No. It seems my grandfather had the more dominate genes. Her kids looked more like their dad. I do favor my dad's side of the family. I can even see a family resemblance in my distant cousins. Their grandfather and my grandfather were brothers.
Poor Ashley and poor Jeri!!! I know you are getting tired of doctors!! You would think that some body could figure something out!!!
February, 2012: time for the seed catalogs!!
I think it was Marilyn that mentioned wanting smiley . I accidentally downloaded these. Just testing to see if they actually work.
Nope!!! Totally disregard this. Taking this off my toolbar!!
This message was edited Feb 8, 2012 10:36 AM
You would think DG would get with the program and give us some emoticons. I like them and the folks on my weather thread and the other threads at that other place use them a lot. They are fun, I think!!
I'm so ready for spring!! Even though we really haven't had a bad winter here, it just seems like forever since I have been able to get out and really work outside. I'm looking forward to our get-together at Charlotte's next week!
Sandra, glad you got the hard cast off but sorry you are still having pain. Hopefully it will go away in time!
Cindy, I agree with Genna. Your driveway is going to look gorgeous with flowers blooming all down it but that is a LOT of work you have taken on!!
Okay, I am going to upload a photo to see if it uploads any faster. This is my Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine,Easter cactus--I call it that because it will invariably bloom at each of those seasons. Does it every year! (need the "hooray" emoticon here). Wow! That was so fast that I added a photo of Laddy which I took yesterday. LOL
Cute picture of Laddy Marilyn. I won't be doing any heavy planting all the way down the drive. I am just trying to clean it up plant some bulbs and a few daylilies down it. I can't supply water to it and the trees pretty well zap most of the rain water. I'm just tired of it looking so ratty. I 've got it cleaned and strawed half way as of today but out of straw. I still have quite a few bulbs to plant but I am having to pace myself. I took a picture of the drive several days ago. This really doesn't give a real vision of how long it is but it does show some of the work I've done.
This message was edited Feb 8, 2012 6:14 PM
Those of us who have been there know how long your driveway is, Cindy. You are right about the trees zapping the rain. It would be hard to keep that area well-watered.
I am so glad that your back is well enough that you are able to take on such projects! I know it will be so pretty when you are done!
So many of the daffodils are blooming here! Crazy..... our local daffodil festival is Mid March, not sure if there will be any blooms left by then!
Talked with Clara this afternoon via Skype.... our exchange student from Italy. She is in Madrid Spain in dental school, but is trying to get accepted to their medical school for next fall. She actually went to dental school hoping it would lead to a chance to get accepted into the medical school...... She is doing well, and studying all the time, it was good to get to visit with her!
Well, guess I better go get on that treadmill - if I don't do it now, it won't get done tonight! :(
Genna
I can see what you've been doing Cindy. It's looking good! You do have a very long driveway.
Genna know you enjoyed visiting with Clara.
Hi Ladies - been on the sidelines for a while. Just catching up on the thread and following, always following.... :D
You are working too hard Cindy !
nope not at all if I was I'd be finished . Hey it's daffodil time whether we are ready or not. My yellows are blooming. A few white with yellow cup have bloomed(really early for those usually mid to late March). I have had a couple small orange cup bloom.
This message was edited Feb 9, 2012 2:46 AM
Cindy, your driveway looks good. That's a looooonnnng driveway! And lots of work I know. I have some of the same daffs blooming too and a bunch of others with buds. Weatherman is saying a possibility of snow flurries this weekend. And my saucer magnolia has blooms. So much for those this year. Brrrrrrr!
Morning, Amanda. Glad you're out there!
My tulip magnolia is full of buds that will soon be ready to open. It is way way too early for it. They are going to get zapped by some bad weather I know! I think it's similar to a saucer magnolia. Seems we tend to get a big frost about thr time it really opens up. Last year it bloomed beautifully!
Hi all! Cindy you have a pretty driveway, that takes a lot of work!
My daffs are starting to bloom too, and Charlotte my tulip tree is on steroids I think, it buds all the time, last year it started budding while we were getting a 3 day long snowstorm. Then the buds freeze and fall off, next thing I know it's budding again, they freeze and fall off, then it buds again, and eventually it buds at the right time of year when it can bloom. It buds in the fall, winter, spring, mid summer, whenever, it's the strangest thing I have ever seen.
Marilyn Laddy is sooo cute!! Love the cactus, maybe it's on steroids like my tulip tree is!
Charlotte your gg looks like a very nice lady, that is a great picture of her and she does not look 80 there. I take after my dad and his side too, I look exactly like him and am aging exactly the way he has, it's strange.
Genna you go with that treadmill. I can't seem to get the congestion out of me to do any kind of exercise. I was doing laundry last night and caught myself gasping for air every now and then, not big time but just a little and now my chest feels tight. I started taking my Prednisone (ug) this morning so we'll see if that clears it up. I'm not fond of this constant slight pain in my chest though, that's kinda worrying me.
Well I need to get to work here so I'll see y'all in a while!
Morning al! It's still morning, isn't it? :D
Pretty blue sky - I can't complain. I shrug at the weather now-a-days. I don't have kids - chose not to pretty much because of this - I didn't want my babies to cry when the polar bears started having no ice to play on. Call me crazy, but I'm going to enjoy the weather while it lasts. I am still not ready for winter.
Later!
A.
Crissy, if you have a constant pain in your chest....need to get that checked out! Hope it is just congestion. Seems like everyone is sick around here! I think it is this rollercoaster weather - 30 degrees to 75 and back to 30.....
I have been walking 4 - 5 miles a night on the treadmill and tracking my calories. Last night was a 5 mile night. Had lost 5 lbs and already gained 2 back!! NOT HAPPY with that part at all................. but I am praying that eventually it starts coming off! Really hard to stay motivated when you can't step on the scale and see some results! I have a LONG way to go ............... :(
I haven't noticed any buds on my tulip magnolias yet. Guess I might need to look closer. I do have a camellia that is in full bloom! Should have taken a photo !!
Genna
O Genna hang in there - it'll take a minute or two for your metabolism to get the hint. Also - monitoring your calories? I have kept a food journal in the past. You have to make sure you're not eating more than you're burning to start losing. A woman "my age", size and weight should only be taking in about 1,200 calories for weight loss. Blah. I've been at it for a couple of weeks and only now just starting to see me on the downside of my high weight from the holidays.
Keep it up!!! You can be my workout partner. I sold my fancy treadmill a couple of years ago to pay for my dog's hip operation. :D
I recently acquired a recumbent bicycle and used it the first time last night for only 20 minutes, but it's a start. Thanks for inspiring me, I think I will go do my 20 or 30 right now instead of waiting till later when it'll be easy to get out of by making dinner, doing dishes, watching tv, or just passing out asleep.
xox
A.
Saucer Magnolia = Tulip Magnolia = Tulip Tree. All the same. Scientific name is Magnolia Soulangiana.
Thanks for the name Elaine!!
Amanda is right Genna. Exercise alone want do it! Another way to look at it : don't eat fast foods, no sugar, don't eat anything white (no pasta, bread, potatoes or rice). no high calorie dressings (vinaigrette or oil and vinegar instead). Do eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, grilled or baked chicken or fish. Stir fry chicken and vegetables are good. Eat lots of small snacks - fruit, low-fat yogurt, carrots, etc. Good luck! You can do it!
OMG! Charlotte, if I followed what all you stated above...well...I would not eat ANYTHING! Could be why I cannot get any smaller ;o))
Rita's nursery weekend info http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1241756/
Did you see where I said that's the way I ate all the time!!!! LOL I have't noticed myself blowing away anytime recently! I was just telling Genna how she could do it!!! LOL
LOL losing weight is different for everyone, not everyone's body reacts the same way.
Genna I get this info from Dave, he's an ex body builder and still keeps his firmness. Remember that when you're walking on that treadmill you're turning fat into muscle, muscle weighs more than fat so you won't see the results on the scale like you would if you weren't working out. When I work out while losing weight I don't even look at the scale because it's not really accurate. Like Charlotte said, you should change your diet, and you have to decrease the amount of food you eat too. Fortunately all I do is just decrease the amount of food I eat every day, I have learned that I don't need to eat a cheeseburger AND fries, just the cheeseburger is enough. Also half a T-bone steak is plenty, I don't need to eat the whole thing. I like losing the weight first, then turning fat into muscle, it takes longer in the long run but it seems to be easier for me.
Next time you have a steak or hamburger, do like Crissy says--leave off the baked potato or fries--and the hamburger bun or the rolls that come with the steak. It's the combo of the carbs and protein that not only makes you feel stuffed, it makes it hard to lose weight. You should eat protein with veggies (not starchy veggies like potatoes) or you should eat pasta with veggies--not with meat. You can eat as many steamed veggies as you want, in fact a whole plate full. You won't feel hungry and you will lose weight if you change the combination of the foods you eat together. Just remember: protein (meat) with veggies OR carbs with veggies but not carbs and proteins together. This is not something you have to practice from now on but while you are trying to lose weight and get healthy. Occasionally, it won't hurt you to have meat and hot bread together or meat and pasta together--it's just not something you should do on a regular basis.
Don't count the calories--it puts your focus on the wrong thing and you find yourself obsessing about the foods you eat. If you want a baked potato--eat one, just don't eat it with meat and you should probably leave off the grated cheese, too (it's protein) but you can use a moderate amount of real butter and even some good ranch dressing on it along with broccoli. Sweet potatoes are even better for you. Last night I cooked myself a sweet potato and mashed it up with a pat of butter on it and it was delicious. My daughter uses Balsamic Vinegar and Ranch Dressing on her sweet potato, but that's not my personal "cup of tea".
Forget the low-fat stuff, too. Our nation has gotten fatter, as a whole, since we started eating low-fat and using sugar substitutes! It's a fact. If you can use sugar, use it--just do it in moderation and gradually wean yourself off the sugar in the things you drink, such as coffee or tea. The ONLY sugar substitute you should use is stevia. I don't use any sugar substitute because I don't need to but if you simply think you MUST have sweetener in your coffee or tea, use stevia. If you use the KAL brand, you will find that it doesn't have a bitter after-taste like the other stevia brands.
You have just received a VERY condensed version of what people pay to learn from my daughter. She is a health and wellness coach and is an expert on these matters. She does, of course, go into much greater detail, and discusses how body chemistry work. She says if you work the chemistry of the body, which is God's way, you will lose weight and be able to keep it off. It's not a diet (the first 3 letters of that word are "die")--it's a lifestyle. It doesn't deprive you of good food that you like, it teaches you HOW to "work the chemistry" of the body.
OK, hopefully nobody will turn me in for getting on my soapbox about this. I just see you all struggling with your weight and diets, etc., and I know where you can find the answer, if you are of a mind to do so. What you choose to do with the information is up to you. Soooo, I am off my soapbox now. LOL
Marilyn, I was going to ask you if you or MeChelle saw Dr. Oz yesterday with Montel Williams, I just heard parts of it as I was in the kitchen, but he was talking about how much his life has improved and a drink he makes.
No, Sandra, we didn't see him. I like to watch Dr. Oz but I haven't found when his show is on in this area. I need to find out. We drink a "green" smoothie everyday, too.
I meant to tape that but forgot. Marilyn did you find where to re-up? It is under my info. I hope it was you looking for that , my mind wanders around a bit on me collecting useless junk and knocking the good stuff out. LOL
I found it, Cindy. It was for Charlotte's friend, Sarah. She joined and although she has been with us a few times as Charlotte's guest at our get-togethers, she will now be joining us as a DG member! Hooray!!
Yeah for Sarah joining us!
Charlotte I ran across this site I thought you might like some of their ideas for re-purposing items. Actually I was thinking more for cheaper items to use to display you nice things. Anyway some cute ideas. I liked some of the outdoor ideas but I am not much into shabby chic indoors.
http://www.robomargo.com/trash.html
Dave has taught me how to follow Weight Watchers and it's working fine, as long as I can stay off of the Prednisone, that stuff makes me fat in a hurry! LOL
I'll have to look that stuff up at work, my hughesnet is just too slow.
Cindy thanks for the link!!! That's really interesting. Just looking for a few minutes I saw several great ideas! Like you said there are a lot of good display ideas. I have been doing really well with my booths. I stopped by this afternoon and it was a wreck! It had only been one day since I had been there. I had sold stuff and you also know people are looking when they have moved stuff all around. Sold a oil painting I just put in there Thursday.
Glad you are doing good at something you like Charlotte.
Yes Crissy steroids make us fat. Seems like everytime I get my weight going downward I have to go back on them.
I haven't had to take any steroids in years thank goodness!! I used to have to take them for my allergies. My allergies have been so much better in recent years. I think a lot of my problems were caused by cigarette smoke and now that they are banned in restaurants and other public places it has really made a difference. I know I'm highly allergic to cigar smoke. It causes a terrible immediate reaction. Sneezing, congestion, watery eyes!
Cindy I have a chair I need to figure out something I can do with part of it. I Noticed a shelf they had made out of a chair back. May see if I can figure out how to do that. I had a set of 5 country french chairs. One chair had a damaged top piece on the back and one was missing one rung. So I took the two to a guy I know that does repairs and he took the good top piece off the chair with the missing rung and replaced the damage top piece. Now I have a chair with some missing part. Surely I can figure out something to do with it. The chairs were really wonderful and the set of 4 sold within an hour after I put them out.
I saw a chair used creatively as a flower pot holder - the seat was broken, but there was a rim around it like perhaps the seat had been fabric or woven rattan . . . a large flower pot was stuck in the ring and it was very rustic, country looking.
Anyway - for a gardener that might be too obvious. :)
I have one like that that I found at a garage sale last summer. It's in my garden with a hosta in the pot.
We have snow this morning and the current temp is 29F. I am almost ashamed to post this photo and call it "snow" after seeing photos from my Romanian friend, Adina. They have as much as 20 feet of snow over there in some areas!
We have a dusting of snow here this morning. The only place you can see it is on some leaves and the edge do the roofline. There is something coming down now but it looks like rain. So I think our snow has come and gone!!LOL
Marilyn I see you have cows behind you. What a fun thing to be able to watch.
We have a dusting of snow too, I decided to go ahead and come into work since it wasn't freezing rain, it was literally the easiest drive to work I've had in my 4 1/2 years here and the first time I haven't been my usual 10 minutes late in months! LOL!!!
It's snowing here again but it's not going to stick. They hyped everything so much this weekend everyone probably stayed home!!!!LOL. I guess they had to have something to talk about on the news.
Well, we finally got some winter, didn't we? Nice rural scene, Marilyn. Is that near your neighborhood?
We're supposed to get flurries and possible sleet later this afternoon. Should make for an interesting drive home from work...NOT!
We helped my sweet niece and her new hubby move into their townhouse near us yesterday. They returned from their honeymoon Friday night, packed up her apt in Birmingham and drove up Sat night. We had told them we'd help unload the heavy stuff...bedroom furniture, washer, dryer, sofa, etc. So I helped Sarah with unpacking boxes, dresser drawers and light stuff while the guys unloaded the truck, then we went to Ryan's apt and got his bed and sofa and a few other things before they turned in the truck. I had also made some beef stew and a an of cornbread for them for their dinner last night. They were so appreciative of both the help and the food. We left around 4:30 and I know they still had a lot to do to move things around but they'll get it done this week. She has an interview in Huntsville today and I'm sure she'll get the job as her old company recommended her. Still am praying for her as she's not one to sit around and not work for long.
Christine I just realized why you had such an easy time getting in to work this morning. Kids are out of school today. I just noticed the kids on the street outside trying to sled on the snow (NOT) LOL. Just a wet street not even slick! Then it occurred to me that I was talking to a teacher this weekend and she said today is a teacher's workday. No school was scheduled. So the schools didn't have to worry about whether or not to have a snow day.
Elaine I know your niece and her husband were very appreciative of all your help!!!