@MusicCandy @SadMe70 New place to communicate

Hello my friend, a pretty good week for me.  Eating pretty well, and got all my exercising in. I did my PT consult on Thursday, and they are going to see me twice a week for maybe 6 weeks.  Unfortunately, since I tutor on Mondays and they close at noon on Fridays, it has to be Tues/Thurs, so I will miss walking with my friends on Tuesdays for a while. I can at least move my yoga from Thurs to Wed. My DIL's birthday is Monday.  Her dad is taking her to dinner tonight, and we are invited.  I like her dad so that should be a nice evening.

Our schools were in session Monday.  They provided glasses to everyone so I got a chance to see the eclipse for a few minutes.  The older grades were allowed to go outside and lie in the grass to watch for a while.  A lot of kids were out though.  Did you get a chance to see it?

Did you get your car back yet?  It sounds like you have the right person to work on it at least!  

How did the shower go??  That really makes the wedding start to seem close! I hope Abi had a wonderful time!  Did you get to practice your song?  A carriage ride sounds so wonderful! Fredericksburg has a carriage tour and I've always wanted to go, but in almost 30 years, I have yet to do it. (Lip wax, ugh.  I do myself periodically.)

The BnB was definitely not cheap, at a beach town in summer!  It looks really nice.  I only wish the bedrooms had two beds each.  It's three with one queen bed, and bunks in the last one.  My husband bought two highly rated carseats, and a lady from the PTA is finding other baby equipment for me to borrow.  

The probiotic I have been taking is l-rhamnosus, but I will take a look for reuteri.  My ph is no lower yet.  I did read an article on Harvard's site that was not optimistic about probiotic supplements helping the vaginal balance much if at all, but I will keep trying it.  I've had 4 doses of the cream so far.  Three times a week for two weeks and then two doses a week after that.  It's messy and annoying, but if it works it will be worth it. It's no fun trying to have fun when it hurts the whole time.

Thank you for your words of support!  I was ready for some joy!  I know my son has been struggling with a lot of stress on various fronts, so I'm glad he will have time away from work and will get to see his brother and some friends.

I hope you will get to do some afternoon walks now that the weather is nicer!  Have a wonderful week, my friend!

Just a quick note to wish the mother of the bride a very happy and lovely wedding weekend! I hope that everything goes well.  I will think of you on Saturday, as you celebrate your daughter's wedding and I celebrate my grandchildren's first birthday.  Joy to us both!!  Until next weekend, be happy!!

Hello my friend! Can't wait to hear about the wedding!  I had a great time last weekend visiting with my family. My mom made two round cakes and my sister did a very elaborate safari themed decoration that was amazing. I gained back 4 of the 5 pounds I had lost, so I am back to working on that.  Other than that weekend, I have been eating well, and doing my videos most mornings.

I started physical therapy last week, and that is painful but I think will be very helpful.  I hope to be ready to hike some hills later in the summer! I plan to tutor this summer, maybe 2-3 hours one day a week, including my current student. The teacher that runs the center is getting the summer schedule ready in the next week or so.  

School is going well, only 3 weeks left.  I am trying to line up my routine medical stuff to get that done, and my husband has already started some gardening stuff that he wants my help with.  Two of my chickens died this winter, and I am down to 8 who are all at least a few years old, so I am going to get some chicks this summer.  I am hoping to time it so that they are tiny when my grandchildren come.  The local feed store won't have any by then, but Tractor Supply says that they will.  I am going to feed one friend's dog when she is away in July, and have offered to babysit a teacher friend's baby if she needs help.  I think my summer is going to fly by with everything I have going on!

That's it for me! I can't wait to hear all about the wedding weekend!!  

I am so happy to hear that the wedding went so well!! The dress, the pictures, the vows - it sounds perfect.  They really deserved for their big day to be wonderful and I'm so glad that it was! I'm glad the fall and stitches didn't mess things up, though I'm sure it was very worrisome.  I am glad about the weather too - good thing it wasn't this weekend!  The fireworks sound amazing too.  I'm just picturing it all and smiling for you!  I'm glad the museum and dinner went well too.  I loved both of those ideas that you came up with, and glad that everyone enjoyed.  Also that everyone behaved! 

I can imagine all the pent up stress over the wedding and the cancer hitting Abi full on once the wedding was actually over.  I'm so glad for her that she got a beautiful day. I hope that Mark does well with this round of chemo.  Keep me posted.  A graduation to look forward to is exciting also!  Well done all the way around!

I did not do so well on food this week.  The PTA did a teacher appreciation week with a different theme of junky food every day.  I did ok until Thursday.  They made boxed charcuterie boards and brought them around.  I ate my entire one for lunch, and another lady gave me hers so that was my dinner.  Yesterday was cookie day, and I really did badly, eating soooo many cookies and then came home to find that my husband ordered pizza.  My five pound weight loss already got messed up at the babies' birthday, and I'm still not back down there after these last couple of days.  I am exercising most mornings, but no evening walks and I missed yoga this week.  I hope to do better next week.

Today we are leaving at 9 to go see our older son's new house.  They settled Wednesday.  My husband is going with him to the Habitat for Humanity Restore to look for a washer and dryer.  I think we are doing other things around the new house to help get it ready, but not sure what, and maybe moving some things from the old house.  I didn't sleep well, and no time for chai this morning, so I'm kind of tired and grumpy, but I am so happy to go see their house.  

I am sorry you still don't have your car back!  I know that is frustrating.  I hope your fiance will agree to take it elsewhere.

Congratulations again on a lovely, wonderful wedding! Until next week, my friend!

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ok,  Hello My friend

SO FOOD, It is uncanny how many times we both go through the same stumbling block at the same time. This week, I prepared for a Training at the church for Lay ministers, Readers, visitors and Worship Leaders. People from all over the Diocese were invited but we were the host church. That fell on me and I was actually excited since we are losing our Priest, we need more people trained. I promoted it several different ways and I Really thought folks would step up. The ones that did came from other churches, smaller than ours and from hours away. It was a good turnout overall and I went over and above as i always do to make everything just right and a nice food spread, ect.  4 came from our church, and they are the same 4 that do it all the time and have done it for years. They didn't even need the Training, but they showed up and said they wanted to learn something. 

I am so frustrated over it and I really don't understand who those people think will do the work now.. i said as much to the Wardens and they made excuses like, 'everyone is busy on a Saturday" and so on. So those others that came aren't busy too? And by the way, 25 signed up for a Baseball game outing. I was actually embarrassed at our church not showing up, but I did do my best, short of personally asking people to come, like I'm their mother. I will try not to show how very disappointed i am at the next Vestry meeting,, none of them came either. 

So with the food, there was a lot left over and I took it home, and here to work, plus I already ate 2 slices of pizza the doc brought, along with the lunch items which were mostly healthy. Still, too much. It has been very busy and I came straight to work after cleaning up after the Training, and here for 16 hrs. Rachael and I have missed our walks, but gym most evenings. Still, not our usual routine. I don't even want to step on the scales tomorrow. 

Thank you for your sweet words about the wedding, and Rachael, and Mark and everything else. You are the most encouraging friend and sharing the joys of life makes it even more special. I am getting pretty tired now, and its 1:30, so hours to go, but I do have a break now. I know you are super excited about the babies, and its great that you get to share in the new house experience with your son and DIL. We have a RESTORE right down the street at the Mall. I do shop in there sometimes, and they have good bargains, and a good cause. I hope they get the appliances they need, its always a good start to have the basics. You must be very happy for them. I'll let you know how Mark's chemo goes and also when the wedding pics go up on their site, anyone can see them then. I hope you have a better week with the food cravings and I hope I do too. Mostly, I pray for joy and peace in your heart,

Hello my friend! So many things about us are so similar.  I am grateful to whomever matched us up all those years ago. It's been so helpful to me to talk with someone who actually understands me because of going through the same things!

I have been better this week about food.  Not perfect (snacks at school for state testing stress) but better than the previous week.  My weight is inching back down to where I was before the birthday party. I did my exercise most days. Yesterday, I decided to "test drive" my butt muscles on a short and moderately hilly trail for the first time since Sept.  I've had 6 PT sessions, and still have pain but it is definitely improving.  I want to ease back into some of my usual activities while I still have the therapist. I was going to do a 2 mile trail but it was raining a bit, so I just did a shorter trail that was not even a mile.  It was actually really lovely walking under the trees in the rain. Not too cold or too hot, the sound of rain pattering down, and NO other people! I was able to do it easily, so maybe next Friday I can try the 2 mile trail.  

Today we are going to help our son and DIL move to their new house! They are getting a uhaul, and have some muscle lined up to help with furniture.  Not sure what my role will be, but I will be there!  My husband and son found a stacked washer/dryer at the restore.  It looks really nice to hopefully runs well too.  My son's friend helped him carry it to the basement, and my husband will hook it up today. 

It sounds like your training was a great success, despite low participation from your own church.  I know how much effort you put into everything for your church, and I'm glad it went well!  I'm glad that at least the 4 devoted people from your church came.  I hope that more people will start to step up.  As you said, who do they think is going to do the work now?? I'm sorry that there is so little support.

How did your food go this week?  I think we are similar in that we don't get the junk for ourselves at home, but keep running into situations where it is put in front of us by others or events.  It's very hard for me to resist in those circumstances.  I hope you got some walks this week, and were able to continue getting to the gym! 

I would love to see wedding pics when they are ready! I am so pleased about how well it went!

I appreciate your hopes for peace and joy in my heart.  I really yearn for both, and thought I would have that by this stage of my life.  My husband and I had one big and one smaller fight this week, and it really gets me down.  Once he gets mad, he can't control himself and yells and bangs things.  I am so afraid he will fight with my younger son when they come to visit, or yell in front of my family, etc.  I have started praying daily that nothing like that happens.

I know you have a lot of worries yourself, so I hope for peace and joy in your heart as well!  I hope your food and exercise went well this week, and I hope you have a good week coming up!

No time for chai today as we are leaving in less than an hour and I still have to feed the animals and shower!  Chai tomorrow for a mother's day treat though!

Happy Mother's Day to you!!!!

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Its wonderful to be involved with your son and DIL's new house! I remember when I moved in my house- I was so happy. It was the day before Mother's Day also. It pains me what fiance has piled up, but I have hope for getting it nice again- just not sure when that will happen.

Today was a banner day too* Abi walked across the University of Richmond stage and got her diploma- Master of Human Resources Management. It was a hard road for her, being dropped from the program for one c, then back in with the rest all A's. Her's was the first of the day, thankfully at 9. It was just the family attending and her good friend that took some great videos- he is so talented doing that, Seeing her walk and be recognized was tear jerking for sure. Weather was gorgeous so she invited her friends to the park for a picnic instead of a restaurant. Good idea with all the graduations and Mothers Day tomorrow. I had to come back to work, but at least I had that experience and it was a joyful and prideful day. 

Otherwise, it was a pretty good week for me, but I ate more carbs than usual -leftover from the Training and up a couple lbs. I couldn't let those sandwiches and croissants go to waste! I'll have to tighten back up next week. We have been missing walks most days with Rachael's schedule change and my lack of sleep, but we did go 2 days and most afternoons gym, but that isn't much for her. Next week, nothing special going on so I'll try harder. I put in 3 tomato plants and some thai basil and parsley. room for a few more herbs, but there weren't many out. Baby birds in the birdhouse, and roses on the fence- made me smile.   I'm glad you got back to some level of exercise. Its tempting to push it, so don't go overboard . It sounds like slow and a little progress is best. I like to walk in the rain too. It gets to all your senses, and all alone is perfect. Two of a kind , we are- for sure. 

I hope the move goes well. you will earn the chai tomorrow when they are all settled. If you do anything for Mother's Day, I hope it is sweet. I am sorry for the fights with your husband. i think I told you, my ex was exactly like that too, but he has mellowed out some now t, he is 82 and thankful for being as healthy ( and out of jail) as he is and can spend time with his beloved daughters. Rachael is fine- she had a good time today too. so overall, I'm just getting through these next 9 hrs at work. 

I may try to go up on the top of the parking deck later and see if the aurora  borealis is visible- its supposed to be tonight. I plan to rest tomorrow, so that's my Mother's Day. We had a lot of emotional excitement already. Saying Thanks to God, and an extra thank you for being in my life as my friend. 

   ^{HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!}

Hello my friend! My husband has gone to my son's house to help with more maintenance (master bath sink now leaking) so I have a rare peaceful few hours.  I have errands to run and then might go over there myself to see my son and DIL.

Three weeks from the babies' visit, and my living room is full of bins of books, bags of tools, etc.  Apparently the plan for the books is for me to lug them down to the basement and find a place to put them, when there is barely room to walk down there.  This means that he will never look at them again for the rest of his life, and then I will have to lug them back up the stairs and out of here.  And that is just one little part of all the junk here.  I know you can relate.  Grrrrrrr.

My week was good for exercise - I did my videos each day, a couple of which included a little bit of squats and lunges, plus a walk yesterday.  I ate well until yesterday, when there was a bunch of junk at school and I did not manage to resist at all.  There is a new restaurant here, with Nepali and Indian food.  Their Indian food is basically the same stuff that our favorite place up in MD has, but I got carryout this week of a couple of Nepali dishes and they were very tasty! 

Yesterday was "field day" at school, which is usually a half day but they made it a tortuous full day this year.  My feet were killing me by the end of the day, but I did not want to give up my planned walk so I did that anyway (again in light rain with no people!).  My legs and feet are still feeling it today!  I don't know how people stay on their feet all day.  I can't seem to do it.

I'm so happy for Abi!!  I know you are incredibly proud of her. I know how tough it was to get to where she is, and she stuck it out and worked so hard, all while planning a wedding and with Mark going through so much with his health. Way to go Abi!!!

I hope that you were able to do more walks and gym visits this week.  I know that you miss it when you can't go, and that you want to make sure Rachael gets to go too.  I hope you did not have too many food temptations this week either!  I hope to do better this summer when I am away from school, which is the main source of my temptations!

We don't have any tomatoes in yet, but my husband has been planting some stuff.  Our blueberries are looking great, and hopefully will be fruiting when the babies are here.  He bought three new planters and put in more blueberries and strawberry plants.  Our old strawberry bed behind the house at the edge of the woods is being taken over by briars.  The new plants will not be fruiting this year, but he is thinking about just laying out some strawberries in the beds for the babies to "pick."  I think that will be cute.

I am off to the feed store and grocery store, with a belly full of chai.  Have a good week, my friend!