For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
I stayed up very late last nite, watching the first Chile miners come up after being trapped for over 2 months. They are still being rescued. I thank the Lord for their rescue. Here is a link if you want to watch their rescue live over the internet: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/watch-live-video-6046305?tab=9482931§ion=6087493&playlist=&page=1
After clicking on the above, you have to scroll down the page to 'watch live event' and click on that and then wait during a little commercial before viewing it.
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Hubby told me this morning he wants me to have the biggest suitcases packed so he can load his truck by Friday afternoon so he doesn't have to do it Saturday morning before we leave. I've come a LONG WAY in packing for vacations. When we first went on a vacation close to 20 years ago, I think I packed '9' trunks and large suitcases that we took to stay 9 days at the beach. No, that didn't include the kitchen sink, hahahaha! Needless to say we didn't use most of it and there was NO ELEVATOR where we stayed (and lugged that stuff up 3 floors, I think it was). 
Then as the years went by, I got better about how much I packed for us to carry and got it down to about half of that (hahaha) for a trip we took to Kentucky in 2004 (no elevator where we stayed). The largest suitcase was so stuffed, the handle broke off of it! We had to go to a store to find a replacement suitcase (expensive) to put the stuff in it, that was in the broken-handle suitcase. This time I am going to 'TRY' to limit the packing to 1 medium suitcase each, a small suitcase or duffle bag (gotta have for snacks, etc.), and a vanity case (shampoo, toothpaste, other personal items,etc.). And I may take my laptop, too. So, between now and tomorrow, I've got to bake my Daughter her birthday cake (her birthday is Friday) and decide what to give her for her birthday and get that taken care of, and also between now and Friday afternoon, I've got to get the packing done to go on vacation and between now and Friday, I've got to tell Mom we are going on vacation!
Update: Silly me wasn't looking where I was going when I was hurriedly walking from the mailbox back to the house a little while ago, and tripped over a tree root and went flying through the air. Had a hard landing and now taking aspirin for back, hip, and leg pain (skinned up my knee and hurt my hand, too)...did I tell you we are fixing to be hiking in the mountains????
Update again: Finished baking birthday cake (4 layer pineapple) for Daughter. Got her card and gift (money) ready to give to her Friday (her birthday). Now to pack...
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Today's food:
2 coffees w creamer and splenda, 1/2 cupful grits w low cal marg, and 1 microwaved egg 200
whole wheat turkey sub s/w w lots veggies 300
bbq lf potato chips 140
bk chocolate ice cream sundae 400
another bk chocolate ice cream sundae 400
small pineapple cupcake (made Hubby a big pineapple cupcake) 100
2 diet breads, chicken salad 160
popcorn 100
1/2 cupful scuppernong grapes 50
total est cals: 1850
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
Sitting here, watching 'Christmas Shoppe' on QVC channel. Such pretty Christmas lights and trees!
My weight is up and although I know it is mostly high-sodium, I decided to put it in anyway. I'm hoping to stay between goal 140.0 and 145.0 this week anyway, since planning on leaving on vacation with Hubby Saturday morning, Lord willing. I hired someone to sit with Mom for about an hour in the afternoons while we are away. She is a good friend and didn't want to take any money for helping me but I insisted as she is a widow with 3 children she has been raising as a single Mom after her Hubby passed a couple or so years ago and Christmas is coming up soon, too and I know she can use the money. So she finally said okay she would let me pay her when I told her I insisted. She is a very sweet person and Mom knows and likes her and will be comfortable with her spending time with her. 
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Hubby and I are excitedly 'counting down the days' til we leave! (Heading for the mountains!)
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I got over half of the work done in the back room yesterday (converting it from a storage room to an office room) and hope to finish it today! Yayyyy!
Update: Regarding above statement....Got the room and the matching closet to the room FINISHED! YAYYY! (Now to find a desk for that room.) No more using that room for storage. Cleaned it out real good and vacumned it and have stuff to donate to the thrift store in the back of my vehicle. Plenty of space to make it into a nice office now.
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Evening update: Visited Mom this afternoon. I took her a baked sweet potato with cinnamon, a little sugar, and a very little low cal margerine on it and she ate it and enjoyed it. Had a nice, talkative long visit almost 2 hours. She said she didn't want to eat all of her potato salad that was on her plate at supper and was going to leave some of it and said of the remainder of the portion she was not going to eat, "That's probably 1/8 of a pound" (of a gain that she could avoid if she didn't eat it, hahaha!)
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Today's food:
2 coffees w creamer and splenda, 1 diet bread toast w low cal marg 100
1/2 homemade hamburger 200
fish s/w 400
bk chocolate ice cream sundae 400
cup of scuppernong grapes 100
baked cinnamon apple 100
butterscotch candies 100
whole grain cheddar cheese crackers 180
Today's total est cals: 1580
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
I'm up a little over newest 'low' but I think it is mostly due to high-sodium foods over the weekend so will leave it be for now. I was doing SO WELL last nite and NOT HUNGRY around 6 pm so was planning on no supper when I decided to look at a channel on tv that had food on it...why did I do that???? I got hungry and ended up OVEREATING! 
This week will be getting ready for Daughter's birthday (baking her birthday cake and getting her gift ready to give to her on Friday) as well as an outing she has invited me to tomorrow in the park spending time together, talking and eating cheeseburgers she is going to bring. Also packing for Hubby's and my upcoming (Lord willing) vacation! ...AND trying to figure out when will be the 'BEST' time to tell Mom we are going to be gone on vacation for about a week or so! There is NO best time to tell her that! She usually does NOT NOT NOT take it well and I just hope I don't let what she says upset me like I've done before (and came back early to be there for her cause I was so worried about her and no one would help me by filling in for me while we were gone and I didn't spend much time with Hubby)! If I tell her too early, she may act okay a couple days and then the nearer it gets time for us to leave, completely change her attitude to ANGER!...(Then will come the guilt trip). She does NOT like for me to leave her or be away from her for days or not be available all hours. If you have family members that help you in taking care of or even spending time with your parents, you are VERY BLESSED!!! My family ALL have EXCUSES why they can't help me with Mom! Maybe I can find someone reliable to hire to sit with Mom an hour or 2 a day... That would help her feel better I think and me as well! Also, I'm trying to finish clearing out a back room that has been used for storage so it can be used for an office room instead. I am going to try to stay away from any unnecessary shopping this week...so much for shopping therapy!
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Today's food:
coffee w creamer and splenda 10
sandwich relish sandwich w 2 tbs relish, 2 white breads 280
homemade w 2 white breads, ketchip, mustard, hamburger 350
baked 'french fries' 100
baked 'french fries' again 100
3 chicken viennas 120
1 bread 70
ear of corn (microwaved w a little salt on it only) 200
cupful scuppernong grapes 100
Total est cals: 1330
UPDATE: Why?????? I just finished off the jar of sunflower seeds, proving to myself that I can NOT have any trigger foods in the house after all! 500 extra calories...bringing today's total to 1830! 
I'll just name it Stress...yeah right...it was stress...yeah, like it is EVERY DAY almost and I don't have mini-binges every day!
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
As far as food shows, I have one I love - No Reservations on the Travel Channel. The ONLY time I will watch it is during my workout! My mouth gets watering sometimes but I know I'm working out and that food is off limits during that time. I don't think I'd be able to watch it at night!
I hear you with the food shows. I love them and sometimes it is no good. Yesterday I watched cupcake wars and it made me want sweets or baked goods like nobody's business. I was lucky I didn't have any in the house!
I hope your mom will not get too upset this time around, you deserve a vacation! We all do!
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello Friends!
Hubby and I just got home a little while ago. We went to church this morning, then we went out to eat BUFFET. Before we left the restaurant, I fixed Mom a container of turkey, dressing w giblet gravy, and candied yams to take to her.
Hubby and I visited Mom and she was sitting in her wheelchair in the nursing home dining room where they'd had lunch and she didn't hardly touch hers....She was also not hungry again for what we brought her. So Hubby put it in her room for later if she gets hungry. I took photos of her...She had on her pretty new Cracker Barrel shirt with autumn leaves and was showing her new ring I gave her and her pretty orange fingernails that she painted herself the other day, in the photos today. 
Well...I am down -4.0 for the past month...so...pretty good, I'd say, since I had most of the foods I wanted, just not ALL of what I wanted to eat. Yes, I did put up with growling hungry stomach at nite sometimes but not all the time and still went down -4! I did a LOT of walking and weight lifting. Hubby and I are planning, Lord willing, on leaving on vacation this coming Saturday so I am not going to get in a 'mad rush' to get to goal before then...if I do fine, if not, fine cause he and I usually do a lot of walking/hiking when we go on trips together! And I've got to stay STRONG (as in no very low calories this week!) to keep up with my very fast-walking/hiking Hubby! He sees walking/hiking as a job to be done QUICKLY and likes for me to keep up with him!
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Today's food:
Breakfast: Coffee w tsp low cal creamer (10) and splenda (0), 1 microwaved egg, 1/3 cupful microwaved grits, 1 tsp margerine, 2 peppermints (190) 200
'Don't forget to eat your veggies!'
Lunch (buffet): mostly lunch was a veggies salad with a little mac&cheese, yams, pecans, and a little fried chicken 800
Snack: sunflower seeds 75
Snack: 2 butterscotch candies, sunflower seeds 115
Supper: looking like none...just not particularly hungry...and it's almost 6 p.m....and don't want to eat late...so may not have any supper...
Supper: lf bologna s/w w tsp lowcal mayo on 1 reg bread 110
Snacks, include below: 4 butterscotch candies (don't look at the food channel when you're not hungry!) 100
small microwave speghetti 200
1 reg bread 70
whole grain w cheddar cheese crackers 180
sunflower seeds 100
Total est cals today: 1950
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
Progress as of today: 62.2 lbs lost so far, only 2.8 lbs to go!
I am very short, so it is heavy for my height. But in all fairness to my friends, they'll all known me for long enough, and at different sizes, that they probably don't really think about my looks anymore. Just an insensitive/ crummy lunch. But so it goes! Thanks for the encouragement.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
I'm almost back to my recent low of 142.6 again! (And then ONNNNN!!! to goalweight 140.0!) I was HUNGRY late last nite but I didn't give in and this morning I am down -1.2 from yesterday!
Hubby is working today so I may go to a festival in a nearby town that I heard about and walk around some there...
Evening update: I went to the festival...lots of goodies (as in food) there...bought Mom a beautiful red and gold bracelet and myself a pretty colorful rinestone bracelet. Lots of temptations there...lots of sweets...a bag of chocolate covered pecans almost JUMPED off the table to me...I really considered them...probably they would have been 2000 calories or more...I told myself that I had a choice: Stay in size 8 jeans and feel good about my size or buy the chocolate covered pecans and enjoy eating them and keep that trend up and soon be back to where I was...guess which one won...that's right...size 8! So I walked around at the festival, listening to live music being played, looking at things that were NOT food (many tents there...some were food tents, some of merchandise tents)...like jewlery, which there was LOTS OF...there were even cats and dogs for sale there...also pretty aprons...I decided after buying Mom her bracelet that I would also get myself one for my reward of avoiding the chocolate covered pecans...so after I bought my bracelet, I went by that pecan tent again, which was on my way as I was heading back to where I'd arrived at the festival and there was my second favorite...honey covered pecans...ohhhh! I really considered them! But I kept going right past them. I saw a friend and talked with her a little while, then as I was walking back to my vehicle, I thought...well...it won't hurt to have a cookie...and there right in front of me was a pack of sort of small sweet potato/pecan muffins...all of maximum 400 calories, I'd say (and call it supper)...so I got the pack of 2 for $1.00. Yum! So good I considered going back for more...forget the muffins...I wanted a sweet potato/pecan CAKE!!! But....not/!
I took Mom her bracelet, which I'm not sure if she really liked it or not...but she did put it on and I also gave her a beautiful ring I got her at a store the other day...she especially loves pretty rings! She DID like it! She was in bed in her gown...but I think only relaxing, cause she told me they allowed her to stay in her room today (in bed), cause she "didn't have to work today"....(as in be made to go to the dining room and sit up in her wheelchair with the other residents a few hours)....
Came home and Hubby and I put up (mostly he did it) new shades that needed replacing at 3 of the windows in our home...quite a job! They were made different from our old ones and put up an entirely different way that took a while to figure out even with the directions.
I feel good about my calories today cause I was very tempted and yet didn't give in. AND I got a compliment on my size! My friend's friend (they were both at the festival) complimented me. I am finally the size I am (mostly) comfortable with although when I look in the mirror, I still appear to myself to be either medium sized or slightly overweight even with a bmi of 21.8.
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Today's food:
1/2 cup grits w 1 tsp margerine, microwaved egg, coffee w creamer and splenda 200
sunflower seeds 50
bk hamburger (part of), bk chocolate ice cream sundae 650
2 sweet potato/pecan muffins (not large) 400
sunflower seeds 50
total est cals today: 1350
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
Today, I washed and dried clothes (without wringing them out by hand)...did a little shopping (walked a lot and parked far away from stores for even more walking), visited Mom (who is doing much better and was sitting with her friends in the dining room at the same table) and took her a hamburger.
Today's food:
1 small oatmeal pancake, scrambled egg, coffee w creamer and splenda 350
bk hamburger, bk chocolate ice cream sundae 700
peppermint 25
tuna salad of tuna, lettuce, onion, cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, t i dsg 325
Total est cals today: 1400 (and still VERY HUNGRY)
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
I got on the scale this morning and this is what it looked like: 
Like...'don't get mad at me! I didn't do it, you did!'...Well, to that, I say...'Did what???'...I've been walking a lot, lifting weights a lot, getting smaller and clothes fitting looser and I'm up to 145.0 today??? But that is what it read... Hummmmm.....
Update: Friend and I had lunch together, then after I took her home, I visited Mom, who seemed to be doing quite well, sitting in her wheelchair in the dining room at the nursing home with friends and smiling.
Hubby and I went to a store to order a washer and dryer set this afternoon and found out that in order for them to be delivered and installed for 'free', they were NOT ON SALE but would be the FULL PRICE! An increase of $124 plus tax! So...we decided to get them at the ON SALE price and have them at the store load them onto the back of Hubby's truck, which they did and we brought the new washer and dryer set home with us and hired a friend to come help Hubby, which he did, and now we have the set installed in our home and working real well...yayyyy! (No more wringing out clothes by hand!)
I've been extra good with calories today and am anticipating the scale being at least a little more agreeable tomorrow morning...looking back at my calories over the past week, I had a few days I went slightly over my calories' allowance, but I also had a few days I was under them even more, so at the very least I should have maintained 142.6, not gained up to 145.0! I also measured with the tape measure this morning which confirms I have not gotten larger. And I have been lifting weights a LOT...so must be muscle weight gain, which is a good thing, right???
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Today's food:
1 fruit cup and 2 coffees w creamer and splenda 75
turkey, candied yams, dressing, icing 700
peppermint 25
2 diet toasts w 2 lf bologna microwaved, 1 tsp low cal mayo, 1/2 sm onion 150
sunflower seeds 50
Total est cals today: 1000
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
I have also had periods in my life when I weighed significantly less than friends who looked way skinnier than me and were way healthier than me too, and that was because of the muscle weighing more than fat thing too.
Sorry you had a bad scale day. You've been doing really great with your food and stuff.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
Went to a thrift store in a nearby town today and bought a pair of boot leg brown corduroy jeans name brand for just $2 and some-odd-cents...wow...tried them on there (size 8), they fit real well, and I got them to go with some new fall Cracker Barrel shirts I got recently.
Also visited Mom at the nursing home and sat and talked with her a while. Took her some bananas, which she ate one while I was there. She was not feeling well, she said she was sick and hurting all over (probably arthritis) but the good news is she said she is no longer having that terrible infection pain. It is GONE! Thank You, Jesus! She is WELL of that infection! And I thank you for your prayers! She surprised me by remembering vacation details from 4 years ago that I told her about at the time when Hubby and I had returned from hiking in the North Georgia Mountains. Why this was on her mind, i don't know...???
Our washing machine has 'kicked the bucket'...It has been 'acting up' off and on (more on) for about a year...Hubby and I ate supper out buffet this afternoon, then went and priced some washer and dryer sets. We plan, Lord willing, to go tomorrow evening and order a set. We both agreed that we didn't care for a set with lots of 'bells and whistles' and so decided to get a set that is nice but not extravagant. The set should be arrive early next week after we order it tomorrow. Until then, I will be working with the old washer, which will fill up with water, agitate, and then refuse to spin like it is supposed to....that's where I take each piece of clothing and wring out the water by hand. Hubby said he remembers we got the washer and dryer set not long after we got married (we celebrate our 21st anniversary this month), so they are very old for washers and dryers and it is time we replaced them. The dryer is in better condition than the washer but it makes unusual noises sometimes so it is going to be replaced, too.
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Today's food:
2 fruit cups, coffee 100
rice, hamburger onions and gravy, creamed potatoes, green beans 500
3 donut holes 150
boston baked beans 110
large salad, chicken, fish, cheese, pecans, ice cream 990
Total est cals: 1850
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
The leaking roof got repaired this morning. After this, a friend and I went out to lunch together and afterward did a little shopping. This evening, my Aunt, whom I'd called and invited to supper, came over and had supper with Hubby and me and we three had a nice visit together.
Scale is not going downward, but clothes are definitely fitting much looser!
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Today's food:
Breakfast: coffee, fruit cup 55
Lunch at CB: fried chicken strips, carrots, chocolate ice cream sundae 800
Supper: rice, hamburger&onion in gravy, beans, creamed potatoes, fruit salad 585
Late nite snack: baked beans, ww cheese crackers 510
total est cals today: 1950
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Hope you're having a blessed day!
Love, Maria
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
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Hello, Friends!
Went to the funeral today of the young woman I told you about who passed last week. It was so sad. Please continue to pray for her family.
Also visited Mom at the nursing home. She's really doing her very best there. Told me she is acting like she feels better than she really does. I told her that is good, that sometimes we have to do that to start feeling better. She was in the dining room sitting at her usual table but all alone, although there were other people in there nearby to her, and she asked for me to paint her fingernails orange. I went and got her orange fingernail polish and she decided instead of me painting her nails for her, which I usually do, that she wanted to try to paint her own nails. I was happily surprised that although it took her quite a while, she didn't give up till she finished painting every one her fingernails...all of them...I didn't even think she was ABLE to do it but she did and it came out good, too!
I donated the guitar to a thrift store that I bought for my Daughter's upcoming birthday...decided to give her something else, as I found out the guitar, though quite large is actually a child's guitar, not made for an adult. Also, it needed more to repair it than I thought it would.
So happy to hear that our fellow DD'ers who went had a wonderful, fun, safe time at the weekend DD retreat! Beautiful photos, y'all!
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Today's food:
coffee, bk hamburger, bk chocolate ice cream sundae 700
large veggie salad w fried chicken strips, pecans and a little t i dsg (400) and a little mac and cheese (300) 700
total est cals today: 1400
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Hope you're having a blessed evening or day!
Love, Maria
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Whew! It's going to be a busy week, isn't it?!
chidogs on 10/13/2010:
Busy stuff, but vacation packing is fun! I spent 3 months in Europe way back when I was young. Took one suitcase,within a week I sent everything back but 1 pair of jeans, 1 skirt, 2 tops, coat, shoes and socks. One learns that what you take you carry! Sounds like you have it under control. :)
liza36 on 10/13/2010:
Oh my goodness Maria, I hope the fly through the air doesn't impact your ability to hike this weekend. Feel better!
Umpqua on 10/13/2010:
Sorry to hear you fell, hope you get to feeling better soon!
selina on 10/13/2010:
Yikes, Maria. I hope you didn't brake anything! But seriously, I hope this will not spoil your weekend. Stay well!
Before lasik I couldn't see a thing, unless I wore contacts or glasses. After the surgery I had 20/20 vision for 10 years, Now I have 20/25 with both eyes open. When I close one, the right eye is 20/40 and the other one is better... I heard that it is possible to have another lasik if the first didn't work so well. Mine was perfect the first time around.
nita51 on 10/13/2010:
OUCHIE! Sorry to hear about your accident. Please get some rest, so you can feel better. Thanks for the link on the miners. I am so happy for them! They should become Evangelist, because they have a testimony that could help change the world. Love you
selina on 10/13/2010:
I watched the rescue, too. Only the first one, then I went to bed...
moogy on 10/13/2010:
Ouch! I hope you are OK. Your husband may have to either slow down with his hiking or go by himself. I understand the need to take everything but the kitchen sink, it is just in case you need the particular thing you are packing. Maybe you could just buy stuff that you didn't pack if you have had to leave it behind. Now, you wouldn't mind that too much, would you?
breakaway on 10/13/2010:
Sure hope everything is ok! Have a great day. I have to watch the miners (reruns)...I was at work when the first ones come up.
just42day on 10/13/2010:
Packing tip. Pack everything you think you need. Then take out 2-3 outfits because you WON'T need them. Plus, you MUST have space for items purchased while on vacation... :) Sorry about your fall! Hope you're ok.
V on 10/13/2010:
LOl!!! I am a horrible packer as well...I will not post how many bags I packed for college the first time,let's just say it was supermodel worthy...My goal for my xmas trip home....1 suitcase???? LOL
SusieQueue on 10/13/2010:
I used to be like that too. Now I pack one medium bag and if i need something, I buy it.
hopingforhealth on 10/13/2010:
Isn't that amazing, that the miners could be rescued? The whole thing is just crazy.
Enjoy your vacation!
V on 10/13/2010:
:( How is your knee and hand??? Your cake sounds deelish :P
skinnygrlwithin on 10/13/2010:
Of course I don't mind =) I'm just about 5'1" tall... and you should definitely try the soup...it's so yummy but it does get a little salty
biscottibody59 on 10/13/2010:
Your cake sounds lovely! Hope the body mends well by the time of your trip--maybe take it a little easier 'til then!
chidogs on 10/13/2010:
Oh be careful! That fall sounds painful. Why does stuff like this always happen right before vacation?! No more accidents so you can really enjoy yourself. Take care.
just42day on 10/26/2010:
Looking forward to getting caught up w/you now that the site is back! :)