@MusicCandy @SadMe70 A place to communicate
@MusicCandy Hello! I have to get ready for work but will post more later!
Hello there! I am feeling much better now. I'm going to keep taking the allergy medicine just in case. Today my older son and I went to the Appalachian Trail, getting on at Thornton Gap near Sperryville and walking to Mary's Rock. It's about a 4 mile round trip which is just the right length for me. I was huffing and puffing the entire way up, and had to stop to catch my breath a lot, but it was a good level of challenge. If I lived close enough to hike in the mountains every weekend, I could lose 10 pounds easily I think. It was full of snow and the fog obscured the view from the peak, but we had a fantastic time. There were a surprising number of people on the trail, so it must be packed in the summer.
Our younger son was here most of the week during his spring break. He went back to Richmond yesterday. I cooked a big pot of a cauliflower and sweet potato curry yesterday, so I'll have that maybe twice this week for dinner and freeze the rest. I plan to pull one of my older freezer meals out for one day also. Tomorrow I am making a goose egg omelet!
I have given up alcohol for Lent for the last 3 or 4 years, but it snuck up on me this year and I'm not mentally prepared. I can't think of something else good to give up that would be meaningful but still do-able, so I'll probably go with that. I thought of instead adding something to my life, like reading a spiritual passage each day, but I'm not sure that I would go through with that or even remember every day. Do you do something for Lent like that (if it's not too intrustive to ask)?
How are things going for you? I have three other friends who lost family members recently, so I keep you all in my prayers still. I am going up to be with my mom and sisters next weekend, for the second anniversary of dad's death which is next Saturday.
I hope you are well and having a happy week!
Hello on a cold wet ( so what's new) weekend . I was glad you posted again so I didn't have to go back and find your last post which I did read but didn't get a chance to write back.
Good for you taking salads for lunch. I like some of the chopped varieties too, but I feel guilty when I don't get the organic ones. They are more expensive, people say that we really should eat organic fruits and vegetables. I just don't always do it.
I had my lab work done and man, my cholestrol LDL numbers were way too high. I did some closer analysis later and the fine details don't seem quite as bad as they seemed at first - in the "red boxes". Everything else is great. My 5 lb. wt loss was noted and the inflamation marker CRP was better. My regular doc left the practice and I saw the NP. She was OK, but I still had to do my own research for the cholestrol deal. The canned note suggested trying a low dose statin, but I'm going to try TLC first. All my other risks factors are low, and I have no plaque in carotids or around my heart. I do have the gene marker for that specifically, so that was interesting. I am going to add oatmeal with added oat bran- every day and a couple of supplements - one fairly new and the other with plant sterols, I just don't want to star a lifetime drug et.
I am jealous of your hike. I would also hike mountains or riverside every single day if I could. your hike sounds beautiful and soul soothing - even if it is cold and wet which isn't preferred, but you dress warm and then warm up later. Maybe with some of your cauliflower sweet potato curry - that sounds absolutely delicious, and full of fiber and healthy spices too. I will have to look for a recipe. I made a crock pot of 12 bean soup with a ham bone - so easy and I took some to work.
I went to Ash Wednesday , a shortened service with no Eucharist since we had Bible Study too. I planned to get back on my no alcohol 3 days starting then- ( i let that lapse with my Mo,m's crisis and being tired all the time). But I had a really terrible shift last night and went home and drank some Rose before going to sleep. I do want to do that though, and will try again starting next Thursday. It may help my cholestrol numbers too, I don't know. My other discipline will be to turn off the TV after news and play quiet music in ther bedroom and listen to Daily prayers on my tablet. a convent in MD has a daily office reading with prayers and music that is posted and you just have to link on and listen. Very soothing. I actually detest a TV in the bedroom at all, but Fiance is used to it, and a DVD movie every now and then is OK. We watched most of Victoria, but that is done for the season. It is just so easy to waste hours for nothing with it just "on". I much prefer to read with wine ( on ON nights now) and chocolate of course and music.
My Women's Order at church is going through a book exploring various spiritual disciplines "Soul Feast" I got a few copies- Amazon very cheap. You might look that up for ideas that suit you. It does help to break the routine and take on something new at Lent I think. I always like to share my Faith , often with patients if appropriate. We all need :" something" that doesn't have to be organized religion. DAILY LIFE IS TOO STRESSFUL. I hope you get some rest this week-end - Anything new in the pen? My coworker had a blue eyed baby goat born at her farm - so cute!
Hello! I have had some small success with my weight loss in the first 3 weeks of the challenge at school. I've lost 2.5 pounds. This weekend will be a setback, but it's ok. I'm at my mom's this weekend with my family for the anniversary of dad's death.
I met my sisters on Friday and we went to the aquarium in Baltimore. I had not been there for about 25 years so that was pretty fun. Then we came up to mom's and had a great dinner of lasagna that mom made, plus garlic bread and wine. We finished up with milkshakes with Bailey's in them. My younger son arrived that night, and older son and gf arrived Saturday around noon. We all went to dinner, plus my aunt and brother-in-law and ate a ton of very excellent food plus two rob roys (one of dad's favorites). Back at home we had homemade cake. Today we'll have eggs and bacon brunch and on the way home I'll be eating at our favorite Indian restaurant. So, I will probably have at least the 2.5 back but it was all delicious, and a good family event, and I don't usually eat most of that stuff! We have played a lot of games too, so it was fun despite the occasion. I have been getting most of my exercise in since I have been feeling better again, so that's something anyway.
I am glad your lab work was good and the inflamation marker was better, and that the LDL was not as bad as it first looked. I don't blame you at all for not wanting to start a lifetime medication yet. My husband takes a lot of meds and who knows what they are doing to him while they are fixing something else. I have faith in you that you can improve it with your good diet and exercise! I like hot oat bran cereal myself but only have time to make it on some weekend days. Usually my breakfast is made in 1 minute eaten while getting ready to milk, but I think it's a pretty good healthy breakfast at least.
I decided to go with the no alcohol for Lent, except I always give myself a pass on "Dad's weekend," which always falls during Lent. Despite not really feeling it this year, I have done fine without drinking anything for the first week anyway. Now that I've begun I can do it.
No baby goats yet but I except the first ones around April 2!
@SadMe70
2 and a half pounds is really good. !!We short gals have to work so hard to lose even one. I bet you can get right back to that after your splurge week-end. Reading al that made me hungry -- milkshakes with Baileys? I never head of that but it sounds delicious. I just ate my bowl of oatmeal, and it wasn't as good as anything you mentioned. I'm working an extra shift - that is tonight 11-7. We don't have enough peole to cover anyone's off time. And I heard this morning that a day shift coworker was in an accident and broke her hip so she will be out for awhile. That problem would be pretty easy to solve. There are 3 specialty techs on day shift who are also x-ray techs, but they usually sit in their cubbys for sometimes hours if they don't have a patient. I'd snag them, but I'm not the boss, so oh well. I'm making OT tonight so I will just put that in savings.
My Lent resolutions are half good. I haven't been able to get the devotion quiet music routine going, just too late getting in bed period. The no wine started last week, and I'm going to try hard to keep that up this week-end too--but its awfully easy to just say I'm too tired to fight the urge and give in. That's not an excuse I should even entertain. I had to take my nap time in driving my older daughter to the urgent care after she twisted her anke at the gym. She is OK, but that was half my day. It's always something.
I hope you had a really great time with your family. I started some ancestry research which is fascinating, but now I don't have time to even work on it. Have you done that? I traced my moms family back to late 1700s in N.C. There is some new evidence that those foks were Lost Colony descendents. That would be cool, when I can get some time.
I'll be back all week-end so I'll check back in with you. Don't be discouraged over the scale if it creeps back up. Your program is long enough to help get back to some good habits - that is more important. You can meet your own goals, and I will give you a virtual hug.
Hello! So I did gain back all that weight but I also have my period. I am back to eating normally this week, and getting in exercise, so next week I should be back to my pre-splurge weight and hopefully can continue the downward trend.
I understand about not having enough people to cover at work. We had so many people out sick last month that they kept pulling people from my team to cover for teachers, which then screws up all of our lessons. When I was out, even though I requested a sub a couple of months ago, they took my sub and put her in for a teacher so my kids did not get their services that day. I hope they will use your x-ray techs to help cover! That sounds like a logical thing to do, but I know bosses don't always do the logical thing.
I am struggling a bit with being annoyed at my co-workers and I thought I'd vent it here, since it's mostly probably my weird personality stemming from my OCD type feelings, anxiety, the whole package that makes me a little off. I'll just pick one issue as an example. The 6 of us share an office. We have 2 15 min breaks and a 40 min lunch. They have all taken to wanting to sit in there with the lights off. We do have a big window so it's not pitch dark, but it's very dim. My seat is by the window so I have enough light to eat, but we are supposed to use part of that time as our planning, and it is hard for me to see well enough to do that. I feel this is very unprofessional of them - it's not their meditation room, it's an office. The lights should be on so people can function. I get that they are stressed and want to relax destress in the middle of the workday. Who doesn't. But they can do that at home! They even said how they had a great day when I was out because they sat in the dark all day. Am I being unreasonable and overreacting? I need a neutral perspective. I like all these people very much and we work well together, but I have multiple issues with them of this sort and I feel kind like I am alone and different. Plus of course I let every little thing bother me and sit inside festering. Ok, enough of my rant! Thank you for reading!!
I am so sorry you lost your nap time too. I certainly understand about life, and especially taking care of others, getting in the way of taking care of yourself. I know you are very familiar with that too. I think you are doing great, considering everything else in your life. Stay strong about the wine! I am struggling with that this Lent more than past years. I almost gave in last night. I really wanted wine, but I didn't drink it. I know you can resist too!! Stay strong!!
My dad did a lot of ancestry research and I brought all his paper files home with me when he died because no one else wanted them. They are just sitting in drawers now, but maybe I will do something with them when I am older. His computer also has files from a genealogy program but I did not get those yet. I find it interesting too, but I don't find the time. I did the DNA test through ancestry.com and my husband has shown me cool stuff on there, but I have never logged on myself to look at that either. One more thing for "later." That is cool what you found about your mom's family! I hope you can find out more about them. My dad's stuff doesn't go back that far, partly because some of his family were later immigrants - mid-1800s.
Stay strong on that wine, and I hope you get more time to yourself between extra work and other commitments!
@SadMe70
Always nice to get your posts.. it is a lift to my workday. I am going to be working extra shifts for awhile, so the idea of making sure I get devotion and rest time is even harder now. But I will try to only do what I can do and not push it, even though it is hard to say no. One good thing - i hope - is they are close to getting another afternoon caregiver for Rachael. The candidate is young, a veteral gal 2 Afghanastan tours, very fit and able to take Ra on her walks ( plus help with her pool and basketball at the gym) I really hope it works ot. she is in the Reserves so some days wont work, but overall it will be a big help to both of us.
I know what you mean about work conflicts. Thats why I work evening and night shifts and week-ends- mostly alone. I don't play well with others - they get on my nerves, like yours do. I am on your side as an absolutely neutral opinion. since everyone has different break ties, and everyone may need to do work during that time- it should be adequate light for everyone. I understand the need for quiet time, and there shoiuld be anothetr room for that in an ideal world. If I myself needed that time to relax, here is what i would do. I'd bring a personal pillow if needed, and headphones for quiet music or meditations AND a light blocking eye shield ( like they give you on planes) I have a sleep mask for daytime sleeping in the summer anyway. I guess there is no way to approach the boss about a solution like that, but a basket of the above items ( except pillow) might be nice for everyone when they need it. I get how annoying that must be, and no I don't think its you. Maybe it's US! HEHE.
I have been on the ancestry website way too much, my eyes and brain get exhausted. It is addictive, and I'm already OCD. My neice has done a lot, so I want to compare hers with what I have and then transfer the names to a free website to just save it. I've gone back to England with a couple of lines, but they charge more for international searches. I have a few more days of FREE Ancestry.com so I want to get it all moved before then. It is fun though and a focusing ZEN activity. I know you will enjoy your Dad's data when you get to it and I hope one of your boys will want to carry it on..
Everything else puttering along. My daughter twisted her ankle at the gym last week and she called me to pick her up in the middle of my day off. I did that and 3 hrs later she had a cute boot and driving herself home. I knew it wasnt broken , not even swollen, but she is SO drama. She put pictures and" woe is me" posts on FB, and I swear - 16 "friends" are posting back "get better soon,.. prayers (huh ? i say save your prayers for someone with cancer).., can I bring you anything?, ect. ect. ect. My post back was 'As a long time x-ray tech, I've seen worse" . haha" Good Lord, she wanted to go back to the gym in 3 days. I hope nothing really bad even happens to her. Wait till she has a baby.
That's my rants - back to work. i'll be back here on Monday 9-3. Have a lovely restful week-end ..it stopped raining finally.. Don't let the #$%^& get you down. The children are blessed to have you in their life .
Almost forgot - no wine 3 days holding strong. My secret weapon is brewing the tae as soon as I walk in the door - just the aroma is relaxing and makes me look forward to drinking it.
Hello! How are you holding up with the extra shifts? I hope you are able to get enough rest, and time for devotion. Good job on the wine! I have come to like tea in the last few years and drink a lot of it myself. I never had the various flavored hot teas before, and I've found quite a few that I like. I am still doing ok with no alcohol. It was a bit easier this week.
I got myself back to a normal eating routine after my weekend away. I dropped the weight I lost from the overeating that weekend, so now by our school nurse's scale I'm down 3 pounds from the start of the challenge on Feb 20. My son's birthday is tomorrow and we are going to our Indian restaurant, so I'll eat more than usual, but all fairly healthy food. We are not getting a cake because he is trying to lose weight too. I've been staying mostly strong at school with all the junk. I had a brownie on Monday but nothing else.
Did the new caregiver possiblity for Rachael work out? I hope so! She sounded like a good candidate. How is your other daughter's ankle? I hope she's feeling better too! I know what you mean about FB posts. I have quite a few friends who post dramatic things looking for all their friends to chime in with "poor you" posts. The ones I hate the most are when they don't even say what is wrong, they just make a mysterious dramatic proclamation so that everyone will ask "what's wrong???" I joined FB to see pictures of kids, pets, and vacations!
I took a nice walk yesterday down to the heron and eagle rookery at our state park. Not much action there yet, but it was a pretty walk and really nice weather. Today is for chores and tomorrow for birthday celebration.
I hope you are doing well and getting rest!!
Well, good for us with the alcohol cut backs - I'm still holding on to my 3 days off and you abstaining. I did go cold turkey for awhile, but I realized that there were times i knew I would want wine and at least by cutting out certain days i could cut my total drinks a week in almost half. i plan to keep this up after Lent. I just dropped the habit when I was stressed out with my Mom. I'm proud of both of us.I'm making it a priority to brew the tea as soon as i feel the urge, usually it is a time of the eveming cue or just off work and" i'm tired" thought.
I'm happy that the 3 lbs is solid for you too. I actually havent even been back on th scale all week, but I feel like I am maintaining. I'm not going to try too hard to lose any more until the wine habit feels more comfortable. I am keeping up with me exercise despite the extra shifts. I don't know how long it will continue, but they will probably get a temp in soon to help out. It is spring and I want to be outside more. i cleaned out my herb bed last week and cut some daffodills for a jar. It lamde me so happy to see the yellow flowers- like sunshine. I have no experience with bulbs. People say they are easy, but these were left from the little ol ladies who had my house before me, God love them.
Fiance and I got another hike in last week southide river bank not far from home. It was a nice walk but the river is pretty high so we had to go back a ways from the shoreline. still, a sunny day for a walk. Daughter is just fine,OMG. The caregiver is not on board yet but I'm hoping soon. It will help my afternoons to have some time to get stuff done and she will have quality exercise and outings too. She gets along with everyone so that is good.
I'm finishing up the work weekend tonu=ight, but I am working extra Monday AND Tuesday. I am trying to get enough rest, but housework falls behind, I'll have to catch up later. I hope you have a happy birthday celebration. Yea for no cake!
Hello! Well, our friends who own the restaurant remembered it was my son's bday so we had cake after all! I ate a small piece, and we sent it home with our younger son. I am coming down your way to see him tomorrow. It's his first wedding anniversary and he'll be spending it without his wife since she is still stuck in Korea. I'm taking him to lunch and to walk the crazy dog somewhere. We are going to a pizza and beer place on Broad, I forget the name. I suggested it because they have awesome pizza and hard cider on tap that I loved the one time I went there. Then I remembered it was still Lent so I can't have the cider. Argh. Well it will be a good test of will for me!
I am now down 5 pounds since Feb. 20 so I am happy! Many of my pants still don't button but it's a good trend. There is only one more week left of the challenge at work. I kind of wish it went longer. It's been good motivation for me! I plan to do a couple of hikes over my spring break (the week leading up to Easter).
Good for you on the alcohol cutbacks too! Tea helps me a lot too when I want something more "fun" to drink than water.
I have a couple of daffodils and they are blooming along with my forsythia and a saucer magnolia my husband planted several years ago. So pretty! I haven't done anything with my herb bed. I'm not going to do much gardening this year. Last year I didn't get much at all from my veggie patch, and I found a nice stand nearby where I can get lots more and better veggies than I manage to grow. I hope to spend some time fixing up a blueberry patch we've been working on getting going for 2 years now. Some plants are on a raised bed and they are doing well but the bed eroded a lot from the nonstop rain so it needs fixing up. The others are in the ground and very small. I need to put down more landscape paper and keep the weeds down.
I'm glad you are getting to keep up your exercising even with the extra shifts. Good for you! I got in one short hike this week (45 min) with my other regular exercise. Nothing today but I'll get the walk tomorrow with my son.
We have our first baby goats - twin boys born Wednesday. I missed the birth but the lady who feeds them for me on Wed mornings was here to watch over things. One had a tricky birth and is smaller, and not quite right. He stumbles and falls a lot in a weird way. I don't know if he has a leg problem, hip problem, neuro problem, or what. One of my other 2 goats is definitely pregnant but I'm not sure when she's due, and I am not sure if the third one is pregnant or not. I hope so since I've dried off her milk!
I hope you had a great week! Keep up the good work!!
Hello, I just lost track of the days I worked last week, but it looks like back to normal - for now. Finishing up my last shift 11-7 tonight. It wasn't too busy tonight so I got all my stairs done and personal stuff, like that insane geneology research - too. I am trying to fugure out one set of parents 3 generations back and so far nothing definite. I can't "find a grave" for this one grandmother, and I'm sure she ewas buried somewhere! The mystery is fun though and it is like a puzzle to keep chasing leads. Everyone else in the tree goes back pretty far with no effort and you can see stories about them, which is the coolest part.
Wow- 5 lbs - that is great. I was once on a site that used a tracker to let you slide your weight down as you lost it and you could custom design it. I remember mine was sparkly. I am proud of you and I have faith that you can keep up the habits. I'll be sleeping when you come to Richmond tomorrow, so I hope you have good weather. There are lots of spots like you describe, on Broad- maybe Scott's Addition? My daughter and friends go out in that area . I'm still holding up on my no wine 3 days. I do think about it sometimes, but I immediately distract myself and get the tea brewing. It is the warm spice aroma as much as anything else.
I was happy to get my garden and strawberry area uncovered, and then get the rain. I am sure i need to tend it more, I just usually plop it in and don't do much else. I need to go get some manure or fertilizer or something to help it along. I know what you mean about the vegetables. I have had little luck with tomatoes ( see above!) but the herbs are pretty much no fuss. Like you , I am finding it isn't worth too much trouble since there are great farm stands around. I spent hours on strawberry jam, but there are jars that other people made that are just fine, and it was a LOT of time and clean up last year.
Yea for the baby goats. I hope the little lame one does OK. I don't know how you can tear yourself away - they must be so cute. Got a patient now so gotta run. Have fun tomorrow.
Hello friend! I had a really nice visit with my son last Sunday. We went to the dog park and took a little walk on trails nearby. I saw the Byrd pump house and we walked along the canal there. Such a pretty building, and lots of pretty trees. We were beside the railroad tracks and could see the river on the other side but that trail did not go over there. Then we went to Pies & Pints on Broad and I wolfed down 3 delicious slices of pizza, my first pizza in quite a while! I did slip up a little on the alcohol. My son asked for samples of the 4 on-tap ciders so he could decide which one to get, and they brought samples for both of us, and I drank my 4 samples.
Today and/or tomorrow I plan to do some cleanup in my animal pen. I always let the dropped hay build up in the goat shed over the winter so it's warm and comfortable bedding, and it's pretty gross by now. There is some in the chicken coop also, plus scattered all over the ground around the whole pen. That will get me some exercise.
This week I am on spring break. I will not go to the Y or to yoga, but on Tuesday I plan to hike Thornton Gap to Mary's Rock in the mountains (where I went in the snow with my older son last month) and to a new state park on Thursday, maybe Kiptopeke. I hope to squeeze in Westmoreland State Park, near me, because I haven't been there this year at all.
Today I am also going to try my hand at roasting a duck for the first time. I have never cooked a turkey, and when I cook a whole chicken I throw it in the crockpot, so this is a new venture for me. Yesterday I made shepherd's pie with lamb. I've made it with beef before but I found ground lamb at Wegman's in Fredericksburg. It's pretty delicious! I made a big one like I used to when there were 4 of us eating it, and now it will be just me, so I will have lots to put in the freezer!!
Sounds like you are getting back pretty far with the genealogy! Did you find the missing grave? I can remember being in elementary school and going to the library with my dad to look at city directories in print but also on microfilm. It was a fun search!
Your gardening method is just like mine. I really enjoy putting in the plants but then I'm done. I'm not any good at tending. I seem to lose interest and/or get too busy with other stuff. I have some herbs that come back every year and I might put in basil and parsely, but I think that will be it. I do have a blueberry patch coming along and I want to get that into better shape. Probably no veggies though, and not as many herbs as before.
Do you have any Easter plans? My sister has hosted dinner for the last 3 years, and that is within day trip distance for me. This year she decided not to (does not want to deal with in-laws!) so they moved it to my mom's which is too far for a day trip. So I won't be seeing them on Easter, but maybe I will go to another new park and hike again!
Have a great week, and keep up the good work!
@SadMe70
I just quick read your note - I didn't get a chance to post on the week-end- and it was not easy anyway. Then more things just didn't go right and I had wine on my off days. I am going to my last aunts funeral tomorrow, 3 hr. drive one way and an early start. So I will catch back up with you after thast. I need a good nights sleep and I should have already been in bed.. Fiance is driving. I work Easter as usual so its just a regular church and sleep day, but I think every Sunday is a celebration . Hope you have some nice days and relax.
oo, I LOVE the pump house, amazing history. i hope they can restore it. If you want to see some pretty pictures, google "pump house wedding" I think there is just one, and it was all outside, but beautiful photos.
