@MusicCandy @SadMe70 A place to communicate

You poorr thing - thery are out to get you with the bad stuff.. The principal has a snack bar?? I wish you well with passing up on the cr--.

My only thought about that is to try to take good snacks with you so you always have an alternative. Not that I am good at it

Good for you getting off to a good start with the home meals anyway. Today I made jam-- strawberry mint balsamic with a little black pepper. I wish I could say it is healthy- but the recipe called for a whole lot of sugar and I was scared to mess with it since I haven't made jam before.However- it turned out great. The little gift jars I bought sealed fine and I left some in frig jars to share. So far everyone says it is delicious. I had some on pound cake with my good friend today. I was pround of myself doing something I thought woould be fun and creative and new to me - and it was all that. My meals and wine are just hard to track with the ups and downs of working/sleeping daytimes. I think the OT will end soon though- it looks like maybe a new hire to help out. I am keeping up with my usual exercise at least.

Maymont is a restored Victorian home on a hundred acres of lawn, 3 different gardens, a paddle boat lake, children's farm,aviary, amphitheatre, WWI memorialCarrillon bell tower,Nature center with a lot of different walking options just around that area- but also a hike behind there that borders the river. It has lots of on and off points and the most popular woodsy walking- the buttermilk Trail. You can walk a little or a lot Maymont is not far from VCU and FREE! It was endowed as a city park by the family that owned it, like Dontown Abbey. You can see pics on the website. Worth a visit when you come. You can walk around a chat too.

I only gave up an after school enrichment. class I still have ( as far as I know) the Church preschool that is about 5.. 20-30 min classes per week. If the Director decides she wants to take music and movement " in a different direction" ( thats what they always nicely say) it wouldn't break my heart. I'd miss the children, but if she gets on my nerves again this year, I'm going in a different direction myself. I don't need the stress. I'm not feeling intimidated by her , and I am determined to do what is best for me now. Self talking - to you helps me!

I'm on the work wagon now plus Sunday night. Weekend coming up for you - YEA - do something fun.

The "snack bar" was just for 2 days during our prep week. It's for morale, but I wish she would use something other than junk food for morale boosting! Our first day with kids was yesterday. My schedule for the first few weeks is to be with K all day except for a half hour lunch and 1-3 with first. It went well. Our K class was really well behaved for a first day! Only one kid cried and that wasn't until the afternoon.

I do take my own snack - a mix of whole unsalted raw almonds and juice-sweetend cranberries. I always have a container in my bag. It's tasty and filling. But do I always eat that instead of the junk? No :( But I will try harder this year!

Your jam sounds fantastic! It's wonderful that you tried something new and I'm so glad it worked out so well! I love homemade jam. My mom used to make a lot of strawberry when we were little. We'd pick the berries with her, and "help" by eating the skim off the top of the pot. I had not thought about that in a while. I made jam once, but I'm just not good at canning.

I think I told you she got an infection in her foot from a splinter and spent a few days in the hospital to get IV antibiotics. She had to stay off the foot as much as possible because it kept breaking open, and her garden "went to pot" as she put it. I hate that she's had such a frustrating setback so soon after Dad's death. She is a very active person and the garden is very important to her, and she needed that mentally I think, more than ever this year. I wish I could have been up there caring for her garden for her.

Are you still working the overtime or is your schedule a little bit less crazy? I'm glad you are able to keep up with your exercise even when it's too hectic to track the food and wine. The exercise is so important for us mentally as much as physically. I know I need it to keep me from going crazy and I think you are the same!

We'll be taking my son to his new apt on Saturday, right on Broad St. I dread finding a place to park anywhere near the building. I think this will be his worst location yet for parking even to just pick him up, never mind unloading all his stuff! I really want to visit Maymont sometime. Maybe when my sisters come in a couple of weeks, that can be one thing we do. It sounds like the kind of place I'd really like.

I hope that the preschool works out for you this year, without a bunch of stress from the director. I know you like that, and being around kids is so wonderful! Music and movement sounds like a great class too. I'm sure they love it. I'm glad you are bracing yourself to do what's best for you, and the heck with her if she's a pain! Stick to your guns!

I spent my weekend cooking again, but I did get in a short hike with my son, and a couple of hours just sitting in bed in the middle of the day, going back and forth between a book I'm reading and mindless stuff on the computer. I took cheese and crackers and tea with me and just relaxed a while. I'll be busy over the next 2 weekends, so not much cooking will get done.

How is your week going so far?

Sounds like your school year is off to a good start. The children are always the best part ( most of them anyway) . I am still working like crazy' they havent hired for the empty slot - but I hear there is a candidate. It isn't too terrible now, but music classes will be coming up soon. I haven't heard from the Director , and every time I've ever e-mailed her, she was just "so busy". I am enjoying the last warm days as much as possible. I love summer.

I hope the apt. works out OK with your son. Is he off campus? Most all of those little streets have no good parking, I know.As a remedy, it is not at all unusual to see Uber cars or delivery cars/ truck to just stop in the middle of the street. You never know. I leave work at night very slowly since there are always a lot of bicycles too that dart in and out of traffic, some no lights either.

My meals and wine are OK , but not following any goals right now. Some things are just good habits, but I don't have the mental strength to do anything special. Not enough sleep is a problem too, so I try to catch up when I can. I did some research on the at home cortisol tests that you spit and send in. I'm curious if my haphazard life contibutes to an abnormal level. I almost ordered one. Then I read that the test only measures one day, and your days can be up and down so it doesn't tell you much overall. There are supplements, but you never know about them either. The website did say that making healthy diet and exercise modifications is still the best thing to do . Oh well.

I made another batch o strawberry balsamic jam, but I didn't use as much sugar and it didn't jell as much as the first batch. This set is more like a dessert sauce. Still good. I would be afraid to do any tomato canning, but the jam is pretty easy. I'm going to do a mint jalapeno next. since the garden mint is still growing. I hope you Mom can get outside in her garden soon. That is therapy for me too.

I'm working every day this week. 3-11 today and tomorrow and 11-7 Thursday and the weekend. Have some fun. I'll try to do the same.

One week of kids successfully completed! I really like our K class. We are starting a new type of lesson this week. Instead of starting our regular literacy groups right away, each para will stay in our home base K class and work one-on-one with kids who know less than 5 letters. The goal is to get them more familiar with the alphabet before we start the small group lessons. I'm not sure when we will start our first grade literacy groups.

I hope the slot will get filled so things are less crazy for you! The preschool director doesn't sound like the best manager. I hope things with her go more smoothly this year too. I know you will be glad to start the music classes despite her. This past week they had the paras go to "specials" with the K classes, something we did not do before. My class loved their music class.

We moved my son into Ramz on Broad Street on Saturday. It is not campus housing, but it is primarily, or maybe entirely, students living in it. It took us about 15 min to go 3 blocks on Broad Street, but there is a lot behind the building and we got a spot there. They had guys with big laundry carts to help unload, so really it went pretty smoothly. The apt is old but in pretty good condition. There is no ceiling light in the bedrooms or living room, which we did not realize, so I need to take him some lamps.

I had two big meals this weekend. We went to our favorite Indian place on Friday night, and I always eat too much there. We ate with another couple (friends from PA) and the wife and I split a whole bottle of wine between us. On our way home on Saturday, we stopped at Lou's Soul Food (on 301 in Caroline County) and I got fried catfish, mashed potatoes, and a big slice of cake. Except for those 2 meals, I've been doing well.

I never heard of the home cortisol tests. Too bad it is not something that you can get the results right away at home. It might be interesting to do regular tests and figure out averages.

My Mom lost all her beans, but she's gotten some other stuff from the garden. She is more mobile again, but her foot is still not properly healed. She has a doctor's appointment this week. I hate that she's had this setback. She has been through enough already.

Did you get through your week and weekend ok? I spent yesterday cleaning out the animal pen, weeding, laundry, shopping, cooking. It took all day! My sisters are coming next weekend. I'm not sure how I will get anything done. We are staying at a cabin about 20 min from my house. That way I can still get back here in the mornings to feed the animals, but will still be "away." We plan to spend Saturday in Richmond.

I hope you are doing well and having a great day!!

So good to hear that your year is off to a very good start. It souinds like a good plan to take small steps with the children who aren't quite up to regular standards yet. I still haven't heard a word from my preschool director yet. I guess she is "" Busy!"" . I am plenty busy too so I'll just wait and see.

I am working 3-11 tonight and tomorrow , fiance and I are planning to drive to Grottoes, near Harrisomberg to tour Grand Caverns. Then I have to be back to work 11-7 - but at least it is a fun time before my week-end of work. I am running late getting to your post and a reply so I will write more later. I am glad your son got settled in. Kids always manage , despite us worry-ing. I know all about that myself.

I'll say a prayer for your Mom and her foot. It has to be hard to be that far away. We took my Mom to the riverside to view the eclipse and it was pretty amazing, with the glasses and also with the pinhole in cardboard. It was nice just being by the riverside boat dock just relaxing. All the libraries had big crowds.

I can't make any headway with my diet and wone, but exercise is good. Chat with you later gator.

I had a great weekend with my sisters! I could not get away for our annual "Sisters' Weekend" so they came to me. On Friday night we had lasagna, garlic bread, and a 3-layer chocolate cake my sister made, plus drinks.

We did a day trip to Richmond. First we did an escape room with my son and 2 of his friends. I had not heard of those until a couple of months ago. Each room has a theme and a bunch of puzzles to solve so you can "escape." You get an hour. We did not make it, but we had a lot of fun!

Next we did a walking food tour called Both Sides of Broad, just down from VCU. Talk about breaking my diet. This included paninis, pasta, au jus, potato latke, and more in a 2.5 hour period of time. Then back to the cabin for more cake! I was 4 pounds heavier on Monday morning than on Friday morning.

On Sunday morning, one sister and I did a sunrise canoe trip in the bay that the cabin sits on. That was so peaceful and beautiful. Then off to breakfast for pancakes and blueberry cobbler. I think I ate every form of bad carbs that exists in one weekend! My stomach was in revolt by Sunday afternoon, but I am feeling better now that I am back to normal eating.

School is going well. Any word from your preschool director?

How was your trip to Grottoes? I have never been to Grand Caverns. I bet that was fun!

Mom's foot has continued to bother her. She had a doctor appointment on Friday and they said that she would need an MRI if she felt there might be something left in her foot. She is going on vacation with my sisters and aunt this coming weekend, so she's going to wait until she gets back to deal with that.

I am planning to swim this morning at the Y. I've done that twice so far since school started, which was the first times in a year that I got in the pool. If my new Wednesday goat feeder keeps coming (today is day 2 for her), I hope to keep swimming in my exercise rotation.

I know how great it is to have special times with your sisters. My 3 sisters live in FL and VT, so we also have to plan way ahead to get together. Now, though, my mom is in Richmond at the Masonic Home so that gives them an extra reason to come here. We are due for another one, my baby sister turns sixty next year. I can't imagine that. The food tour you mentioned is the most popular walking tour in Richmond. The Richmond Tour Guys is next- that is the *free* walking tour downtown that we did. No food though. I'm sure I would have splurged just like you did.

No message yet from the Preschool Director. I'm not even sure when that preschool starts, sometimes it is later than public school. We'll see. I'm enjoying my summer scedule as long as I can - even with the OT days, I manage to slip in a day away. Fiance and I went to Jamestown Sunday afternoon after church. Took the freey to surry and toured a very old Plantation and ate at a seafood restaurant. I resisted wine since I know I'd want some later. The food was OK, but overpriced. Surry doesn't have much going on so this is Their Spot- it is on the river and eating outside was nice.

I made more strawberry jam- everyone loves it. As for me- I started a modified Atkins and so far, day 3 sticking to it. No cake,cookies,bread,processed carbs at all- no fruit for 2 weeks, but lots of salad and most meats, eggs and 3 slices of cheese per day.I figured I could do that much even if I don't cut out the wine. Wine is low in carbs, but it does have some. But this solves the "what do I eat?" question even if it is late, I'm tired or away from home ,at work ect. I carry stuff with me and so far - good. I had to start something with some rules, but not too restrictive. I;vr resisted cake , cookies,muffins,donute, because I have an alternative handy. I'm going for this plan for 2 weeks. I'm still having the glass or 2 of wine, but if I want to munch, I have cut up veggies or deli turkey slices.

I hope your Mom's foot gets better soon. It is always hard when you aren't close by. No drama from my Mom the last week- fingers crossed. The OT here is closing out since we have a temporary tech for a few weeks. I am getting in the pool every warm day as long as I can. We still swim in the indoor pool year - round with Rachael, but I love the sun.

Let me know your next goal, I'm glad to have one and I count on you to stand behind me.

Hi there ,

I hope you have had a good week and school is settleing in. I stil haven't heard a word from the Preschool. I can't figure her out.

But my food plan, no/low carbs is going well. Ive had a few bites of bread, and I have sampled my strawberry jam, but resisted all k inds of breads,cookies, ect. I haven't lost weight, but I feel less bloated, and more in control. Not trying to curb wine, at least not yet. It is a rainy night and I'm at work just hoping all the *New* students will stay off the roads tonight. Nothing else new and hoping for a not-too-busy week-end. R and R on Monday. I'll have some wine and protein!

Hello! I will have to try the Richmond Tour Guys sometime! I like the price especially!

I have been sick since Thursday. Lots of people at school had it already so I guess it was inevitable. I don't usually get sick so early in the school year! I did not miss any days, but I'm really glad Friday was a half day. I am not well yet but definitely on the way. I have not exercised since a short walk on Thursday, but plan to go to yoga today. My eating has been mostly good since the sisters' weekend, and have not had much alcohol because my throat was irritated.

This weekend I made soap for the first time since January, with plans to use it as Christmas presents. I planned out 3 batches. The first was a double batch, and I got distracted and doubled everything but the lye so it's ruined :( The second batch ended up being really thick by the time I was getting it into the molds. I thought it was going in nicely but turned out it was not going down into all parts of the molds, so half of those are all messed up, but at least will be usable soap. The third batch was a rectangular loaf mold and that one looks ok. If I have time next weekend I will try to remelt the big ruined batch and add in the rest of the lye. I don't know if that will work or not. I did really enjoy doing it, so hopefully I'll find some time to make more. Between cooking, laundry, and using up milk making some kind of cheese, the weekends seem to fly by when they are a measly 2 days long instead of 3!

How is your diet going? My husband did an Atkins type diet twice and lost weight both times. It sounds like you have a really good plan for what to eat. Keep those snacks with you! Avoiding processed carbs is a great idea! That is one thing I mostly cut out when I lost weight, and slipping on that is one reason I gained those 10 pounds back. If you feel better, less bloated, etc. that should help you stick to it since that is a great result in itself! My main goal right now is to avoid the junk at school. I don't need 10 more pounds. I've been eating really well other than that one weekend, and exercising regularly except while I was sick this past week.

I went to Jamestown once when the kids were little, but I've never been to Surry. That sounds like a nice trip! We did used to take the ferry near Jamestown on our way to the beach in NC sometimes. We'd take 2 more ferries in NC just because it was fun. That made the trip longer, but we all loved it. On the way home we'd hit 95 instead.

Any word now from the preschool director??

Keep up the good work with your new diet! You must be about done the first week now!

I thought I was getting better last weekend, but as the drainage down my throat dried up, I got stuffy and have had a huge sinus headache for the entire week. It turns out that the Constant Splitting Headache Diet is pretty effective though! I have had no alcohol and lost 2 pounds this past week. Hopefully some of it is from the lack of alcohol calories, and not entirely loss of muscle mass from not exercising much!