phyllser

Yeah, Christmas shopping is a hassle! I used to enjoy it. Not anymore! Teenage grandchildren just want money anyway.. so I bought a bunch of American Express gift cards. Thought of a few things for Tracy and Jim. DIL always gives me good ideas.. she and Chris like those "Life is Good" t-shirts, so they're each getting one of those but don't have another idea for them yet. Little grandkids got theirs before we left. Since DD sort of misplaced our Christmas gifts last year we decided we'd have Christmas with them the day before we left to come down here. Chipped in with sisters for my Mom but no one has good ideas for Uncle Ed! Dear old Uncle Ed! Bless his pea pickin' little heart! Maybe a megaphone so I can hear him better when he yells at me or Earl!! LOL I bugged Steph today on FB, too! Love you all but wish our other band sisters would come back. Ug... Earl just handed me my dinner. Small leftover piece of tilapia, 45 calorie hot dog because the fish is so small, and the mashed butternut squash with cinnamon and mega garlic that he made yesterday! Bye... guess I'll eat it, such as it is. I'm a bitch for complaining, huh!! LOL

I have Wii and the new Wii Fit Plus. I use them both quite a bit when we're at home but not so much when we're in the RV in the winter. For one thing... it's a little harder on a 26" screen than on the 42" flat screen at home!! And, here I do Water aerobics usually 5X a week, and there's very little floor space or room to swing those golf clubs, tennis rackets, etc. I do like the balance games and the new Plus has some new ones that I really like. With my new knee... I could probably do those step exercises now, but that would be a real problem here with so little flor space! Definitely a good investment, though, I think. Yeah, they use the "grand ballroom" at a local hotel/spa for those big gatherings. But I think most of the Red Hat groups in the area were invited. Heck we had ladies from Rancho Cucamunga, Hemet, etc. an hour or more away. But our "small" group Christmas party was yesterday and there were 30 of us there. However, by mid-January that number will swell to over 50 probably, because we're primarilly a group of "snowbirds"... not all , but most. Apples cookbook... what a GREAT idea!! She could even call it, "Apples, and Other Things"! LOL That's a good idea! What spices do you use? I love to make BIG pots of soup. Can't you freeze some? There's a single lady here in the park...at least, I'm pretty sure she's single. I don't actually know her.. but I know the story. She makes BIG pots of soup all the time. She fills up little plastic containers with some of it which she then puts in our Asst. Chaplain's freezer.. which is outside on his porch. Then he and his wife always have soup in there to take to people who are sick or just got out of the hospital, etc. We just made a crock pot full of chili this week.. I mean filled TO THE BRIM! And I bought extra plastic storage containers so we could add to his stash. But, it's almost gone and I didn't do it!! It's been a chilly week and we enjoyed having it for lunch or dinner quite a few times this week. OH... do you know what I saw in the Target flyer today?? It's a TRIPLE crockpot. Base with 3 separate controls and three big pots fit in to it. Never saw anything like that. It'd be great for Apples when she's cooking for all those men! I saw the steel cut oats in costco this week. I've never bought any before. I didn't get it because it was in such a big bag and I usually have omelets for Breakfast. DH would have protested had I put it in his basket! Maybe I can find a smaller amount in one of the grocery stores. I think I looked in WalMart and they didn't have any.

Yes.... another military wife chiming in... in the states it's called a contingency offer... You put an offer on the house you want to buy that is "contingent" on the sale of YOUR home. We did lose a house that way once, but ended up with a better one in the same neighborhood, so I got over it!

Janet, Someone brought dates to the Red Hat party today fixed with bacon like you told me... she stuffed them with pecans, wrapped them in small pieces of bacon and baked them in the oven. I had to try one.. VERY good! Seems like a strange combination... bacon and dates, but sure was good! YES, ANOTHER Red Hat Party! This was just our group- 30 women there. I won two door prizes besides our gift exchange, so I came home loaded with goodies... Stuffed Santa, little snowman thingy, big glove potholder with bag of brownie mix inside. Thursday all the area groups were invited and there were over 200 women there. Any suggestions for cooking butternut squash?? Talked DH in to buying one the other day. He cut it up while I was gone and cooked half of it. He put cinnamon in it and a LOT of garlic. Then he mashed it. I think the only thing I like mashed is potatoes! And WAY too much garlic in this even though I am a big fan of garlic. So, I'm supposed to cook the other half the way I want to cook it. But we never bought it before and I don't KNOW how I want to cook it!

If it's not too late, I better change that length to 26". I measured the pants I wore to Red Hats today and they were 25! 27" might be a little long. As long as I had the measuring tape out, I took measurements again. Since pre-op measurements, I've lost 11" in my waist, 11" in bust (53 to 42), hips... 68" to 49",!! I won't bore you with the rest, but I was pretty shocked. Good thing I didn't lose any height!! I'm still 5 ft tall, thank God! Sorry about the chicken. I love chicken, but I eat it very carefully and not very often.

Okay.... I measured a whole bunch of pants!! 27 inches is the right length. You are a sWEETHEART to do this! I owe you!

Linda, You sound about as excited about your hip as I was about my knee a couple of months ago! So glad you are doing well! It's wonderful to regain mobility, isn't it!!? Now if I can just get his knee strong enough to go up steps! I'm working on it. Yeah, SIL had the grandkids calling me "The Graminator" after my surgery! I loved it! What was really special was our 7 yr old DGD telling me repeatedly that she was praying for me "every day"! She would tell me that on the phone, and whenever we saw the kids, etc. It was really sweet.

Karla, I don't have a good solution or strategy for dealing with holiday temptations! Back at the beginning, though, I had a "3 bite rule" that worked for me. I could have a treat now and then, especially when everyone else was indulging... but only THREE BITES! I have to say I don't always follow that rule, but if I do decide to have some desert... it's always a very small portion. Like at the Red Hat party the other day... desserts were spread out on two tables... two kinds of pudding and two kinds of cake, one of which was carrot cake... my very favorite! So I went straight to the carrot cake, but one of the waitresses was still slicing it up, so I asked her to cut one of her pieces she was about to put on a plate in half for me. SO... it was a few more bites than three but it was a very small piece and it satisfied me. Holidays and special occasions will always be a struggle for us. We have to find the best way to cope. This past month I have just held my own... no weight loss for a month, but I had my birthday, Thanksgiving and a bunch of parties! I have to do better next month. We're going up to our son's for Christmas and DIL already has a large turkey in the freezer for dinner. I LOVE turkey! I LOVE the stuffing. I LOVE the cranberries, and the taters and gravy! I'll have some of each. But probably only a bite or two of dessert, if any. DS has to have CHOCOLATE pie, and I can take it or leave it. Pumpkin pie, the same. Planning ahead... how you are going to respond to being surrounded by foods you love and people who are enjoying it helps! Then, Janet always tells us... we have to ramp up our exercise, and minimize your intake the rest of that day. Card games were fun last night. We usually play games with these folks several times every winter. They have a really nice double wide mobile, so we always go to their place. So this time, we decided we'd bring the snacks. We got some low fat cream cheese spread... onion and chive, bag of carrots, low fat cheese... those little 35 calorie "Laughing Cow" I think they're called. And they brought out some stick pretzels to dip...we're all watching calories. My friend and I had just discussed how to deal with snacks when playing cards, etc. the day before, so we had a plan. We played a game called "Jokers and Pegs"... 3X, gals won twice, guys once. So then we decided to play a game of "Hand and Foot". Guys beat us soundly! I guess we were all having fun. Got there at 6pm and left at 10:30pm!! My friend is always wanting to play "just one more game"!

Welcome, Nancy! This is a great place for support, encouragement and advice. Glad to have you join us! Welcome to you, too, Becky! Always great to have newcomers join our 60+ thread! You are NOT too old to begin this journey and you won't be sorry! I'd do it again in a heartbeat. If you click on my ticker, it should take you to the site where you can build your own. It's a little tricky to get it in to your signature here... go to "User CP" at the top, click on "Edit Signature" in the left column and then copy/paste the code on your ticker page... I believe the right one is the BBC code. If you have any problems let us know. There is a tutorial here somewhere.. I can find it if I do a little research. It will walk you through posting your ticker.

Glad to hear everything went so well! I bet you had the same anesthesia that I had for my knee replacement... nerve block and spinal?? And then light anesthesia. I had a GREAT nurse anesthetist, too. He explained things so well, and he was so skilled I never felt a bit of discomfort even getting the nerve block in my groin. I was awake before I got out of the surgical suite and talked my way through the recovery room. SO glad you had a positive experience, too, and that you are doing so well!!

Thanks for that bead link. Our instructor is always talking about "Firemountain", but I hadn't taken the time to see if they were online! Are you serious about those pants!! Sure, I wear about any kind of pants. Size 18 should fit. But.. you'll hem them for me!! WOW!! That's awfully sweet of you! I just asked DH where he put my sewing basket... back outsde in storage... because I have 5 pairs of pants to hem... by hand, unless I borrow neighbors sewing machine! I will measure inseam when I get back from the pool. Yesterday was WILD!! TOPS in the morning.. Supposed to be ther about 7:45 a.m. and Earl woke me up at 7:30! I was FAST asleep. So I rushed to get out of here... bathing suit, wash face, etc. I was up 4/10 lb! Then hot tub, no time for water aerobics. Shower, dress up in all my Red Hat stuff, off to the Christmas party. Then stop on way home to buy Toys for TOts for Marine Band Concert. HOme... quick change in to Christmas sweatshrt and out to dinner with 2 other couples, then to concert. Earl likes to get there before the doors open so we get front seats! Doors were to open at 6:15 p.m. We were there 30 minutes before that!! But by the time we used rest room... they opened the doors way early! So we got seats right behind the dignitary section! There were probably 50 people there from our park... heck... I gave away 29 tickets myself including ours! Two trips downtown to beg for tickets in two different offices!! :rolleyes2: Concert was GREAT, but not quite as entertaining as previous years because they didn't do any goofy stuff and we always enjoy that! Gotta go... time for pool! Party was great fun but I need to get to know more people. Two ladies next to me were from our group but other ladies at our table were from somewhere else... Hemet, Cathedral City... I don't remember. But they weren't particularly friendly.

They told me I could even have fingernail polish as long as it was a light color. I like the Champion pants in "relaxed fit" because of my big thighs... and petite, of course! Wish they had low cut and then they'd be perfect. I always have to fold the waist band down once in the front! This is very weird... my sister who is the same age as you, I told you she started having knee problems about the same time you did... SHE also has an ortho appt this morning.. 8 a.m.! LOL! Waiting to hear how it went since it's 11:15 a.m. there now. Hopefully the snow storm didn't get it canceled! I was out of the loop all day yesterday... Red Hats Christmas party, then quick change and off to dinner with friends and then the Marine Band Concert in Palm Springs. Didn't get home until well after 10 p.m. You folks were mighty busy! I had about 4 pages to read this morning!

Cruise the Mexican Riviera with Earl and I.... spend some time in Palm Springs/L.A., cruise Jan. 30-Feb. 7!!:thumbup: :biggrin:

And yesterday's project... Santa Claus earrings. I started another pair this afternoon, but it's funny how much you forget in just one day!! LOL

Well, I logged exercise for Saturday because of all the walking I did, and we went to water aerobics this morning even though it was only 40 degrees outside. I wore my swim jacket and the pool water was nice and warm. Then did 30 minutes in the toasty hot tub. NICE! Sure miss that when we can't go. Have to miss tomorrow because Red Hat Christmas party (two of them this week!). Here are all my beading projects.

I suppose this is a strange thing to say, but I'm jealous that you're getting your other knee done already!! LOL! I want to get my other one done and get it over with... get on with life. Though, I must admit, it rarely bothers me. It's the ortho doc that says it needs to be done... says the hardware is slipping or coming loose because of my weight loss. So, I say, in that case, lets do it and be done with it! HAHAHA.... I am a churchie people, too and I TAKE "happy pills"! I have had a lot of support from my friends at church through this whole process. Haven't ever had any negative comments from anyone about my surgery, in fact. I guess I lead a sheltered life! I just started taking generic Zoloft this past summer. First dose was too low. Then the doc doubled it and I started having trouble sleeping at night. So then I started breaking them in half. So I'm now at 50 mg/day and that is perfect for me. Evens out my emotions just enough and I sleep like a log! I am behind the power curve with Christmas stuff! Haven't started cards yet. Today tried to finish some "Red Hat" earrings and bracelet for gift exchange for our party on Saturday and I couldn't remember how to do the earrings! It was my first class and I forgot! DH thinks he's got it figured out, and I think he's right, so maybe I'll just do it the way he suggests! Shopping is almost done. A few more gift cards. But the biggest challenge is getting gift for DH. I think I know what I want, but have to take cash out of checking because if I use a check or credit card... he checks the balances EVERY day and always knows exactly what I spent and where!

Yeah, I really enjoyed Biggest Loser last night. You do have to wonder how they pay their bills, etc., when they're at "the ranch" for 3 months! I finished up about 3 beading projects while I was watching. I'll have to take some more pictures. We made Santa earrings yesterday and they tured out so cute! I wish I'd bought enough stuff from her to make a couple of more pairs! This should be interesting. The cat is on the dashboard trying to figure out how to get through the web of Christmas lights draped across behind the Christmas tree. If she tries going through it, she will get caught! She has a "hole" next to the tree to get in and out... she likes to lounge in the front window when the sun is out. But she seems a little bored this morning and is considering trying a new route! My swim visors were tossed around the living room when I got up. Earl said she'd been throwing them in the air and chasing them. She likes the elastic shoe laces across the back. It's 41 outside now and Earl already went to the pool. He has all my stuff outside and ready to go. I just can't get motivated about it when It's this cold! But I have to go. Missed Monday and Tuesday because of weather. Can't complain about weather, though, when I see the TV reports of what's going on in the rest of the country!

I like when we cook for more than one night, too! Last night I finished the last of your lima bean soup. We had it for dinner twice, I think, and there was one bowl left. We cooked chili yesterday but didn't eat it until tonight except for a small sample last night. It was really good! We'll have it again tomorrow night. Movie we saw yesterday was "Everybody's Fine". It was so so. A little slow moving at times. I'd like to see "Precious", too. "Blind Side" was the best we've seen in a LONG time!! We loved it! Watching Biggest Loser... one of the best finales I've seen, I think! Watching east coast feed! Did chat a bit with LindaA the other night. She mentioned PS & I told her Candice wants to go to Costa Rica. She was very interested in that. Karla, puppy is probably not in my immediate future, but one of these days!

Even if Earl consented to the dog.... Candy would NOT! She would FREAK. She's a very spoiled and very opinionated cat. But, maybe one day! I'm starting to get excited about your online business! You gals have some great iideas. Speaking of alterations.... yesterday afternoon I decided to do something about the 5 pairs of pants that I have that need to be shortened! So I got out my scissors, measured, and started cutting! That's because yesterday I wore a pair of jeans that were several inches too long... rolled them up three times and off to the movies! And I have some new, cozy sweats that i wanted to put on when I got home, but last week when I wore them.. I was walking on about 6 inches of extra pant leg. So...now I HAVE to sew them because all five pairs are cut off! I'll have to borrow the neighbor's sewing machine. Did that last year. Those jeans... nice Lands' End black jeans that I got CHEAP at a thrift store. Show no wear at all. A little roomy in the butt because they're a 20W and I'm pretty much in 16W/18W now. But certainly can get a few months wear out of them. Had trouble buttoning the button before we left for the movie but finally got it buttoned. Got to the movies... had to use the rest room before the show started. Almost panicked, and almost peed my pants... because I couldn't get them unbuttoned again! Finally, by unzipping and working at it from below, I got it open. Close inspection revealed that the buttonhole is not cut open far enough. Maybe why they were at the thrift shop if former owner couldn't figure out why the button was so difficult! All that's needed is a little seam ripper to open the buttonhole up a little more! After the bathroom incident, I left it unbuttoned the rest of the afternoon to avert another dire emergency! Fortunately, the zipper held tight!

Online business sounds like a good idea! I don't have a dog.... but I'd really like to get a small on! :thumbup: I wasn't that excited about the road trip from the beginning. The whole purpose was to find the cruise terminal so we know where to go next month when we go on the Mexico cruise. So I don't figure we were going to do anything fun. I got an unenthusiastic response when I suggested we go to San Diego too. But, I also said it was a bad idea becuase the weather was supposed to be lousy! We went to a movie this afternoon just to get out for a while.

You're lookin' GOOD! I love the pics. Whatever Nels did, I love the effect! Almost like a fade out filter or something!

I KNOW you are enjoying this! Earl says it's supposed to last through next Sunday! Trip to L.A. is off once he looked at the radar this morning.. 1-2 inches of rain and flood warnings! May go to a movie instead although there are none that I am excited about seeing right now. Maybe Christmas Carol 3D. Too cold and rainy to go to water aerobics. Even too cold inside for me! Wrapped up in two blankets!

Yep! Time to see the girls and the grandkids! I am so excited that we decided yesterday to drive up to SF area to spend Christmas weekend with DS & his family! It is so lonely to stay here in the park for the holidays. So many go home for Christmas and we always stay. Now I have some Christmas spirit!

Too bad I booked a trip home to Seattle for those same dates! I'd love to join you all. Yeah... it'll be warm where YOU are! LOL! I booked the trip to Seattle for that weeknd because there is supposed to be a "Bandster Bash"... the "Seattle Splash" that weekend. But, once they announced the dates, I have not heard another word so I'm not even sure it's still happening! But, I'm using an "award" ticket, so probably would lose $$ if I tried to change it. Plus, I already scheduled an appt with my ortho doctor for that week. Follow up on my knee replacement and check the other knee. I want to se if he thinks it's time to do the other knee. And I'll get to see my girls and my grandchildren and check on the condo.

Well, it's no where near zero but feels cold to me! Hey, I chatted online with Linda a little bit tonight and brought up the PS Costa Rica idea. It spurred her interest right away. She wants to know more. I agree with that, Karla!! Sounds very weird to me. I'd stay away from it with a 10 ft pole, as the saying goes!! I think it's nothing but a scam! Sorry, Candice! No offense, but hate to see them take advantage of you. You are in an especially vulnerable place right now with all that's going on at your job! Be very careful what you get sucked in to!