Apples2

Mornin' girls... Yep, Janet, I air pop the popcorn and, nope, we don't grow popcorn. All our commodities leave here by train and go to destinations unknown. I spray my popcorn with I can't believe it's not butter spray and sprinkle with salt, brown sugar (splenda when I'm really watching my intake). So good. Off to two volunteer jobs today from 12-6pm. Spring fever is really setting in and good to get out of the house. Have my lunches packed and ready to go. A banana bar (and yes, I will eat this first...cuz I can), seafood salad, crackers. Have dinner and supper in crockpots for the guys...homemade mac/cheese/ham, homemade beer bread for dinner. Supper is coke roast/taters/carrots/rutabagas and homemade honey wheat rolls. (Tried a new recipe from a GF). Wish I could eat it. Bread NEVER sits well with me. I do eat dried garlic toast and rusks (a dried bread with different flavorings). Now, I imagine most of you (besides Julie out in ND) and giggling cuz I called our meals dinner and supper! We here are correct...the rest of the world has it wrong! Have a great day!

Joanne...those quilts are beautiful and so are you. Nice photo of you also. I collect quilts and have them (2-3) on all our beds and also hanging on walls....I also collect hooked rugs and hang them. I have a GF who does quilting for others and her time is not her own anymore so I know where you are coming from on that. And, EVERYONE seems to have an unreasonable time limit for it to be done. I guess I couldn't take the pressure of doing it. I grew up in front of a sewing machine and should get in front of it again. It's been a few years. Bet you cannot wait to hug that little one!

Hey Becky....yep, you can show up any time. There's always something to do around here. But, I am sooooo sick of snow...don't want to see it any more. The roads were terrible when I was on my way to doc today. I spun out on the highway...lucky no one was in the other lane at the time. I had to check my pants when I finally got there!

Charlene...what a cute little Charlie you have. My Charlie is 25 and can grow hair like that in a 24 hour period (DS). Sharons....waving back to you. Janet...Hope you will be feeling better soon. My DS had crud for a week. Fever, sinus crap, etc. It hung on way to long. Hope it's nothing like that for you. Everyone have a great evening. Off to make homemade popcorn for me, DH and the dog!

JoAnne...you will be on that plane b/4 you know it. We have a son we only get to see every 6-9 months or so. It's difficult. Talk to him almost every day but not the same. There's some pretty big bear hugs for mom when we do get together. Hope everyone had a good day. Most of mine was spent in the waiting room at the clinic. Doc was waaaay behind. Just reading and lounging this evening.........my kind of night!

OK...what the hell kind of screening process does this "baby factory" clinic have? It seems to me that I jumped through many more hoops to get my lap band than this woman did to be implanted. And I do know this....my band will get much better care in it's lifetime than those poor children will. The answer is plain and simple..these children need nurturing and love on a one on one basis each and every day. Every child deserves at least that much. I do not want to judge this woman just on looks or her actions during an interview. But, so difficult not to. Just seeing what I have of this person I would in no way want her in charge of one of my children.

Linda...good going on the 5lbs lost!!!!!!!!!!!

Phyll...nice to have a "resident" RN on board!

Janet....I don't know how you keep up with it all. You had an answer or comment for EVERYONE. I have a difficult time remembering which thread I am responding to half the time! Thanks for all you do. Sharons....what a nice thing to say. I ROCK!!!!!!!!!! and SO DO YOU and the rest of the gang!!!!! I will see what I can do about those recipes for you. I might just post them here so everyone can get them. I won't have time for a few days. Am booked with volunteering the rest of the week, planning a 50th bday party, helping a friend with some computer troubles, etc...but promise I will follow through. LONG>... hope you are not doing the onset of kidney stones. Got my urine test report back today from doc. Showed evidence of stones in ureters. Doc wants to see me tomorrow to discuss what they found in CAT scan and then decide what we will do about it. All depends where in the kidneys the stones are sitting. Just want them gone so I can have a couple of stone free years. OK...time wake up DH and DD (dear dog) so I can get them off to bed. sleep tight, dear friends.

Army wife...I remember being swollen for a few days after a fill. My doc says to do solids following a fill but I took it easy with cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. Didn't want to push it. I never did have trouble with liquids. I would keep an eye on it till tomorrow and give your doc's office a call if you are still having problems. No sense in irritating and causing more havoc. Wishing you luck.

138lbs gone from my life! Has changed the way I feel as far as my health and also my emotional health is where it should be. Best thing I ever did for myself!

Also akin to the puppy cloning...article was in last week's People magazine. Sooooooooo many animals in shelters to be adopted....Soooooooooooooo many pshyco mom babies to be adopted!

Kat...I think you spoke for many and put out there what most people think of this "so-called" mom. Really don't want to bring God into this...but here goes. God did not "create" those babies. Pschyo Mom and her unethical doc did.

Oh JoAnne...I cried with that one. Thanks...you are the inspiration. Look at you...you are doing everything by the book and have such an awesome attitude and KNOW you will reach your goal. That's what all the Lap Band docs are looking for in a person!

JoAnne...happy your fill is working and that it sticks this time. Go about considering another fill b/4 your trip with caution. My last fill took a good month to kick in. I was scheduled for another but was really on the fence. Happy I didn't do it....but...you are the only one that will know if you need it or not!

Oregon...this is just curiousity...love my band because it works for me but know there are people out there with loads of trouble and converting to the sleeve. It's a brave step especially with being self-pay. Do you know if there are people out there that converted and their ins. company paid? It makes sense to me that if the ins. company paid for the band they would consider the sleeve if they were going to lose there band. I wish you the best and keep us informed of your decision and what the outcome is. You have had your share of trouble and I can understand why you are converting.

Hey Julie...you got on the darned thing and you walked....that's what counts. Sounds like you are pretty booked with things and it's weighing on you. You will notice that the more weight you take off...the more you will be on that treadmill or outside walking. I couldn't believe what that first amount of weight off my body did for my ability to exercise. Keep it up! Boos....sorry about your hunger issues today. Some days are just like that and it takes ALOT of willpower to stay the heck out of the kitchen cupboards. How many times have you heard people comment on how fickle the band is? I think it is something we all go through. Hang in there and try to not have to make up tomorrow for what you have done today. Long...I know you have some issues when it comes to your mother. Hope you can handle of the stress of it all...well...I know you can. Grandma is going to appreciate everything you are doing for her. I simply LOVE the elderly. One of my best friends is 88 and guess what she did this morning when I was visiting with her? She said the "f" word!!!!! She has another "old" (77) lady that bugs the heck out of her and relys on her for everything (very emotionally needy). Well, she's had enough of it for awhile. She started out with saying "I'm going to go to hell for saying this...." and then she said it. So hilarious and I don't even like the word.

Julie........hurry go get on the treadmill....I HEAR JANET COMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Long....happy that you feel your fill did it's thing. Now I want you to be happy that your scale is moving. Also, thanks for the basket suggestions. I think I will just take the three suggestions and make three smaller baskets. This kid that has luekemia is pretty special to us and DH and I talked about it last night and going to throw in a couple of extra baskets. He has been a friend of my DS since grade school...has two babies of his own and a wife that is frantic about his health (as we all are). Cold and windy day here again. Making a big pot of chili and cleaning some closets (my obssesion). You can tell it's pretty boring around here when I got all excited about going to town and buying three new shoes racks and cannot wait to get them assembled!

OK you guys...I was really in need of some positive reinforcements yesterday and, boy, DID I EVER GET IT FROM YOU!!! Just a big THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Phyll...aren't you just the sweetest thing????? Thanks for being there for all of us.

Thanks for the kind words and advice, Janet. BTW...forgot to add in my list of foods that I do eat brown rice, yams, potatoes and I test my goodies that I back also. I am getting some starches...at least two a day. I snack on low fat wheat thins and eat at least 1/4 cut almonds or walnuts a day also...but thanks for the great advice. I am feeling so much better...I thought something was really wrong with me and I looked terrible since everyone was making the negative "skinny" comments. I think you are right, Janet...if they never knew me fat...they wouldn't even comment. And, what gives people the right? Didn't their mother teach them it was wrong to make comments about people's weight? Where were they to tell me I was too fat when my A$$ was 249#'s? I'm all done with it....I feel so much better. I usually wake up to pee at 3am and take advantage of the awake time to fit a couple hundred cals in. I don't think I have ever in my lifetime gotten out of bed to eat but until I gain a few pounds back I'm gonna. Thanks for the basket idea, Janet. I hit my first Ross store while in Ocala, FL during our vacation. Had never been in one and liked it just as well at TJ...In fact, I think they had better deals on the name brand things. Found adorable 7 for all mankind jeans with rhinestones on the butt pockets. Just want to thank everyone for listening when I came unglued today...I feel back to normal (whatever that it) and am ready to take on the world and leave people in my tracks when I hear something negative. I feel good...I look good and I am going to Celebrate my health every day from here on out.

AWWW....thanks LJV....I feel better already just from the comments you guys have made plus a good talk with DH today about how I was feeling. Like I said this morning...my head is just going to go a little higher in the air and I'll just keep on truckin'! I don't make a point of getting up to eat at 3am. My bladder does that for me! May as well eat as long as I'm up.

Hope your fill helps turn things around for you, Long. I know you have been frustrated with the scale not moving. Also, keeping fingers crossed that you don't have any more episodes with reflux. The only time I came close an icky tummy was when I ate some popcorn that was butter flavored. I am so used to the 100 cal packs now that the other just tastes off. Good luck on this last fill!:thumbup:

Woohoo...congrats on the weight loss!!!!!!!!! Also, good luck on all of your wedding plans. Sounds like a beautiful dress. You will have to post some wedding photos when all is said and done. As far as the body image issues. It takes awhile for the head to catch up with the body when it comes to weight loss. I am now at/below goal and I am now feeling fine with myself. Just an example: I would automatically head for the "large" woman's section of a dept store and then realize I did not have to shop there anymore. I would go to the "normal" section and feel like I didn't belong there. I actually imagined that people were staring at me and thinking that I didn't belong there. Just try to concentrate on getting rid of those feelings. When you look in the mirror, pick out your good physical qualities. I am 53 yrs old and decided at the beginning of this journey that I would accept my body once I got to goal. I have done that. I have accepted it and not obsessing over a little imperfection here or there. Not imperfect enough for plastic surgery (and don't want to go thru the pain of it all and the expense) so I have no other plan than to just accept me. I noticed that physical changes don't stop with weight loss. My body has changed even after I stopped losing. A little less flab...has tightened up some. Be patient and accepting with yourself...it WILL all come together!