. Glad I was able to walk to the top of the memorial. It was great!!

Most of our time was spent on Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina..

I got in a lot of exercise (walking) and the eating was good. Mostly we ate buffet style, which means there were lots of veggies and salads available. On the planes and in the airports I had snacky stuff available in my carry-on, so we did OK.

I'm tired, but I'll get over that. There is a load of laundry to do, but it will get done. The next reunion will be in Las Vegas in November, 2004. We will see about that one.

Now to play "catch-up" with life here at home. So much to do, so much to do. . .8-|

Hello,

glad you enjoyed your trip. sounded like alot of fun and you did well with diet and exercise too.

hope you have a great day today,

and take care.

Hey Jo,

You have given me hope. I'm 5'4" and weigh just over 200 pounds...never thought I'd weigh that much in my life. When I got married in 1989 I weighed 142....gee do I wish for that weight again! But you did it and so can I!

Congrats to you! :D

Cactus' goal is health, happiness and loving me!

September 15, 2003

Hi, Minnie & Cactus. Thanks for stopping in.

Today has been a good day for me. I am still catching up with myself after our little trip. Today I was tired, understandably, but I did get a good walk in this evening. Eating has been good. I have drunk the proverbial ocean of water. And positive thoughts are in my brain.

I played "catch-up" with the laundry, and made friends with my sweet cat, who has felt abandoned while we were gone. It is impossible to explain to our animal friends where we are going and when we will return. So naturally they get unhappy. I am sure he will forgive us eventually.

May all of us have a good, restful night tonight, and wake in the morning all refreshed and happy. :D

Hello,
Thank you, my pictures were to big for the picture forum so I decided to just make a website. Glad you got home safely from your trip. My I thought we saw snow early.....I was suprised when you said snow was in forecast for higher elevations already. As always thank you for stopping by my journal, I always welcome company. You take care and have a great day.

September 16, 2003

They are forecasting snow in the higher elevations again tonight. The overnight temperature in our town is forecast to be in the 40's. We are sliding into fall for sure.

Today - exercise - I walked a couple of miles this morning. Food has not been that great, but OK. I drank enough water, and I feel positive about life.

Hurricane Isabel is predicted to hit the coast tomorrow. We were visiting the outer banks of North Carolina just last Saturday. Guess we went the right weekend. It is so interesting to see the hurricane preparations happening right where we were such a short time ago. I hope everyone makes it through safely.

Keep smiling -

September 17, 2003

Food - OK, exercise - OK, water - OK, positive thinking - OK. Totals up to a pretty good day for me.

I visited "Wally World" this morning. It is clear over on the other side of town, so I don't get there very often. So it is a treat for me to visit the place. I also stopped in Hobby Lobby. I don't know if I want to make things for Christmas, or just buy gifts. Haven't decided yet. But it was fun to look. Looking is my favorite part of shopping.

We visited North Carolina on our little trip last weekend, but there was absolutely no time for shopping. Just sight-seeing. But it sure was great that we visited the outer banks of NC last Saturday since that is the area the hurricane is heading for right now. Hope no one is hurt by the storm. Those winds look vicious.

The weather here has been mighty chilly today. There has been rain and snow mixed, and the predictions are for a freeze tonight. Right now at 6:30 PM the temp. is 32 degrees. Brrrrr. I know there will be fresh snow on our mountain. Bob covered up the tomato plants in hopes that we can continue to have a crop. Those little rascals can be nipped easily by frosty weather.

I hope everyone reading this has a good night's sleep, and wakes in the morning with a renewed determination to eat properly, exercise faithfully, and think positively. We are each worth all the effort it takes. :D

I love having wally world literally across the street. I do all my shopping there. Food is so much cheaper there then at the other stores. It's my one stop shop to everything. I even have a mail box there. LOL. Hey, they have Dr Phil's book there for only $17!!!

You're doing great, keep it up. I wish weather was cooler here. Arizona is still HOT, HOT, HOT. I am counting down the days until I can take a walk outside, during the day, without dying from the heat.

Take Care!

Thursday, September 18, 2003

I actually looked for Dr. Phil's book while at Wally World, Giggs, but they didn't have it. I will stumble across it one of these days, and may or may not buy it. I know it is going to be wonderfully helpful to lots of people. And I do want to read it. I love to read, and I tend to read anything and everything I can get my hands on.

We did have a hard freeze last night. Bob had covered most of the garden with heavy plastic, and evidently that worked. The tomatoes seem to be OK, which is what I was worried about. We have been eating lots of tomatoes, but I like to freeze them when we have an abundance so that I can use them in soups and stews during the winter. If we have no more cold weather for a while, maybe I will have a big crop. Hope so.

Today has been OK. I got out and walked this morning with the temperatures in the lower 30's. Walked a bit over 2 miles. It was invigorating, to say the least. As the weather gets colder, my walking may move to the mall. I hope not for a while. I don't mind mall walking, but I prefer the neighborhood, it is handier for sure.

While walking I enjoyed the view of our mountain. With fresh snow on the top of the mountain it was so pretty. The snow has melted during the day today. But it will be back. Winter is coming, that's for sure.

Bob is off to a church meeting tonight, so I will snuggle down with a good book and enjoy my time alone, without interruptions. I do love to read.

I've been watching the news coverage of Hurricane Isabel. That is hitting the North Carolina coast where we were just last Saturday. Goodness, I'm glad I am not there now.

Everyone, this weight loss journey needs consistent attention from each of us. It is important that we become as healthy as possible. It is worth all the effort.

Keep smiling - :)

Saturday, September 19, 2003

I worked today, but didn't get my exercise in. Worked on the computer writing stuff that needed to be written. Then went to a church meeting, which was held in preparation for the BIG meeting tomorrow. I did work there, moving chairs and tables in preparation. We do not have a janitor, so the members do the physical labor of maintaining the buildings properly. So I worked, but it wasn't exercise.

Tonight I have bread in the oven. More work but not exercise. Problem with baking bread is that I will want to eat it all by myself. Well, I can't, since I have promised to take the loaves to church in the morning. It is oatmeal bread, and does it ever smell good. Yummmmmmm

I did eat OK today. Cooler weather makes me hungrier. Wish it didn't.

Sleep well, everyone. Enjoy the day. Life is good. :D

September 20, 2003

I spent the total day at church for an all-day church meeting. Our church is located in the central part of the state so we host many, many meetings. I work on what we call the "Kitchen Guild" which means that when we host a group I cook and serve. Well, I'm not the only one cooking & serving. But I help. Puts me a bit close to food, but the food was good.

However I am tired this evening.

Lots of activity, no exercise. Food choices were maybe OK. It is early to bed for me.

Everyone, take it a day at a time. Sleep well tonight, and enjoy life.

Sunday, September 21, 2003

It's a beautiful day in Wonderful Wyoming. The sun has been shining brightly, there is a bit of a breeze, and the temperature is in the 60's. It's a nice fall day, and I have enjoyed it.

Yesterday I worked too hard, and let myself get too tired. But today I am all rested up and feeling good. No exercise today to speak of, but my eating has been well under control.

Our son left this morning for a three day church meeting in St. Louis. I'm glad he went, he will enjoy it. But just the knowledge that he is out of town is a bit of a downer. Since our older son died six years ago, Mike is our only child. He lives in the same town with us, and I know he is there even though we do not see each other every day. But he will be returning Tuesday evening.

Mike has a great wife and a couple of nice children still at home. They are both girls, 13 and 10 years old. And of course the family has a big dog and a couple of cats. Just a nice family that we enjoy being related to. Our relationship with all of them is very good. Except one of the cats doesn't like me at all. :shrug:

Tomorrow morning I will be resuming my tutoring at the neighborhood school. Right now I am scheduled to spend a half hour with a first grader and a half hour with a second grader, helping with the reading program. It is an easy type of volunteer work, and I walk over to the school and back, so there will be my exercise. I hope I get nice children. Most kiddies are nice, but occasionally one is a pill.

I've had a good day. Hope everyone else has a good one. Enjoy life. Keep smiling -

Monday, September 22, 2003

Another beautiful day in Wonderful Wyoming. I cleaned some of the outside windows today, partly so I will be able to watch the snow fall soon. I'll do some more tomorrow.

Today was the beginning of my tutoring at the neighborhood school. It went OK. I get tired doing it, but that is to be expected. Helps the kiddies, though, so it is a good thing.

Exercise - walked to and from the school. Food - good.

Let's stay positive about life. Tomorrow is another day for us to use to His Glory and for our good. Enjoy. :D

Hey Jo Jo,

I love the fall weather. Crisp, sunny days and cool nights. Sometimes it just doesn't last long enough.

sounds good on your exercise. Your positive attitude is wonderful.

Jo

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Hi, Jo, thanks for stopping in.

I walked this morning, I have eaten OK, etc. It's been a good day for me.

The trees are beginning to turn color here. We don't have the oaks and sugar maples that turn to various shades of red, but we have the aspens and cottonwoods that turn yellow and gold. I do enjoy this time of year.

I finished the outside window cleaning. Good for me.

I have been doing some creative writing. Computers are a great help in such things. I should do more, but I also like to read. Does reading burn caolories? Probably, but not many.

Everyone, have a good day. And keep smiling -

Good morning....On my way to find my own journal when I saw yours.........so here I am! It is most definitely autmumn here too........it truly is a most beautiful time of year. We have all the colors here, however our trees have took such a beating this past year due to ice and high winds that alot are just bare. I myself enjoyed a walk outdoor this past sunday........so much more pleasant with company not to mention the nature that was around me. You seem to be doing quite well matintaing.....I am happy for you. I reached my half way goal this morning.....so I am definitely on my way.......Take care!

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Another good day for me as we proceed further into autumn.

Exercise - 2-mile walk; Food - OK including yummy Cuban black bean soup for supper; Water - I drank a tub full; Positive Thoughts - Of course!!!

As the season changes we are preparing the house and yard for winter. The garden is still producing, now we are down to the last of the tomatoes and some pumpkins are still there. And I found one lone strawberry for Bob this morning. He said it was tasty.

I have been purchasing food, too. Sometimes the weather is such that old guys can't get to the grocery store, so we like to have enough supplies on hand to survive for several days.

Always there is something to do, but I like that. Keeps me busy, and off the streets, and out of trouble.

:D

Thursday, September 25, 2003

Bob is off tonight to his model railroad meeting. We have a basement filled with model railroads, and that is his hobby. He really enjoys his trains, of which he has an abundance. There are many worse habbies.

As for me, I have had a good day. Cleaned the kitchen, which needed it. I let things go a bit while recovering from the surgery. But now I am pretty well back on track. So the kitchen got cleaned, which was my exercise for the day.

Today I went nowhere, and did nothing but clean the kitchen. Now I am playing on the computer, which is fun but not really exercise. How many calories do I burn by typing? Not many. :c(

Friday, September 26, 2003

I did something a little bit different this morning. Our church runs a parochial school, and I have just volunteered to listen to catechism recitations each Friday morning. It took me less than an our, and I heard various 3rd & 4th graders recite their Bible passages. It was a new experience for me, but I think I am going to like it. I am not as active as I was in my younger years, but I like to pitch in whenever and wherever I can. And helping in the school is a fun thing for me to do.

Today has been good. I walked early this morning. Eating was good. I drank enough water, and I continue to think positive thoughts.

I love the autumn weather, nice and crisp. The leaves are turning color, and there is a special look to our commuity. Our summer was short, and our winter will be long, but autumn is special.

Everyone who reads this, keep smiling. Life is good. :D

I just want to thank you for being around diettalk, to remind me that there's SO MUCH to look forward to! Sometimes I feel like aging has nothing but negatives attached to it, then I think, No, wait, there's Jo to prove me wrong...

Thanks again for all your positive energy!!:)

Jessica

Hi Jo,

Glad to see you happy and enjoying the weather.

What a sweetie you are giving hubby that last berry. That would be a hard decision, lol.

I am enjoying the fall too, although we don't get near as much colour here as my home back in Ontario.

But for some reason I have felt 'calm and peaceful' seeing the leaves blowing around the yards and the cool air blowing around too.

Good idea to stalk up for the winter weather. Then we can hybernate a bit in the cold.

Take care!

Saturday, September 27, 2003

Hi, Jess & Nancy. Thanks for stopping by my journal and saying such nice things. I always enjoy a visit from fellow travelers on the weight-loss journey.

Today was a mellow, rather quiet day. Bob went out of town for the day, so I had everything to myself. Did the laundry, did my nice, long walk, read some, and enjoyed life. Bob got home in time for supper, bring lots of loot from his trip.

He had gone to a regional Model Railroad meeting, and won some prizes. He also has earned the Master Model Railroader award, which will be something nice to hang on the wall. He works hard at his model railroading, and it is nice when his hard work is given recognition by his peers.

It's been another quite lovely day. The evening temperatures get down into the 30s, but it warms up to the 60s during the day. The sun is shining brightly, the trees continue to change color, and it is a wonderful time of year. I am continuing to harvest the last of the tomatoes from the garden. Last week we had a frost but Bob covered the garden with tarps so the tomatoes were saved. They will continue to produce until a hard freeze. My, but they are good to eat.

I have been dipping into Dr. Phil's book. That is not a book to be skimmed through. It seems to me to be more of a textbook, which requires study and thinking. I do want to maintain my weight loss, and that takes work. And I am seeking for all the help I can get.

Everyone, have a good weekend. Let's all be a bit deliberate in our eating so that we do not fall into the binge mode. weekends tend to be difficult for those who are trying to eat properly -- temptations abound.

But let's enjoy life. That is so important. :D

Hi Jo,

I thoroughly agree with you about Dr. Phil's book .... it isn't a book you can just scan ... I find myself reading ... and rereading ... and lol :laugh: I even underline certain passages that I find very beneficial.

You're doing great .... proving that success is achieved slowly but surely ..... and success is maintained by showing diligence and perserverance. Make it a great weekend. Take care of yourself. As always, Monica :hug:

Sunday, September 28, 2003

Hi, Monica. Thanks for dropping by. Your posts are always so motivating and helpful.

Today was another good day. Church and Bible class in the morning. Had a good visit with son, DIL and granddaughters after church. They are a nice, wholesome family. Good for them.

No exercise today, I almost never exercise on Sunday, but I ate very well. And my weigh-in this morning showed that I am still "maintaining" my weight loss.

I have been digging into the Dr. Phil book. I do find information that applies to me, although I will admit that my life has been, for the most part, pleasant. I am not angry about anything, but I do get irritated at some people upon occsion. I guess I got overweight because both parents were overweight, and I just followed the pattern. Plus, I LIKE to eat. Still do, although I have managed to change my focus on food. It is not such a major part of my life now.

I'll dig into the book more tonight. There is always something to learn.

Everyone who passes by, sleep well tonight. And wake up to start the work week all refreshed and ready to go. :D

Howdy, JoJo!!! :) Thanks for posting in my WW journal tonight and making me feel welcome. It's great to read through your journal and catch up on your life, which always sounds so upbeat and positive. You are doing great on your weight management journey, reminding me once again that this really IS worth doing and working on for the long haul and that life is good!!! Keep on keeping on!!!

:peace:

:D Hey Gal:
The living in a small trailer traveling around sounds familiar! And It is a lot of fun. Sometimes I wish we were back there (don't you). I just stopped in to say hi. I can't talk long dad need his breathing treatment. And I am bushed. I had my weight in to day 1lb gone for a total of 23lbs. Only 125lbs to go.

Hang in there girl hope to talk at you lots.

Your Bud K.

Thought it was time i stopped in to say hello, i have seen lots of your posts around DT and i always think to myself what a wonderful positive attitude you have...... :)
How long have you been at your goal weight JoJo? how do you find maintenance? i have been at goal for over three years cant say that i find it easy but i am a work in progress, always room for improvement in one way or another.
Well just wanted to say hi!
hugs bell :)

Monday, September 29, 2003

Hi, Qvictoria, KAYE, and bell, thanks for stopping in for a little visit.

Today is another beautiful day. The forecast is for frost tonight, so Bob covered the tomato plants in hopes of extending the crop. Those tomatoes are so very good, we hate to say good-bye to them.

Today I exercised by walking to and from the school where I mentored a couple of kids. This is an each Monday excursion, which is good for me and also good for the kiddos. Reading is such a very important skill for children to learn, and some of them need extra help.

Today my eating has been right on program. Enough water has been drunk, and I anticipate a restful evening.

But now I am going to visit some other journals. Everyone, enjoy life. Mostly our lives are pretty good, aren't they? :)

You bet it is, JoJo!! (Life being good, that is! :o And it's best lived in a healthy body, which is what you are cultivating daily with your continued adherence to positivity, exercise and good eating. I really admire your efforts! Have a great day!)

:peace:

Jo, i always enjoy reading your posts, you have the most admirable attitude about life. We are near the end of our tomatoes too, i have about six left on the vine that i am hoping will still ripen! I check them everyday, i will miss them so much, we have a salad everyday when we have those fresh tomatoes!when my last child was in elementary school i volunteered for the exact thing as you are doing Jo, or close to it anyway, the teacher would have me write down if they missed the same word over three times while reading and give it to her and she would nightly send home a positive report on what they learned and then would add the words they needed to practice on. This teacher did this for every student in her day, she was a wonder!

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

The end of September. Tomorrow we begin October, which is perhaps my most favorite month of the year. I got the Halloween and fall decorations out today, and have been placing them around the house. Mostly we decorate inside, because outside is too vulnerable to the weather. But I love the fall colors - the yellows, and reds, and oranges, etc. Today on my walk I was scuffing through the fallen leaves just like the kiddies heading to school. It was a good feeling.

Thanks Qvictoria and judith6 for stopping by my journal. Journal hopping is sorta fun, isn't it? I try to check in with a few each day. They are enlightening and inspiring, and I enjoy visiting them.

Judith6, I can relate to you and your husbands losing his sister. My DH's brother-in-law died suddenly last March. We were both able to go to the funeral. In that case this was a lad, my age, and I had actually dated him in high school. A death in the family is always tough. It brings home to us our own mortality.

Bob has covered the tomatoes again for tonight. There is a forecast of tonight's low being 32, which is just freezing. I would hate to lose the tomatoes, we are sure enjoying them. Small pleasures I guess, but my goodness, they are tasty.

Everyone, keep smiling - :D Life is good, enjoy =

Wednesday, October 1, 2003

With a new month I got a new surge of ambition, and actually walked three whole miles this morning. I hadn't done a three mile walk since before my surgery. And of course I can feel it tonight. It was cold when I walked, too. There was frost on the cars and grass lawns, so we must have had frost last night. Well, autumn is here for sure.

It's been a good day for me. I have eaten well, drunk water, did some shopping, did some baking, did some ironing, got new library books for reading this evening. What more could I ask for.

Life is good, enjoy - :D

Wednesday, October 2, 2003

Today is Bob's birthday. I feel rather honored, being married to an 84 year old man. Not too many people can say that !?!

Our celebration has been rather mild. Our son dropped in at noon, and invited us over for steaks on the barbie tomorrow night. That'll be fun. I cooked the dear man some brats & sauerkraut, his background is german. It was hardly diet food, but it sure tasted good. I also made him a cherry pie instead of a cake, and put a miniature train plus 1 candle on top. The train was in honor of his model railroad, and the 1 candle was because 84 candles would have burned the house down. We had fun. :D

As for me, I walked a mile this morning carrying hand weights. First time I've ever done that. I can feel it in my shoulders this evening.

Eating was OK, and I was called in to the school to hear recitations this morning. All this plus baking a pie. It's been a good day.

Everyone, sleep well. Tomorrow is a nice, new day - a wonderful gift for us to enjoy.

Dear Jo,

A very happy birthday wish for the lucky man in your life .... HE IS VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU AS HIS PARTNER I too want to wish you the best day ever ..... Make it a great evening and have and make it a fantastic weekend. As always, Monica :hug:

Happy birthday to thy dh, JoJo!!! And, great job on walking with the hand weights!!! :up:

Jo,

Good work all around, birthday celebrations and exercise.

Just be careful of those hand weights in walking, hopefully they are fairly light ones, right?! A mile is a pretty long time to carry weights, but if you are feeling ok then good for you.

Keep up the good work and have a wonderful day!!!

Friday, October 3, 2003

Hi, Monica, Qvictoria & crazy2, thanks for dropping by. I continue to keep pretty busy here. And tomorrow will be even busier with a church meeting. More meetings Sunday and on into the week. My big thing regarding meetings is cooking for them. Mostly baking. The stuff I have made sure smells good. Sorry, I really better not taste it. But I enjoy smelling it.

I walked this morning, again I went the three miles. That is the second time this week. I must be back to the pre- surgery state of fitness. I will see the surgeon Monday, and perhaps be released from all the followup. I hope so, I sure have been feeling pretty good.

It's been a pretty day here in Wyoming. This must be Indian Summer, which is a wonderful time of year. The tomato patch is still producing. It is cool at night and warms up into the 70s in the daytime. Nice to be living here in Wonderful Wyoming. Do I sound like the Chamber of Commerce? Probably I do.

Everyone, keep smiling - :D

Saurday & Sunday, October 5 & 6, 2003

It's been a good weekend. I've been busy, busy, busy. Lots of cooking for church events. Meetings to attend, research to be done, busy, busy, busy. And it looks like another week of it, at least. I do like to keep busy.

I've maintained my weight loss, I've been eating well, the exercise is becoming more of a habit, and life looks good.

Tomorrow and the next day I will be checking in with a couple of my doctors to see how things are oing with me. OK, I hope.

Everyone, sleep well. Life is good. Enjoy.

Hope things go well in the doctor department, JoJo!!! You are sounding great!!! Life is still good, methinks! :wave:

Monday, October 6, 2003

Hi, Qvictoria. My doctor's appointment went very well this morning, and I have recovered fully from the surgery. Which was nice to hear. I did have to wait an hour in her waiting room, but that is one of the things that happens in doctor's waiting rooms. This one had some good magazines, so I could pass the time very pleasantly.

We are having many meetings at our church this week. This often happens since our community is centrally located within our state, and everyone loves to come for a visit. And we love to feed them, too. I am one of the general workers in the kitchen. What I did was make coffee, wash lettuce, wash apples, slice celery, etc. etc. etc. All of which is necessary to the smooth running of the kitchen.

I did get too tired working in the kitchen, but tomorrow will be another day.

I ate too much this evening, but the necessary water was drunk, and I did OK on the exercise.

I see my opthamologist tomorrow morning, so I am making an early night of it.

I rather enjoy being needed in the church kitchen at my age. There is a feeling of acomplishment plus all the good fellowship within my group.

Sweet dreams, everyone. And smile while dreaming, that's always fun to do.

:D :D

Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Well, my visit with the opthamologist was not as cheerful as my visit with the surgeon. Basically, my eyesight is deteriorating. What I have is age-related macular degeneration. At the present time I am still functioning very well, but if the situation continues to deteriorate, we may be facing surgery. We will see what happens.

I did get outside for a nice walk this afternoon. The weather is beautiful, and I really enjoyed myself.

Everyone, keep smiling. Life is VERY good. :D

Good morning, JoJo!!! :wave: Glad thou hast had good news on at least one medical front. Sorry, though, that the news wasn't as heartening on the eye situation. From what I know of this (admittedly, not much), it seems as though there is a lot of time before you'd have to face a decision on surgery. So maybe things'll just level off for a long while?

Keep a'going!!! I agree that LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Wednesday, October 8, 2003

You are absolutely right, Qvictoria. Macular degeneration progresses until either you die or it gets to the point where lazer surgery may be done. No one has figured out how to stop the degeneration. Specific vitamins may or may not help. It is just one of those things that can happen to the older citizen. Sorta like when I had cataracts some years ago. I needed to let the cataracts progress until they were to the point where everyone agreed that surgery should be done. And it was done, quite successfully.

I think I am most afraid of losing my drivers license. I would hate to lose my independence. Right now I am OK. But if deterioration continues that may happen.

Guess I am whining. Sorry about that. I do not like to be thought of as a whiner.

Now for the good stuff. Today I baked DH a pie, cleaned my kitchen by scrubbing the walls, put Halloween decorations out on the deck/porch, read some, got my walk in, and really enjoyed the day. This is such a lovely time of year in Wyoming. It gets cold at night, then warms up into the 80s in the daytime. Absolutely lovely!!! I have also begun to freeze some of our tomato crop. The frozen tomatoes will sure taste good in soups and stews this winter.

Everyone, today is almost done. Was yours successful? If so, great!!! If not, tomorrow is another day granted to us. Remember, let's all enjoy life. And keep smiling - :D

Jo my friend, no one would ever think of you as a whiner or a complainer .... YOU HAVE EARNED MY UTMOST RESPECT . BECAUSE YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE. As always, Monica :hug:

Jo~just wanted to stop in and say thank you so much for the poem you posted in my journal, it is wonderful!!!!

Yowza, JoJo, I agree with Monica that thou couldst not be considered a whiner in any approximation!!!! You seem to have a handle on this as you do in most things ... and I'd predict you won't lose your independence ever, even if you couldn't drive, which likely won't happen, at least for a long, long time. It is the mental toughness of your thought processes that will keep you always young, methinks! :mus:

Glad you are thinking about Halloween :ghost: and putting up decor. I remember the fun Halloween challenges we used to participate in on the other board ... I miss feeling the enjoyment and dedication of those challenges but life goes on and IT'S GOOD!!! Yup!

Thanks for posting in my journal today. I really appreciate the support as I have a great need for it. I posted my thoughts on your thoughts on the good ol' :queen: V!!!! :o

Have a great and fun day, JoJo! Yowza!

Thursday, October 9, 2003

Hi, Monica, Sophia & QVicII. Thanks for stopping by.

This has been the week for the doctor visits. Today was the day for DH to see his Otolaryngologist, which is his nose doctor. Poor DH suffers from polyps in his nose. Right now he is being medicated, but surgery may be in the future. We'll know more in another three weeks on him. My next scheduled visit to the doctor is next Thursday. When you get older you develop closer relationships with various medical people. It is just part of life for a senior citizen.

The weather is supposed to turn colder tomorrow. Our beautiful autumn may be over soon. Today the leaves were falling from the trees in a steady stream, and it was fun to watch.

Eating was OK, exercise was OK. It was a busy day. I cleaned the bedroom, so something got accomplished. And tomorrow is another day.

Everyone, sleep well. And keep smiling -

Friday, October 10, 2003

A beautiful sunset tonight. Sunsets are always special. Such colors.

Today - I baked rye bread (I don't like rye bread particularly, which is good since I am yearning to eat a loaf, or two), I listened to recitations at the school, I cleaned our bathroom, I did some studying, I walked.

It seems to me that my body is asking for, no - DEMANDING - more food as the weather turns colder. It is as if my body is saying "Feed me. Let me have that nice layer of fat to protect me from the colder weather. Feed me." I, of course, continue to say "No" but with more and more difficulty.

Nothing worthwhile in this life is guaranteed to be easy. But we keep trying. Or at least we try to keep trying.:ghost: :ghost: :ghost:

Hi, JoJo, you are doing great!!! :up:

Interesting points about seasons. When I lived in the midwest, I got hungrier in the cold weather, but in Arizona, I seem to get hungrier in the hot weather and I notice other people do, too. Since the winter is the pleasanter season here, I think it's just a reversal thing. We get hungrier to make ourselves feel better about less comfortable weather. But you are right, we need to fight that and eat what's best for our body, not seek mindless comfort in unnecessary calories.

Keep on going, JoJo! :wave:

Saturday, October 11, 2003

We fed a group at church this noon. There were about 25 ladies to be fed, and the menu was baked potatoes plus various toppings. There were also relish trays, bread and butter, and cupcakes for dessert. I had baked rye bread for the occasion. The meal went nicely, that was an easy menu to put together, and the cleanup was easy. Good food, good fun in the kitchen, good fellowship all over the place. And I don't want to do it again for a while. It has been a busy week at our church in the kitchen.

I did get a two-mile walk in this morning before heading for the church. It was difficult to get enough water in during such a busy day but I am still working on it so should be OK. Eating has been good, there were good food choices at both church and home.

We did have a hard freeze last night, so that is the end of the tomatoes. I had picked all the green ones that were of any decent size, and have them sitting here and there to ripen. If they ripen, they will then be processed and frozen for use in soups and stews this winter. I have this really frugal nature, I like to save money by growing some of our food. These tomatoes were started from seed last March in our kitchen window, they were tended through the summer, and they have produced quite nicely. I enjoy both the growing and the eating of tomatoes.

It's been a good day, and I am looking forward to tomorrow. Everyone, sleep well. And have happy dreams.
:D

You have good dreams, too, JoJo!!! Sounds like you had a vigorous day!!!! :up:

Sunday, October 12, 2003

Hi, QVic. Yes, yesterday was a busy, busy day. Today has been more laid back. I watched the Broncos game with delight. I did my study for my Wednesday class. I drank enough water. I did NOT exercise. I ate properly. I am VERY happy that I did not overeat, since I often have difficulty on weekends.

Bob pulled the tomato plants which effectly ends the season. He brought in another bucket of green tomatoes, which I really didn't want to see. But of course I will freeze any that ripen properly, which does make for a bit of work. However they do go good in soups & stews during the winter.

Tomorrow will be busier. Mondays are always full of things to do.

Everyone, hope you have a restful night and awaken in the morning with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. Life is good. Enjoy. :D

Monday, October 13, 2003 - Happy Columbus Day

I figure any day that I wake up and don't find my name in the obituary column is a "good" day, and today has been a good one. I kept busy, mentored two little kiddies over at the school, did some baking, got my walk in, drank a sufficiency of water, ate properly, and thought positive thoughts. I've been busy, busy, busy, and that's a good way to be.

May all our days be fruitful, and may each of us have a restful night. And may we wake up in the morning, firmly resolved to stick with our individual programs as consistently as humanly possible. :D

:D I am so glad that you have had a successful day. I just stepped in to see how you were doing and to wish you well. How is the weather up you way. Ours has been beautiful. Its about time I thought I was going to die. The summers are brutal here in the desert. Mom who lives in Darby Montana, say's there is snow on the mountains. She is not happy about that.

You take it easy and I will drop in on you soon!

As always Your Bud k.

Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Hi, KAYE, thanks for stopping by. Your mom in Montana has weather nearer to what we have than you do. We have had some snow, in fact there was a snow shower yesterday, but none has stuck yet. It's coming, it's coming......

I froze more tomatoes today, baked some bread for the meeting I am hosting Friday, got a two-mile walk in, ate what I should be eating, and drank enough water to float a good sized rowboat.

The colder weather does make me hungrier, and I continue to strive to deal with that hunger. It is a day to day process, and I really don't want to regain any of the weight I have lost. I will be seeing my doctor this week, and I have quite a few questions to ask him about me. That's what he is for of course, and I usually see him with a long list of questions. Actually, he is quite good about answering my questions. He is impossibly young, all professionals are getting younger and younger as I am getting older and older. I notice that, but it doesn't bother me.

Have a good evening, everyone. Today is ending, but tomorrow will come. And may tomorrow be a good day for us all. :D

Your consistency to your program and your postive attitude continue to amaze me, JoJo!!!! :up: Good luck with the impossibly young doc!!!! :)

Hi Jo, I have been reading your journal. You're such an inspiration!!! Keep up the good work. I only hope that if I make it to 77, I'll be as cool as you!!

How's the wyoming weather? I grew up in Evanston and moved to Big Piney in High School. I then spent 3 years in Laramie at UW. I finished my degree here in Nebraska. Got lots of friends in Wyoming. Now i Have a new one!!

Rikki :D

Wednesday, October 15. 2003

Hi, QVicII & Rikki - thanks for stopping by.

Rikki, do you follow the Wyoming Cowboy football team? Go, Cowboys!! They did real well Saturday, didn't they?

QVicII, always nice to have you visit.

My day has gone OK, I got done what needed to be done. Did some baking, attended Bible class, did a nice walk in mid 20's temperature (Brrrrr...), froze some more tomatoes, and am now set for a fairly restful evening. My current self-challenge is to avoid evening snacking. That is a tough one. However I will probably be successful tonight since I will be chatting with my doctor tomorrow, and I want to be free of recent binges. That makes no sense except to me, but I understand myself more or less. :laugh:

I hope all of us have a restful night of peaceful sleep, and wake tomorrow all refreshed and ready to face the new day. :D

Jo,
I was SO excited when the cowboys kicked Utah State's butt!! I love cowboy football. They haven't been doing so well in recent years, however. I hope they beat BYU this weekend. The BYU games are always so exciting. I was at the game the year the crowd tore down the goal post (but I didn't participate in that activity)

Thanks for letting me stop by your journal! You're awesome to chat with! Hope you had a great evening. I also need to stop snacking in the evening. I'm doing better, but DH and I made some neat halloween treats last night, so I had to try one. I'll send the rest of them with him to work today, or I'll be snackin' all morning.

Have a great day!!!

Rikki:D

Thursday, October 16, 2003

(We are halfway through October. Have we used the month wisely?)

Hi, Rikki, nice to see you again. Yes, I hope Wyoming whups BYU every time they meet. And of course, especially this weekend. Hey, it's always fun to watch the Cowboy games.

As for the evening snacking, that is one of my problems too. Another problem is/has been portion control. I like to eat. Eating is one of the joys of life. And we have to eat to survive. So I just keep working on it.

I did see my doctor this afternoon. Had some blood work done, we will get the results of that when we get the results of that.

My main concern for the doctor was this: In June I was scheduled to have some surgery, specifically an umbilical hernia repair. But when I did the preliminary checkup prior to admission to the hospital, I was told that I had flunked the EKG, and it looked like I was in the middle of a heart attack. The surgery was postponed indefinitely.

I was then sent to a cardiologist. And he referred me to another cardiologist for a nuclear imageing stress test.

And after all that, this all takes time, I was finally cleared for surgery. I had the surgery the last week of July, six weeks after it had originally been scheduled. And my recovery was uneventful.

What I wanted to know from my primary health provider was what was going on with my heart? Heart attack on the horizon?? What happened, and why, and what do we do now???

And what I was told today was, who knows. Evidently there is nothing especially wrong with my heart. I am still alive, at least today. Keep on keeping on. You know, medicine is not a really exact science. They can set a broken bone, but some things there is no clear answer necessarily available. Oh, well.

But I bet the next time I am supposed to have some surgery I will go through the same routine. That is one of the prices of being 77. Ha! :shrug:

As for the day, besides the trip to the doctor, and the trip to the medical lab to have my blood drawn, it has been a pretty uneventful day. No exercise to speak of, but I did eat OK, and I drank my water sufficiently.

I did ask the good doctor if I should try to lose more weight, and he said not necessarily. So if I lose more, that would be OK, if I don't lose more that is OK, and if I gain more shame on me. 8-| I do not plan to gain any.

Heyllo Jojo!

I was jealous when I was reading and saw Rikki post so I had to say hello!!! How is the wonderful Wyoming weather? Have you had your first snow fall yet because I know Laramie has already. Not to dog Cowboy football but I love their basketball team mucho better. I hope they can play hard and as well as they did two years previous and make it to the NCAA playoffs again. That was the highlight of the season and we have some strong seniors this year....Fingers crossed! I was thinking of you and Rikki and all other Wyomingites today when I noticed on my cell phone rings I have UWs fight song! It made me smile much.

Anyway, I love your journal, what a beautiful, optimistic individual you are. And thanks for the PMs too! They always make my day.

Hope to talk to you soon!
' Melinda :hug:

Friday, October 17, 2003 - today is the 100th Anniversary of my mother's birth. She is gone now, but it was a good day to remember her. She was the child of Swedish immigrants, a very determined woman, who did the best she could throughout her life. Guess that's the best that any of us can do. Her life span included the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the invention of television, the first space flights, etc, etc. A lot of changes took place during her lifetime.

Today has been a good day. Busy, but I did get my walk in. I ate too much, but it was good food. And I drank all the water I needed to drink.

This morning I served sweet bread and fruit salad to a group for brunch. It was fun.

Tonight Bob and I ate at a local Mexican restaurant, which is not especially on my diet list, but once in a blue moon is acceptable.

And tomorrow is another day. Sleep well, everyone. :D

JoJo, responding to a few posts back, may I say that whatever health problems you may or may not develop, I feel very sure that in the heart department, you have a great one!!! :sweety:

Your mom sounds as though she was a very interesting woman. However much time passes, I know from personal experience one always misses a mother on her birthday!!

You're doing great on your food and exercise and I'm glad you had a nice Mexican meal. I could live on guacomole, chips, salsa and fried ice cream, which is why I try never to go near a Mexican restaurant, but you're right, it doesn't hurt once in awhile!!! :)

Saturday, October 18, 2003

Hi, QVicII, thanks for stopping by. Yes, I enjoy Mexican food, but try to keep it to a once-in-a-while treat. And if I lived where you do, that would be difficult. Whenever I have visited "The Valley of the Sun" I noticed Mexican restrauants on almost every corner, and even the smells were so tempting. Here at least the good Mexican restaurant is a rare bird.

Today has been a good one. Eating was OK, I drank lots of water to make up for the meal last night, and I got my walk in late. The weather is unseasonably warm. And since I have packed away my summer clothes, I may have to dig them out. Well, I didn't pack them that deep, really. But temps in the 80s in mid-October here in the mountains is unreal.

May everyone continue on their individual programs over the weekend. Weekends tend to be full of temptations for me, and each weekend is a battle to eat properly. But it is important that we fuel our bodies with good fuel, and we are worth the effort it takes.

Get a good night's sleep, and face the morning with a smile. Life is good. I do keep saying that, don't I. :D

Sunday, October 19, 2003

It's been a nice, quiet day today. Haven't done my walk as yet, so I think I will go walk now. Eating, OK; drinking water, OK; positive thoughts OK. snday is always a nice, restful day for us.

Sleep well, everyone. Back to the work week tomorrow.

Well, JoJo, I think I ate more Mexican food when I lived in the midwest than I do now, but you're right about there being a lot of it here. Some of the restaurants near me have unbelievably wonderful Mexican cuisine. I just refuse to even go there! Why tempt fate? :)

Hope your walk was nice. Have a great night!

GO COWBOYS!!

Jo! I was pretty excited about UW football this weekend!!! I had to listen to it on the internet b/c I was in Lincoln. They're doing much better this year. Go Cowboys!!

My mom's favorite Mexican place is in Jackson. It's called The Merry Piglets. There's also a good one in Pinedale. In Big Piney, where I lived, I worked at one called the Rio Verde. Yum!!!!

Lovies!
Rikki:D

I too am actually impressed with the Cowboys football....Nice eh! I love Corona Village in Laramie....miss that!

Just dropping in to say hi. It sounds like your weekend was pleasant. My BF and I saw a panther run in front of our car over the weekend. Pretty neat!!! I was so excited because when I am in the mountains in Colorado and Wyoming I always wanted to see a Mountain Lion....so this was really an experience! PLus, it's not every day you see a fisherman hook an alligator by accident! lol...pretty neat. Different kind of wildlife here, but I am enjoying it.

Anyway, just thought I would say hey. When does elk season start up? TTFN.

Mel

Monday, October 20, 2003

Hi, QVicII, rikkij & melfl81, thanks for stopping by. Go Cowboys!!! Yes, I enjoyed the win over BYU last Saturday. The game was telecast here (delayed telecast) and I watched the last part. Any time Wyoming beats BYU in football is a good game.

I've never been to Merry Piglets in Jackson, it sounds like a fun place to visit. Maybe the next time I'm in Jackson. It's beem over six years, high time I got up there.

When we were in Florida we say an alligator near the Space Museum in a canal. I do not like alligators myself, but it was nice to be able to say we saw one.

Today was a good day. I did my volunteer work at the neighboring school, walking there and back. Food has been good, and I drank lots and lots of water. It is just a question of doing what I know I should be doing, day after day after day.:D

If I could just manage to remember that more often. Oh, well.

Have a good evening.

Hey Jo! How was volunteering? I like doing that kind of stuff when I have the time. I've done meals on wheels and relay for life. It makes me feel good to be donating my time to do something nice for someone else!

Have a Teriffic Tuesday!

Lovies!
Rikki:D

good work Jo, yes it is just a matter of doing what we 'already know' we should be doing isn't it.

Well you did it!!! Now just do it again today, lol.

Keep up the good work Jo!!!!

Tuesday, October 21, 2003

Hi, Rikki & Nancy, thanks for stopping by my journal. It's always nice to have friends drop in. Sorry I didn't offer you a cuppa coffee and a donut, but maybe next time. :D

Today has been a good one for me. I got in my three mile walk this morning, the rest of the day was spent at home doing housewifey things - freezing tomatoes, dusting, cleaning, etc. Eating has been good, water drinking has been good.

The weather continues beautiful. But I need to think of what I should be doing regarding exercise when the weather worstens, as it soon will. I don't particularly like to walk at the mall, but I can do it. And I have some exercise videos that are OK. I'm still debating about what should be done, no conclusion reached as yet.

Each of us needs to continue to "tweak" our weight-loss program. What works in the past may not work now. I think that everyone who posts on Diettalk is a pretty "experienced" dieter, we know what works for us and what doesn't work. But sometimes our knowledge is difficult to apply to our lives consistently.

Oh, well, we just keep trying. May we all have a restful night tonight. :D

I am like you, I would rather walk outside than in the mall. But bad weather is right around the bend...have you tried any of the walk away the pounds videos? Leslie is awesome, maybe you would like to do those at home? I really enjoy my walking tapes.

JO, Do they have used exercise equipment stores around you, don't know if you just do not want to put the expense into a treadmill. I love mine i upgraded a few yrs ago into a pro form, it is top quality. It is quite expensive new, but they have many resale places now where people sell them at very low prices. I prefer walking outside but i love having it for when we do get cold weather(nothing like you do) or driving rain or just when i need to walk very early to offset a day of going out of town etc. I found my treadmill at Sams Club for 599.00 other places i have seen it for 799.00 same one, i have certainly gotten my money out of it, hubby jogs on it too. i walk, adult kids home for holidays exercise on it too.

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Hi, sophie44 and judith6 - thanks for stopping by my journal, and also thanks for your helpful suggestions. I am still exploring my options regarding winter exercise, but when I decide I will let everyone know about it.

Sophie, I have one of Leslie's walking tapes which is geared toward senior citizens. It is called ""Walk & Firm for Older Adults", it says it covers about 1 1/2 miles, and I believe it. I enjoy doing it, as well as several of the RS videos I have, including "Platinum Sweat" which is also geared to senior citizens.

Judith, yes, a treadmill is also an option. That would be easy to get and maintain. Some years ago we had an exercise bike, but neither DH nor I enjoyed riding it. So we gave it away. I do enjoy walking outside, but I don't want to walk when it gets snowy, because there is apt to be ice under that snow, and I am very much afraid of falling. Today I was able to walk and it was very nice.

Thanks again for visiting. Have a good evening - :D

Hi, JoJo! :) I once owned every Leslie tape ever made, but gave a lot of them away last year. I bet you'd like some of the newer ones. Also, I think with her, the "senior" thing is a misnomer, as some of the "senior" ones are more intense than the others. Besides her motivating personality, what I like is the tapes are easy to do and you can modify the fitness level and intensify very easily. P.S., I wouldn't order these from her website if you do get any ... if you want any details of the nightmare this can become, pls pm me! 8-|

Have a wonderful night!

Tursday, Ocober 23, 2003

Hi, QVicII, thanks for stopping by my journal. I have been whittling down the number of exercise tapes that are cluttering my home. I keep the favorites, and give the others away. If I don't use them, I don't need them. I am finding that my exercise needs change as I get a bit older. And yes, I do find he Leslie tapes easier to do that the Richard tapes. He gets a bit frisky for me.

It's off for the weekend for me. DH and I will be leaving our fair city tomorrow for a lo-o-o-o-g weekend in a bigger city than this one is. It is just to get away for some fun, some Christmas shopping, and for a change of scenery before the weather gets winterish. (Is winterish a real word?) At any rate I will be gone until Sunday evening or maybe Monday.

My hope is that I can pretty well stick to my program while being wined and dined away from my cozy home. We'll see.

At any rate, I am continuing to enjoy life. Remember, life is good, mostly. :D

Sunday, October 26, 2003

DH and I got back from our wild weekend in the bigger city. And we had a wonderful time. The weather was practically perfect, the scenery in northern Wyoming and southern Montana is just gorgeous, and everything went well.

My exercise has not been consistent over the weekend, but that's OK. I was unable to consume as much water as I should have, but that's OK. I probably ate a bit more than I should have, but that's OK.

We'll see what the damage is when I step on the scales tomorrow morning. But for sure there are no regrets. Bob and I really needed to get away for a spell. And we did!!! :D

Hi Jo,

Thanks for dropping in to my journal. :)

I stopped in to take a gander and see how you were doing. It looks like you are doing well. It is nice to get away sometimes and I'm glad that you had a good time.

I am so happy for you, its always nice to get away for a bit and have a nice mini vacation!!

Monday, October 27, 2003

Hi, SierraDude and sophie44. Thanks for dropping in, and come again any time. The welcome mat is always out for you.

Today has been a good day. I mentioned a while back that I was looking into exercise options. I enjoy my walking, but as the winter is coming on, walking out of doors will become too uncomfortable for me. Exercise videos I enjoy, but I was looking for something else. And I think I have found it!!! Today I had my first session at Curves for Women. It went OK. This would be a simple, easy way for me to fulfil my exercise needs, especially on the days when it is too cold or windy to walk. I'm still thinking about it, but it does right now look like the solution for me. :ex:

Today, eating - good. Exercise - YES!!! Water - good.

Everyone, let's all get a good night's sleep so that we can face the new day with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. Remember, life is good. Enjoy.
:D

Tuesday, Ocober 28, 2003

I did another workout at Curves this morning. I am on my one week free trial period, and I do believe that I will join. I feel like I get a good workout, and I like the variety. We'll see. I guess I was surprized to find that I was not sore from the unusual exercise. Quite surprized.

Today I did laundry, baked Bob a pumpkin pie, sorted clothes. We also filled the bird feeder in anticipation of snow later this week. On our weekend trip we spotted many, many geese heading south for the winter. Winter is coming. The calendar says so.

I have some studying to do this evening. They tell us that the Northern Lights may well be visible tonight. Maybe I will go out to check. But the city lights will be in the way.

Keep smiling -

Hi Jo,

I know what you mean about the exercise not being strenuous ... I think the one thing that still amazes me ..... is that the time moves so quickly .... I feel like I just started and I find I am thru. I no longer do 60 minutes ... am mindful of exerting too much pressure on my foot ..... but the workout is wonderful.

Make it a great evening .... As always, Monica

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Hi, Monica. Thanks for stopping by, and for your comments on Curves. I have pretty much decided to join. Haven't discussed it with DH as yet, but he will have no objections.

We are under a winter storm advisory tonight with snow coming our way. Supposed to be a rather big storm with several inches of snow forecast. Right now the streets are wet from the rain which will later turn to snow.

We had soup for supper tonight. Cabbage, bean & etc. It was filling and good! I have several crockpot recipes for soups that are simple and list the exchanges on the recipe. So once or twice a week we have a pot of soup.

Today I did some housework, attended a Bible class, exercised at Curves, took a nap, and enjoyed the day. Mostly life is to be enjoyed. So let's all remember that life is good, and each day is a blessing - :D

I am 72 and I have been on every diet known to man. Doing no sugar and watching my carbs. No bread to. This is hard to do as i make 6-8 loaves of bread every 2 weeks for my shut ins and DH. I really don't miss the bread. Find I like my wasa and rye crisp breads just as well. Went to the local fruit stand and got cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, carrots. So fr esh. Made a dish using some left over Jennie O turkey kielbasha with red, white cabbage, cauliflower hearts. STeam for 15-20 minutes. Wonderful flavor. Try it. Look for kolirobi and turnips to eat f resh or shred in your salad. I am down to 190# and a 16 pant is starting to feel big. :o :o

Thursday, October 30, 2003

Hi, Phyl, thanks for stopping by my journal. I believe we met sometime back over on the SBD Board. I'm not doing SBD precisely, but I have adapted some facets of the program into my WOE with some success. As for you, you are doing GREAT. Congratulations on your weight loss. It is difficult to lose weight at any age, and the older we get the harder it is. But it can still be done, and we are worth all the effort.

Today has been a bummer. We had about 16 inches of snow today, and it is still falling. DH and I did get out once in the pickup so he could see his Otolaryngologist (nose doctor). The decision has been made to have no surgery on his nose for at least the next six months. That's good.

As for the snow, I do not drive in 16 inches of new snow. Maybe tomorrow. We have food supplies for a while, but it cut into my exercise. I did some moving and stretching with hand weights, so the day was not a total loss.

Another thing about the snow - probably we will have very few, if any, Trick-or-Treat dropins tomorrow night. I always enjoy Halloween, but the weather can be too difficult for everyone. Not only is it still snowing, the temperature will drop down to about 10 degrees tonight, which is Brrr-r-r-r cold.

Today I ate OK, drank all my water, watched the snow fall, and tried to think positive thoughts. We had a nice, long Indian Summer which I enjoyed. But winter has come with a vengence. We will endure it. But I tend to whine a bit about cold weather.

But I keep telling myself that life is good. It really, really is! - :D

Friday, October 31, 2003 - Halloween

We are having very few Halloween Trick or Treaters tonight. Probably that is because it is snowing, the temperature is in the lower 20s, and there is about a foot and a half of new snow already on the ground. Only the brave and foolhardy are out tonight.

Early visitors were granddaughter and her husband, who dropped n on their way to a party. I fed them hot spiced cider and offered treats which were declined. We did discuss plans for a family Thanksgiving get-together which will be here. I usually host the Thanksgiving Dinner, but usually have it on Friday evening so that everyone in the family can be with their other relatives Thanksgiving Day. This enables DH and I to have our own little private meal of Thanks by ourselves. Can't beat that plan.

I did brave the snowy roads this morning to visit Curves again. And I was the only one there at the time. Had the place to myself. I do feel good after a Curves workout. I am about to end my free week, so from here on I will be a payng customer.

We have only had four little kiddies stopping by for Treats so far. Usually we have about 60-70. Oh, well. Maybe next year will be better.

Hope everyone is enjoying Halloween. And tomorrow we confront November. May our Novembers all be occasions of giving thanks for the lives we lead. Hey, life is good. Enjoy !!! :D

Saturday, November 1, 2003

We actually went to a movie tonight!!! In a real movie theater!!! Bob and I hadn't been to a movie since "Star Wars" came out back in whenever it was. We went with Son and DIL plus the two granddaughters, and everyone had a great time.

There is still mega amounts of snow lying around, so I walk carefully and cautiously, but hate to be house-bound during the winter months.

Several years ago I slid on the ice, fell and broke my left arm. Wound up in the emergency room. Even had a cardial arrest, which if you are going to have one the best place possible to have it is in the emergency room of a good hospital. I needed to be "jump started." I also had to have dialysis. There was lots of fallout from that incident, which I do not wish to repeat. Senior citizens like me are cautious about walking on ice, and we have good reason - somewhat more brittle bones than younger folks have.

But today went well - eating, drinking water, exercising, etc.

Everyone, sleep well, and enjoy the weekend.

Hi Jo, :wave:

You didn't say what movie you saw ......

You're right about as we get older WE HAVE TO BE MORE CAREFUL. Everything takes so MUCH LONGER TO HEAL. In my 30's 40's and 50's I noticed the gradual changes ..... lol it's times like this that I LONG FOR MY 20's ...... talk about the greatest years ....

Well I need to go and open the garage door and start hauling out the stuff ... what I don't sell I 've decided to donate to a group that fights aids. Hopefully I will make a little more money ... because I plan to give 1/2 of what I earn to help those who lost their homes and possessions in the fire. Make it a great day and a perfect Sunday. As always, Monica :wn