@MusicCandy @SadMe70 A place to communicate

This is a quick note- nice to hear you are somewhat better. It has been very exhaustin with a lot of hours - lunches.. but almost done now. I told the church secretary that if there is work in heaven to neaten- ill be there! that kitchen was a mess and that was not my job. I still did it. Ill be back at work tomorrow and will ck in then. merry merry merry.

You make me feel not so bad when I eat too much chocolate at one time too - usually with wine/ something about that combo. My eating has been erratic with the busy week working at the church and the rest of life. I know when that happens I feel uggh, physically and mentally and I beat myself up over it too. Wine has been OK, but not the restriction of 2 nights like I did for awhile. I do want to get back to something on my list next week. Maybe at least the lemon water and a protein shake every day. Anything helps so I'm not giving up on everything.

I hopw you are feeling better with meals. I've never gone through anything like that and it must be hard to get through the day. Thew testing won't be any fun either, but at least you may get some answers.

Snow here, but not as much as they predicted. I stayed at work instead of driving back and forth to southside in case it was bad. Roads were not bad, but still over 200 accidents, people driving too fast. I missed any chance of being involved in a mishap by staying here.

I hope you got some pretty snowfall, and I guess you had to give the animals some extra TLC. I have to get back to some exercise while I'm here at work- either a TABATA 30 min. online class and 30 min. stair climbing - 0r some other combination of an hour. I'm not motivated but it will be OK once I start, and then I'll pat myself on the back. I like the Tabata class on POPSUGAR, it goes by fast and it has intervals which they say are good for you. That;s what they say anyway. Stay warm.

You make me feel not so bad when I eat too much chocolate at one time too - usually with wine/ something about that combo. My eating has been erratic with the busy week working at the church and the rest of life. I know when that happens I feel uggh, physically and mentally and I beat myself up over it too. Wine has been OK, but not the restriction of 2 nights like I did for awhile. I do want to get back to something on my list next week. Maybe at least the lemon water and a protein shake every day. Anything helps so I'm not giving up on everything.

I hopw you are feeling better with meals. I've never gone through anything like that and it must be hard to get through the day. Thew testing won't be any fun either, but at least you may get some answers.

Snow here, but not as much as they predicted. I stayed at work instead of driving back and forth to southside in case it was bad. Roads were not bad, but still over 200 accidents, people driving too fast. I missed any chance of being involved in a mishap by staying here.

I hope you got some pretty snowfall, and I guess you had to give the animals some extra TLC. I have to get back to some exercise while I'm here at work- either a TABATA 30 min. online class and 30 min. stair climbing - 0r some other combination of an hour. I'm not motivated but it will be OK once I start, and then I'll pat myself on the back. I like the Tabata class on POPSUGAR, it goes by fast and it has intervals which they say are good for you. That;s what they say anyway. Stay warm.

There definitely is something about the wine/chocolate combo! Yesterday I tried making hot mulled wine for the first time. I put in too many cloves and it wasn't super, but it was ok. Somehow I managed to choke it all down!

I did a 30 minute low impact tabata workout yesterday from Team Body Project. It's the first workout I've done at home in quite a while and it felt good. I took it easy but at least it was exercise. They have a 40 or 50 min nonstop cardio workout that I've tried before. I can't do the whole thing but I do a lot of it (modified to low impact) and I'd like to build back up to that once I get my stomach straight. I know I've done something from Popsugar but I don't remember if it was the tabata. I'll have to look for that. I like the cardio interval workouts. Jessica Smith TV has some good videos on youtube too.

Today I am making goat cheese candy. I've made it for the last two years and it tastes really good, but I can't get it to look nice. I have square candy molds and you put melted choc in the bottom and brush the sides of each mold, then the filling, then more choc on top. Mine never manage to be all the way coated, or they break coming out of the mold, etc. I need to have as many nice looking ones as possible so I can give them away. If they are too ugly, I eat them myself! This is what I am making:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao1OLgqPW-s&feature=youtu.be

I think with all the holiday bustle coming up, plus your already full schedule, don't stress about the wine right now! I vote for adding in your lemon water or protein shake, and don't try to restrict the wine until after the holidays.

Something I have tried if I don't feel like exercising is the Leslie Sansone 5 min walk, because I can talk myself into 5 min, and then often once I have done that I do feel like doing more so then I can do a 30 min one. Maybe that approach can get you going too.

Not much snow here, which is fine by me, but it is pretty. I have not been outside yet, just admiring it from the window!

Just a quick update on my doctor visit yesterday. I saw a nurse, a PA, and eventually the doctor after almost 2 hours. My bloodwork was good. I'm not sure what all was tested since I don't know the names the PA read off, but she said my pancreatic and liver enzymes were normal. On 12/22 I am getting an endoscopy and colonoscopy, my first of each of those. I was able to get one over my vacation because they had a cancellation. It is a different doctor than the one I saw, but since I saw her for all of 4-5 min, it doesn't really matter to me. I came home with a kit of the lovely stuff to drink next Thursday.

I remember you telling me about your goat cheese candy last year. I bet no one cares if it is pretty or not. But that is an excuse to eat some yourself. I have a funny family story like that-sort of. When me and my sisters were tweens and my mom went thru her crazy life change and drug us across the state with really no means of supporting herself or us ( after committing my Dad/Optomotrist to the mental hospital in N.C so she could get a divorse and marry her drummer boyfriend - is that enough back story?)- we wanted to surprise her with a dozen doughnuts on her birthday. We walked to KK- the only doughnut as far as I'm concerned - and put our dimes together and got a dozen. Then we started eating them on the way home- so we had to go back and get another box for her. She was so happy and asked if we wanted one, but of course we were all feeling a little sick. So you know the moral of that story! I have strawberry jam and lemon jam for gifts. I'm glad I made extra.

I had a good week. I didn't have a shake every day, but I did have protein and green veggie meals, and I added my AM lemon water.I'm also on track for 2 nights without wine - tonight before coming in to work 11-7 and tomorrow I'l also just be going home and to sleep before going back to work. That is the easiest to eliminate. I did some yard work in the sunshine today, not too cold out- and that always makes me feel better. I like the short workouts too, and I can almost always do fine as soon as I get started. I just don't really look forward to it as motivation. I had a Float and Sound session this afternoon too which was so relaxing. Fiance and I took Rachael to see the movie Coco- it is adorable and visually stunning- cute plot too. Fortunately there is a theatre near by - AND taking her,other daughter and my Mom to the Nutcraker Sunday Afternoon. This group performs at a High School, so it is easier for my Mom to navigate- she doesn't handle steps in the dark Altria, even though we did see that one by the Richmond Ballet before. That is my Christmas present.

I'm still working through the week-end so I'll ck back with you before Sunday. I'm glad you are getting the tests done- it's not as bad as you have heard; I had one a few years ago.

Hi again. I hope you had a good week at school- are you out yet for the Holiday? I kept my resolve about the no wine before bed this morning, and it was s little bit of a struggle mentally- but I made it. I had warm peppermint tea and it was so fragrant and relaxing. I want to remember that next time. I came in to work and one of my favorite docs in the ED was there for her last day. Apparently , the nurses either didn't know that or for whatever reason, no one got a cake or card or anything. So- being at work I couldn't run out and get something. I flipped thru the take out and deliver menus and found a restaurant that would deliver individual desserts, so I ordered 6 slices of different cakes for delivery. I printed a card on the computer and set all that up in the ED for all of them to surprise her when there was a break. All in an hour and a half.

I wasn't in the ED when they called her in, but I think she liked the fact that we did something special and we will miss her. She didn't take the cakes home though, so we had them out - I ate a BIG slice of tiramisu myself. However, later I had a chance to do 2 30 min. workouts in between patients , so I don't feel so bad. I feel fat actually, but not "bad". I'm glad it worked out for her anyway. Over and out for now.

I love your donut story! I put too much peppermint extract in the chocolate mint candies. I had extra filling so I made more cheese this weekend and mixed some in. Now I have a better filling and I hope to get that made into candy today. I am not entirely sure when I'm going to deliver them to the people that I want to give them to! Maybe Thursday.

Today is my last day of school. We had half days yesterday and today. I have a lot of house cleaning to do before the new gf comes to stay for a few days starting Sunday I think. I am not a good housekeeper at all. It's cluttered, dusty, just a mess in general. I have so much else to do and the days fly by, the cleaning takes a way back seat. I hope to get some done today and mainly tomorrow. I will finish up on Thurs but I know I will be cranky since I'll be on a liquid diet, and then of course the awful colonoscopy prep starts in the afternoon. On Saturday we come down to Richmond to get my son and I think we are meeting my cousin for dinner. He lives in CA and is going to be in VA visiting the skydiving place in Orange.

Sounds like you did well with your meals last week! I was out of control with the treats at school yesterday. I got a lot of candy and cookies as gifts, I have lots of candy here that I got for stocking stuffers, and I will eat a ton of cookies at my mom's over New Year's weekend, so I know these next 2 weeks will be bad. I am on a modified diet for the colonoscopy this week too - no beans, lentils, raw veggies, whole grains. So basically a crappy diet on top of the treats! I know I will gain some weight. I guess that will give me something to make a new year's resolution about - getting rid of it again!

Good for you on adding the AM lemon water and having some no-wine nights! Peppermint tea does smell wonderful! I do drink tea some nights since I stopped having wine on weeknights. It's nice to feel like you are having a treat even if it is not wine. I'm glad you got to do some work outside as well. Sunlight and fresh air are such great mood boosters, plus knowing you got something accomplished!

I pretty much only go to movies with my kids too, and they are into superheros, so that's what I see. They are not always that great, but I did like the new Thor movie, which we saw around Thanksgiving. I do miss the Disney and other animated ones. Some of them were cute!

How was the Nutcracker? I went every year growing up. We took our boys a couple of times but they don't like it. I love it. I have a CD of it and play it every year. I hope you all had a great time!

That was so nice of you to set up a party for the doctor! I know she appreciated that. I know how you feel about eating the cake. It was cookies for me yesterday. I was able to fit in a a 30 min exercise session in the afternoon. At least we are both exercising to partially combat the treats we eat! Just think if we weren't doing that. I read this article last week and it helped me resist the treats at school last week, but not yesterday. I printed it and was thinking of taking it with me when I go to my mom's next week! I like some of their advice (this is a group that makes some of the workout videos I like)

https://teambodyproject.com/uncategorized/conquer-emotional-eating-five-steps/

I am off to feed the goats and get ready for school. I hope you have a great day!!

quick note- nice to hear your news. I just finished addesssin Christmas cards- secial needs dauhter has a virus, but not too sick- just annoyin for holiday. I am back at work Thursday 11-7 and i'll write more then. Exercised today but nothin else much as to what i should do; O well. Have a restful evenin my friend.

Thursday night - at work. My laptop that I type on from home does not type a "g", plus several letters too I found, so those messages are hard to write! I do have another netbook but I haven;t set it up. I tend to have more time at work. I did a double workout today. , in the anticipation that I will be eating more sweets like cannoli and tiny cake bites and cookies and.. of course wine. My daughter is hosting the family gathering on Sunday afternoon but I'm helping her with most of the food. That's why I know there will be a lot of sweets. I did make a meat/cheese/veggie tray and a pretty fruit platter. Wegmans market had some Japanese mandarins that are so sweet. Daughters BF is smoking hams and I'm bringing most everything else. Sister coming from FL and a neice from Norfolk so it will be nice to see at least some of the extended family. I was definitely not in the Christmas mood last week- still cleaning up leaves. I felt depressed actually for no real reason, just anxious about family stuff and getting enough sleep working the week-end. I told fiance I didn't care if he didn't get the tree down from the attic, I just wanted it to be over with. B U T, he got the tree and decorations down and put it all up when I was gone.. and it was so pretty and cheerful - it made me feel better to see the lights. It was a sweet surprise.

How are your Holiday plans coming together? I hope you don't get stressed out like I do whenever my Mom is involved. I'm going to try to hold my sarcastic come backs and take a long walk later. And listen to music.

Peace out.