phyllser

Hey... I'm the oldest... and you want me to remember something we did a YEAR ago!??? LOL! I think it was 5 lb before the end of the year, or maybe between Thanksgiving and the end of the year??? But don't remember if we included exercise or not. But I'm challenging myself to at least 20 days of exercise a month. Hope to exceed that. If I walk at least 20-25 minutes, I'm counting it. But no matter how much I exercise in one day... I'm counting it as one. Like this morning... 1 hr of water aerobics, 15 minutes of stationary bike... counted it as one. So at the end of the month it will be a tally of how many DAYS I exercised, not minutes or miles, etc. In TOPS we log everything as miles. Every 30 minutes of vigorous exercise is counted as 1 mile. So water aerobics is 2 miles. Today I tried hard to come up with an excuse to go in to town... either DHS or Palm Desert... WalMart, KMart, etc. What I really wanted was a Starbucks. But couldn't pull it off... Earl had too many reasons why I shouldn't go. So then... I end up being a couch potato ALL day! I even forgot to go back up and get the mail. It wasn't sorted yet first time I went up. SO now I'm mad that I didn't just grab my purse and say "Bye! See ya later, Dude!" Tomorrow will be very busy. Usually get done with my morning routine about 11:30 a.m. if I go on the bike. No time for that tomrrow. That beading class I want to go to is at 11 a.m., then there's a ladies' luncheon at noon... will probably go eat and hear the speaker and go back to beading if they're still there. Wed. I'm working in Activities al afternoon, and I'm thinking of joining the book club... Thurs at 1 p.m.! Then Friday.... SHOPPING at the outlet mall with Janet!!

Love it! That's great! Sorry your day got off to a frustrating start, but sounds like you made the best of it and it turned out to be a blessing! Hope all goes well with the Grandma issues. She sounds like a sweetheart. She still walking every day?? I think you posted over the weekend and made reference to getting 130 degrees flexion in your knee... or somebody's knee... just an FYI you might want to inquire about, but my therapist said the doctors don't want you to go beyond 125 degrees because the hardware isn't designed for more than that. I'm not sure where I was a when I left WA, but I think it was 113. Might be more now with all the exercise I'm doing. Walked home from chapel again yesterday. Water aerobics for an hour this morning and then 15 minutes on the stationary bike. But now.... SITTING all afternoon. I tried to make excuses to go in to town.. mostly wanted a STARBUCKS, but DH kept arguing with me. Then I fell asleep, and now it's a little late to go out. Plus he just poured me a glass of wine! Rest of the week is BUSY, so no latte opportunity until Janet & I go to the outlet mall on Friday. Plan on a Starbucks stop, Janet!!

Good Morning! Yeah, try to stay busy but some days are long and boring! I want to start beading class tomorrow but that starts at 11 a.m., which would be RIGHT after water aerobics and my 30 min soak in the hot tub. AND, there's a ladies' luncheon at noon and the speaker is in our water aerobics class. I want to hear her.. she's the local rabbis wife... Messianic Jew. So I have to figure out how to get all that in! And it looks like I've volunteered to sit in the Activities office on Wed. afternoons for about 2 1/2 hrs! Offered to do it last Wed. and now she asked me to do it again this week. Not sure if it's now "permanent", but if so, I don't mind. I read 100 pages of my book that day! Candice, take it easy today! Hope you're feeling better soon. Costa Rica idea is sounding better every day. Just not sure I could ever sell it to Earl, but there's time! Maybe!

Yeah, and I just went under 200# so I'm going to reward myself with a Coach purse!

That's been happening to me a lot. Or elastic waist with drawstring and you have to pull the drawstring as tight as you can so the pants will stay up. That's when it's time to go shopping!

Just popping by to say "HI"! Beautiful day here in the desert! We had our lunch out on the patio. I wore my SIZE 16 pants to church this morning... they ARE 16W, which may mean they're "roomier" than a normal size 16.. I don't really know what 16W means. They are petites so the length is just about perfect. I'm still having people tell me how great I look... that feels pretty good. Some German lady crossed the street to tell me that when we were walking home this morning.. I have no idea who she was! But I guess she's been around a while.... long enough to see me "before"! Oh, yeah.... I was walking, Earl rode the scooter back! I had to ride it over because I'm always running late and I had to get there 1/2 hr early for choir. I did walk all the way back with no hip pain! So Earl took some flack from friends going by us in their golf carts because he was riding and I was walking! They teased him pretty good!

LOL!! I guess I wasn't THAT buzzed! Mall today.. first time since knee surgery to shop at the mall. Took the scooter... parked by Macy's end when I wanted to go to Penney's. Found out when we got inside that it was at the exact opposite end! So off we went... and I shopped and shopped. Penney's was having a sale and all their Alfred Dunner stuff was on sale.... I really like their styles and fabrics. I was still on a search for black dress pants. So I found some I liked. Tried on Size 18... too big! Went back out and got size 16. Held them up in the dressing room and thought... NO WAY!! But... put one leg in, then the other... pulled them up!! THEY FIT!! Took them back off... checked the tags.. inside and out a few more times to make sure they were really a size 16!! I'm sure there are a lot of size 16's that I couldn't get on, but the 18's I just started wearing about 2 weeks ago are feeling a little baggy, so I guess I'm going to skip on by the 18's! That was exciting. After all that... Earl was whining that he was tired. I said, you have a hangover, sweetheart! Finally let him have the scooter. So I walked the length of the mall and back to the car so he could ride! Then he dropped me off at Home Depot and I walked across to Starbucks.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, APPLES!! 30 YEARS! That's GREAT! THANKS!! I'm going shopping with my LBT sister, Janet, on Friday!! Woo Hoo! Coach Purse reward!! And today I went to the mall and finally found a nice pair of black dress pants....... size SIXTEEN!! THANKS!! We got a mouse for both our laptops last month at Fry's in Mountain View. Don't know why we waited so long!! Much better than the touch pad!! Congrats!! Wow! That's fast for a fill. Most of us had to wait 4-6 weeks!

Yep... good plan! I gotta see what's going on with this freakin' hip now, too! Don't want to deal with another joint problem! I am loving being able to walk! No more problems please!!

So sorry for you McD's episode!! Reminded me of my county fair episode when I was back home summer of 2008! BIL is a fireman so we went on Firemans' day... ate at their booth... hamburger and corn on the cob. The rest of the afternoon I was looking for secluded trash cans so I could barf!! LOL! Not fun! Ridiculous!! But, it's everywhere! That's one reason why I don't want to go to urgent care clinic with this bladder infection! My dear Three Rivers friend just called her Rx for Cipro in to a local drugstore here for me to pick up in the morning!! HOORAY! That will do it! You are right... contacting congressmen... good idea! Jack Russell pups for $100??? That is a pretty good price! I am starting to want a small dog, but I know it's not a practical idea! So hard to travel if you have a dog. Cats are easier! But I'd love a little dog! Margarita Party at the next door neighbor's tonight and we are both quite wasted!!! Lost track of how many Margaritas becasue every time glass got half empty Larry was filling it up. Then when I decided I needed to quit that, Earl brought me aglass of wine and kept filling it. Eats were'nt bad... I had some of my FF bean dip, but mostly I ate salmon... two couples from B.C. brought smoked salmon and it was SOOOO good! I ate two taquitas, and a very small brownie... three bites. But I OD'D on adult beverages!! And, I think I'm going to start a new hobby... several of these gals are in to beading and have made some really pretty bracelets and earrings, etc. I think I might start going to the classes. My eyes are good enough... not sure about my hands because of arthritis, but they use a needle to thread the beads and I think I can do that!

I think I'd go for it if I were you. I, too, am worried about how our health care is going to change. Especially after attending a lecture yesterday, "Will Medicare Be There For You"! I'm going to have my doc xray the other knee when I go home in Feb (just for a few days), and if he still thinks it needs to be done, I'm going to try to get it done soon after we return in the spring. Did water aerobics today and no hip pain. But don't think I'll try walking back from choir today! Too hot out anyway, plus I'm pretty sure I have a bladder infection so I'm trying to lay low! DH is force feeding me Vit. C.. they're big and I choked on the last one! And I'm taking Macrodantin, but so far that hasn't helped. Dr's office won't call me a stronger Rx down here. Talked to a snotty nurse who told me to go to urgent care! Thanks for all the congrats! I appreciate that!! You are GREAT supporters! Your encouragement means a lot. Stupid cat.... ate too fast this morning and "pb'd"!! We used to free feed her and vet told me last spring we had to stop because she's been gaining 1/2 - 1 lb a year the last few years. She usually very casually eats her food over the course of the day and it's not all gone until morning, when it's time to feed her again. But Earl said she gulped the whole thing down at once this morning... 1/2 cup!

I pb on sweet stuff frequently.... but if there are sweets around, it's usually at a potluck because we don't normally have anything sweet around. And if I'm at a potluck.... I probably already ate too much!

Morning, Gang! Yesterday was a busy day and today doesn't look much better. Feeling a little washed out.... I know I have a bladder infection. Been taking Rx my doc gave me for these (frequent) occurences but so far not seeing any improvement. DH pushing me to go to water aerobics this morning anyway, but I really don't want to and don't know if I have the stamina for it today! Great... you are doing so well! We went to Palm Springs street fair last night and I was disappointed that I could only walk for 30 minutes. Frustrating, though, because it wasn't my knee that was bothering me, it was my hip on the same leg. I hope I'm not going to start having hip problems! I'm seeing Navy doctor on other issues on the 16th and think I'll see if he will xray it and see what's going on. Hoping it was just an isolated incident because I had such a long, busy day yesterday and exercised hard in the morning. But wanted to tell you all.... yesterday was a GREAT day... ONDERLAND!! First time in about 30 years to be under 200# so it is a big milestone for me!

Thanks to all of you... your encouragement and support means a lot to me... you all contribute immeasurably to my success! Had a fun day today. After lunch we went to a lecture on Medicare, "Will it be there for you", at Eisenhower Hospital. Then we went to Trader Joe's and got some Two Buck Chuck. And I bought my favorite.. White Balsamic Vinegar! Then we went to Palm Springs and had an early dinner. Earl had a heaping platter of fried fish& fries! I had a cup of seafood gumbo and an appetizer basket of oysters (sorry, they were friend). I would've gotten oysters on the half shell, but I found out they were raw. I swore off raw oysters after the "sliders" experience last summer! I'll eat them any other way but no more raw oysters! My real treat... I bought a piece of choc/espresso fudge, but so far I've just had a little nibble of it, and a little trail mix.. that is mostly nuts with a few raisins. When we got home, I was shocked to see the piece of fudge was twice as big as I thought it was. But I'm sure Earl will be helping me eat it. Tomorrow will be a little scary... first neighborhood happy hour/Margarita Party on the next door neighbors patio. I am making a bean dip.... FF refried beans, FF sour cream, lite cream cheese. Spread beans on the bottom of a 9 x 12 pyrex, mix sour cream and cream cheese... and my DIL said taco seasoning... but I didn't know about that so I will put in just a little bit of queso to season it. Then pico de gallo and shredded lettuce on top. And I bought some fresh cilantro that I'm going to chop up and sprinkle on top, and I'm going to put some sliced avacado around the edges. Sound good?? Karla... sounds like a good plan with the house. Sure will be praying with you for God's direction. Janet... so sorry about the ice cream!! But I can't help a little chuckle! We sure have to keep our guard up ALL the time don't we!! Looking forward to that shopping trip next week! Oh... one more thing.... there was a little disappointment tonight. I planned to walk the street fair after dinner, but after 30 minutes Earl had to go get the scooter. Frustration is that it was NOT my knee that was hurting.. it was my hip.. on the same side. Hope this is not going to be a problem. I have an appointment at the Navy hospital later this month... just CPAP followup as required by Medicare, but I think I may have the guy xray the hip. I have been walking 30 minutes and more with only occassional hip pain... so maybe it was just the end of a long day and not an indication of a new problem.

I may be catching some flies today because I can't wipe this big grin off my face!! Wii Fit weighed me at exactly 200# this morning. BUT----then shaved my chin whiskers and had my morning "constitutional"! SO... TOPS weigh in.... 199.2#!! (Drum roll) ONDERLAND!!

Oh, my! You are facing some pretty tough challenges! My Mom is 87 1/2 and SO stubborn. Recent MRI shows osteoporosis in her hip and thinning of hip bones.... but she won't use a walker! If she falls... it's broken hip time. She says.. pride! "I use a cane when I go out!" Like that's going to help if she starts to fall! It is difficult dealing with our aging parents!

Okie dokie... here's the scoop. Surgery went fine... everything as expected. She did have to have open as fibroids were too big for lap/vag procedure. Ovaries were clear so they left them intact--was glad to hear that. Tissue to pathology but no surprises expected...doc said appeard to be just benign fibroids. General anesthesia was her choice.. she wanted to be OUT. Wish I'd started talking to her about that sooner. I had spinal with light anesthesai and they probably could have done the same for her. She would have been out.. but no necessity for intubation that way. At any rate, JIm called me when she was in recovery. Then she called me about an hour and a half ago... loopy, but in her room and awake enough to talk to me... and she posted on FB shortly after that thanking everyone for their prayers. Thanks for your prayers and all your kind expressions. still wish I was there... not sure how good of a nurse JIm will be! LOL Janet... glad to hear things are looking up with your sister. That is GREAT news! Hope all goes well with all the proceedings coming up. Karla... I don't know what to say. Situation seems hopeless, but don't give up. BTW.... stationary bike for 20 minutes yesterday varying degrees of resistance... bikes in exercise room are programmable. I just haven't yet found a routine that works well for me. Yesterday was tough and today... my butt muscles are killing me! Did about 15 minutes this morning using a slightly different routine. I think I may skip tomorrow! Okay to skip a day!?!

Just a quick post this morning. Tracy is on my mind big time as she is at the hospital now and her hysterectomy is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. - two hours from now. It's also a different morning because it's the once a month "Cecil's Breakfast" morning so Earl has been up there for probably 2 hours now. Last year he was the pancake mixer so I assume he'll be doing the same. I'm going up in a few minutes for my breakfast and then think I'll get on the stationary bike before water aerobics today. I usually do it after, but makes more sense before and since I'll be up there early. I'll just stay and do that. I usually come back to the RV after breakfast. Please keep Tracy in your thoughts and prayers today. I'm worried about her. She's never had surgery before. She's afraid of the I.V. She hates needles. And she's never had general anesthesia before. SO... this mom is worrying about a lot of aspects of this whole thing, including recovery!!

Welcome, Karen! Good to have you join us. I used to work for Aetna health insurance as a precert nurse. That was in Oklahoma City. It was Prudential when I started working, then they sold out to Aetna and they eliminated most of the RN jobs in OKC. There is also a 60+ thread... not quite as active as this one, but you might want to check it out. You had a GREAT pre-op loss! You'll probably lose slowly at first. But it will pick up after you have a fill, or two, or three! LOL!

New photo taken yesterday. Down 125 lb.

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with Water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee Beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a Fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with Water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee Beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a Fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?