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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Good morning to you!
Another COLD morning here in S.C. (36 degrees F).
The tv news is still saying they are expecting an ICE/SNOW STORM Sunday nite through Tuesday morning here. Said they are expecting POWER OUTAGES in some areas. (And with power outages, it can be DAYS before power is back on!) But, I'm not worrying, I know WHO takes care of us! 
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Hubby is working today and I am washing clothes, tidying the house, and will soon be cooking (chicken) for today and tomorrow, as we don't plan to eat out lunch tomorrow after church. 
Sinuses are acting up a little this morning as I forgot to plug in the vaporizer in our bedroom last nite before I went to bed. 
It really makes a big difference to have some warm steam added to the dry heat (electric) air. Helps one breathe better and not have sinus headaches and other sinus symptoms.
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Today's Food: (Yesterday's cals were est. 1607)
Breakfast: 1 fried Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patty 60, 1/2 cupful plain grits 100, large caffeinated black (but I drink mine WEAK so mine is light brown) coffee 4, w 1 tsp ff creamer 10, 1 splenda 0, and orange diet caffeine-free cola 0... 174 (174)
Lunch: 2 small sweet potatoes w a tsp sugar and tsp cinnamon 350, 1/2 cupful black eyed peas 100, 1/2 pb s/w 140 (764)
Supper: 1/2 pb s/w 140, 1/4 cupful (ALL GONE NOW) black eyed peas 50, roasted chicken 100 (1054)
Snack: More roasted chicken 200 (1254)
Today's Total Est. Calories: 1254
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Update: Sat with Mom a long time this afternoon, took her baked cinnamon-apple pieces w a tsp sugar and cinnamon sprinkled over the top. She was finishing eating what she wanted of her lunch and she ate all of the baked cinnamon apple pieces I brought her. She was in a happy mood and she and I had a relaxing, talkative time with a CNA (D for future ref) who was in the room sitting with Mom's roommate.
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When I got back home, I got some very sad news that my cousin suddenly passed last nite...he was young. (Middle-aged-young.) He was a very sweet Christian cousin and I loved him very much. He was Mom's favorite nephew. I will have to tell her tomorrow. 
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In the meanwhile, the tv news is having WARNINGS scrolling across the bottom of the screen that we are under a 'winter storm watch' for a BIG ICE STORM that may make ROADS IMPASSABLE as well as DOWN POWER LINES! As you can tell, we southerners are not used to winter precipitation such as the northerners are probably very familiar with. Usually the most winter precipitation other than a little rain that we get might be a one time a year sprinkle of snow or sprinkle of ice/sleet that melts within 24 hours or so. So, to us, this is really something if we get it. We are not used to driving in snow or ice and Lord willing, if we get what they are saying we are going to get, I plan on staying inside! 
Right by the fireplace! With my diet bread s/w of Smart Balance chunky peanut butter! (Ain't gotta have electricity to cook that!)
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Hope you are having a nice 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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Good morning to you!
The tv news has said we might get ICE (as in 'freezing rain' that sticks) early next week.
It is cold again this morning, 32 degrees F, but I'm sitting here by the fireplace with the fire going this morning, done had my breakfast and am drinking a mug of coffee. So, I am warm, thank the Lord.
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Yesterday and day before, I had black eyed peas for lunch and supper. Had them with diced onions. There is enough for lunch today, too, so guess I may finish them if I'm home at lunch. Thing is, I am so BLOATED from them! But they are real good!
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I've decided to get stricter with our finances. It's called 'Build Up Savings'. Hubby had less work last year due to the economy and thank the Lord, we had savings to dip into. Any of you went through this, too? On top of dipping into savings to help pay bills and other things, we also took a nice vacation to celebrate our 21st anniversary and dipped into savings for that as well. So our savings went down SUBSTANTIALLY last year. But with the good Lord's help, we've begun working on rebuilding it this year. I am very thrifty. I shop for clothes at the thrift shops. I shop for furniture at the thrift shops (got very nice heavy desk and nice office swivel/roll/rock chair, both for $25 together at the thrift shop). I keep lights off that are not being used. Different things like that. But there are some other things I know I can do that will help. Our phone bill (through the cable company) is fixing to double next month, since we are on a one-year 19.95/month promotion plan that will be ending next month, so I've been thinking about 'magic jack' or something that will enable us to keep our house phone at a reasonable rate. Our basic cable is fixing to more than double next month...we've been on a one year 29.95/month promotion with it...and I'm thinking about reducing it to what I think they call is broadband, where all you get are 10 channels which include the local news channels. We can watch DVD's we have. We've done it before and 'thought' we 'missed' having more channels and guess what? Most of the channels we have, we don't watch and a lot of what is on at nite time is filthy and not watchable anyway. I've been reading finance blogs on the internet and they are very encouraging of what people have done to improve their financial circumstances. Oh, and we recently refinanced Hubby's truck to a lower payment (though longer term), so that helps some, too. We are working on refinancing my vehicle now. Something I didn't know...but I know it now and it may help you...when you buy a vehicle, though they may lead you to think they searched and got the very BEST interest rate they could and your payment as low as they could, you may want to do your own research after you get your vehicle (if not before) and get a much better interest rate and lower payment (unless you want to pay it off earlier which you could still do with lower payment by sending in extra on the principal). We've been paying high payments on our vehicles and could have gotten them much lower!!! 
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Yesterday's calories have been updated, which I got hungry last nite and added 400 more calories for a total of 1800 for the day. But they were good calories...more black eyed peas, pb/sw, 2 tangerines, small bag of lf popcorn.
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Today's Food:
Breakfast: 1 fried Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patty 60, 1/2 cupful plain grits 100, large caffeinated black (but I drink mine WEAK so mine is light brown) coffee 4, w 1 tsp ff creamer 10, 1 splenda 0... 174 (174)
Snack: microwaved sweet potato 150, w 1/2 tsp margerine 10, 1 tsp sugar 15, 1 tsp cinnamon 6, sprinkled over it, and iced black decaf homemade tea 2, with 1 splenda 0... 183 (357)
Lunch: 1/2 Smart Balance p/b s/w with: 1 diet bread 40, 1 tbs chunky pb 100, iced tea 2 w splenda 0 (499)
Snack: 1/2 cupful black eyed peas 100, 1/4 cupful diced onion 14, tea 2, splenda 0 (615)
Snack: sweet potato, same as above 183 (798)
Supper: 1/2 cupful rice 100, 1/2 cupful green peas 100, roasted turkey leg 208, barbeque sauce 47, 1/2 pb s/w w 1 diet bread and 1 tbs Smart Balance pb 140, diet caffeine-free cola 0...595 (1393)
Nite time snack: another 1/2 pb s/w 140, 2 small tangerines 74 (1607)
Today's est. total calories: 1607
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Update: Visited Mom at the nursing home this afternoon and sat with her a little while. I took her a baked sweet potato which she ate and enjoyed. I had very lightly sprinkled it with 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp sugar, and it had about 1 tsp margerine on it, too. She's been in the bed for 2 days. Said she didn't want to get up today, cause she felt like she needed a bath and her hair washed before she would be presentable in the dining room with all the other people in there. (They only give baths and wash hair so often there at the nursing home.) I told her I didn't blame her at all. Before I left, she asked her CNA to do that and her sweet CNA said she would. Not all CNA's are the same. Some are there taking care of people cause that is their ministry and they love people and are called to do that work and others are only there for the money and don't want to do anything extra to help a resident feel better.
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Hope you are having a nice day!
Love, Maria
Sounds like a good day--we may get some snow next week, though I think it's still a little early to really forecast.
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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Good morning to you!
The tv news had said we might get some snow last nite but looks like we didn't. It is cold, though.
Yesterday I cooked a pot of black eyed peas. Had them with diced onion, a little rice, and 2 homemade small biscuits. They are sooo good! I got the idea from reading Biscoitibody's entry about her black eyed peas. Cooked them from dry peas in the bag. I did add a tbs of olive oil before they were done, though, so probably most of it cooked out. Also added a little salt. I was hungry last nite for something sweet and tea with splenda wasn't helping, so I had 2 tangerines. That took care of wanting something sweet. Thing is, I still have a little chocolate candy here that was given us for Christmas that I'm not even tempted with at all. The fridge is stocked with lots of veggies (celery, romaine lettuce, cucumber, green bell peppers, onions, carrots, etc.) and fruits (tangerines, apples, oranges, bananas). I like my fruits cold. Fruits and veggies are very HYDRATING. That is one reason they are so good for us. Not to mention all the nutrients they have in them.
Again, if I can be of help to any of you who are working on getting to your goal weight, please let me know. I will be glad to share things that helped me achieve my goal weight.
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Hubby took me to get my vehicle out of the shop after he got home from work last nite. The window works real well again. I'm glad to have it back.
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I may go sit with Mom at the nursing home for a while today and see if she's gotten over her anger at me for buying her clothes in a larger size that Hubby and I gave her for Valentine's Day (see Tuesday's entry for more on this if you haven't already read it).
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I got the studying finished yesterday and taught at church last nite on Philippians 4:1-8. It was entitled 'Things To Think On'. I included some other Bible scriptures that went with the lesson. I enjoyed teaching it.
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As for getting the study room in order, that was 'nada' yesterday. I got clothes washed and some bookkeeping done but didn't get to the study room yet. I looked at it earlier this morning and actually, it won't take long...it is just mainly getting the Christmas wrapping put away and tidying the room. Also I need to go through and clean out the filing cabinet in there (a job I'm not looking forward to doing, as I usually keep too much paperwork). 
Breakfast this morning was a scrambled egg 80, 1/2 cup plain grits 100, and a large coffee with nonfat creamer 10 and splenda 0...all in all about 200 cals for breakfast. (200)
Lunch today was (estimates) black eyed peas 275, diced onion 25, a tangerine 50, about 1/4 cupful creamed corn (I found leftover in the back of the fridge) 50 and a fresh-baked sweet potato 150. 550 (750)
Snack: Guilt-free sweets 300 (1050)
Supper: black eyed peas, diced onion, 1/2 peanut butter s/w 350 (1400)
Late nite snack: black eyed peas, pb/sw, 2 tangerines, lf popcorn 400 (1800)
Today's total est. cals: 1800
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Visited Mom this afternoon, who wasn't feeling well and said she'd been in bed all day. Said she had a headache. She wanted a peanut butter and jelly s/w and I went and got her one and took it back to her and also some iced water and iced tea. She perked up some after eating her s/w and drinking her iced tea. I took down her Christmas decorations I had put up on her side of the room before Christmas, with her permission. I told her maybe soon I can decorate her side of the room for Valentine's Day. She said she wore a pair of the larger pants Hubby and I gave to her, this morning and they were very comfortable and fit her well. She said she isn't mad I got her a larger size anymore.
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Hope you are having a nice day!
Love, Maria
One way to deal with the potential gas producing properties of say dried pinto beans is to do a quick soak. Make sure the water is over them by an inch or so and then bring to a boil, cover and simmer for a couple minutes, turn off the heat and let them sit covered for an hour. Then you throw out the water from this soak (I also rinse once). Then cook as you normally would.
I've done this countless times--I'm not likely to cook beans if I have to soak them all night, but that's just me.
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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Good morning to you!
It is cold outside (28F) but warm in this house, thank the Lord.
Now that I reached my goal weight, all I have to do is maintain it. I've been at goal weight before and it is quite a struggle to maintain just as it is to reach it. I will be leaving my goal weight in my entries unless my weight goes up or down significantly.
If I can be of help to any of you who are working on getting to your goal weight, please let me know. I will be glad to share things that helped me achieve my goal weight.
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Christmas...Hubby and I took Mom her gifts which included the 11-diamond gold ring. She was thrilled over it and now when we visit her at the nursing home, she holds her hand out to us, extending that finger that she wears it on, showing off the ring, smiling at us.
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A friend and I went shopping yesterday and I shopped for Mom and me some clothes. I bought Mom some clothes first (that I will tell you about shortly), then I got myself 2 dressy jackets, one is size 6 and the other is size 8 that will be nice to wear to church.
Last nite, Hubby and I visited and presented Mom with an early Valentine's Day gift...a gray jogging suit (which she's made known to me recently she'd like to have), fleece lined, with zip up hoody jacket and pockets in jacket and pants and also another pair of black pants, fleece lined with pockets, that will match anything. She was very happy until she learned that I'd gotten them in a larger size than she is accustomed to wearing (courtesy of one of her CNA's informing me that Mom needs "larger pants")...Mom has gained weight. After Mom insisted that I'd bought the wrong size and that the clothes would be too big for her and ignoring my telling her that the CNA said I need to buy Mom's clothes larger, Mom told my Hubby loudly that the next time he buys me clothes to make sure he buys them "3 times her SIZE!!!" that I wear. Nevermind Hubby futilely trying to reason with Mom that she needs a larger size since she wears diapers so she will be comfortable...that didn't help at all.
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My vehicle is in the shop today, getting the window fixed, so I am home and this is a good time to get some extra studying done as I will be teaching adults in the congregation tonite at church. I plan to teach on Philippians 4:1-8 and Ephesians 6:10-18 if you'd like to read these verses in the Bible.
After studying some more, it will also be a good time to get some things done in the house that I've been putting off and are not hard to do at all, just have to make a few decisions about how I am going to do them (re: getting my study/office room in order).
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Hope you are having a nice day!
Love, Maria
Your mom's vanity is definitely an encouraging sign of life!
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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….GOALWEIGHT!….
This morning, I finally arrived at goal weight ‘Island 140’…Can hardly believe I’m actually here again!
I’m sitting here on the beach right now, keying to you.
It’s so pretty here. The seagulls are happily flying around, calling out cheerfully to each other. There’s plenty of healthy, fresh food here. I had a large salad for lunch. Lots of delicious fruits here, too.
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Hope you are having a nice day!
Love, Maria
Progress as of today: 65 lbs lost so far, only 0 lbs to go!
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!
There's an island up ahead and I'm almost there! It is 'Island 140.0'...I've been sailing all nite and I can see it in the distance with my binoculars now that the sun has come up! It's a very pretty island with lots of coconut trees, and I see pineapples, even orange trees on it up ahead! I can even hear wild turkeys calling to one another that there is a 'turkey-eater' on the way to this island! (Me!) I've been at this island before....even built a nice large wigwarm while I was there that I stayed in, and left it standing, should I ever return. Some loud-talking pirates in a big, red ship came by the last time I was at the island and I was hiding in my wigwarm which was up the coast in a thicket of coconut trees, so they didn't know I was there and when they left (after they finished their hunting and took lots of wild animals from the island to their ship for food, along with coconuts and other fruits), I noticed that apparently they must have been in a big hurry to leave, cause they left behind an extra large container of processed sweets that they all had been snacking on during the overnite stay they were at the island, mainly cakes and candy, which I happily consumed and gained weight and the 'code of the island' is that if you weigh more (or less) than its number, you must leave and go to the island that is the same number as your weight. So, I had to leave this beautiful, sunny, warm island with its happy seagulls flying overhead calling cheerfully out to one another and go to other islands that were less beautiful and colder and some were cloudy, too. So...last nite I left island 141.0 and am on my way to island 140.0 and anticipate I may be there by tomorrow!
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Weigh-in this morning is 140.8, only .8 from goalweight now.
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Hope you are having a nice day!
Love, Maria
Huggles N Happy Dances
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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Good morning to you!
Weigh-in this morning is 141.2, only 1.2 from goalweight now.
It is cold outside but warm in this house, thank the Lord.
We did get snow over the weekend, which was so beautiful to watch coming down, and have a pretty cover over the ground outside, but it will probably be gone soon, since the sun is shining so pretty this morning.
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Hope you have a nice 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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Good morning to you.
It is SNOWING here as I key...I am looking out the window from time to time at it coming down...so BEAUTIFUL...we have got a white cover on the ground. I got an early call from a friend that church was canceled this morning. I'm still not feeling well, so will rest more today. Still taking meds.
Got on the scale this morning and am still at 141.8, same as yesterday's morning, so I maintained yesterday, Christmas Day, to today. Yesterday, it was all about 'mindful indulgences'. I did allow myself (had to 'tell myself it was okay') to have some candy out of the box of Russell Stover pecan delight candy Hubby gave me for Christmas but 'only just so much', and kept that within allowed calories for the day, which total calories ended up being an estimated 1500 calories for the day. Then last nite I felt hungry but didn't give in.
This morning's breakfast is 'baked' cinnamon apple pieces (cooked in the microwave a few minutes) and coffee. I've been having fruit with coffee for breakfast over the past few days instead of the usual turkey sausage and grits with coffee.
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Hope you're having a nice day!
Love, Maria
Progress as of today: 63.2 lbs lost so far, only 1.8 lbs to go!
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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Hubby and I wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS from our house to yours!
Sitting by the fireside this morning and it is chilly outside. We are under a WINTER STORMWATCH for SNOW!!!!! 1-3 inches tonite and 3-5 tomorrow on Sunday!!! YAYYYYY!!! Unusual for this time of year...usually we 'might' get a little light snow in February or either ice during that month.
My weigh-in this morning shows I'm down EVEN MORE...141.8 now. (Down almost 4 in a week!) Only 1.8 away from GOALWEIGHT! YAYYYYYYYY!!!
We're not expecting any company today although yesterday afternoon, a couple from a church we visited off/on for about a year while we were away from our church that we went back to last month came over and visited a while with us. The Hubby used to work with my Hubby.
As for me, I'm still doing about the same as I was yesterday. Needing to wash my hair but thinking twice about it. Don't want to get worse. Getting ready to soon take my meds. Hope you have a wonderful, blessed Christmas Day! Love ya!
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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...
It is sunny and chilly here this morning. Hubby is at work today. I surprised him yesterday when he came home...While he was at work, I cooked him his fav...in a large roasting pan I cooked baked ham with 'ham-rice' cooked in with it for him. He was SO HAPPY over it. I told him it was ALL HIS. (I don't eat pork.) He decided he wanted to take 2 plates to elderly sick neighbor-friends and so we loaded the plates up and off he went to their home. They are a husband-wife couple and the husband had mentioned to me yesterday morning over the phone that he'd like some ham, which I told Hubby. Hubby is feeling better. As for me, I'm still not feeling too well. Done took my meds this morning... maybe that will help.
My weigh-in this morning shows I'm down EVEN MORE...142.0 now. Only 2 pounds away from GOALWEIGHT! YAYYYYYYYY!!! Clothes are fitting LOOSE.
Hope you're feeling well.
Evening Update: Family/friends call early today to say they are coming over at a certain time, so you, not feeling well and they know it, prepare for their arrival by cooking supper for them when you are definitely not up to it. Exhausted, you wait. One calls...'going to be late but still coming'. The other ones don't show up or call. Exhausted and having cleaned and cooked while definitely not up to it, and keeping on looking out the window for their vechicle arrival, you get another call...'going to be even later but still coming'...it's nitetime and you're so tired and weak and not feeling well, you're MAD! Hubby, who helped me cook and clean tries to calm me...all I want is to go to BED!!!! Finally, after hours of this, and Hubby and I agreeing that instead of their coming over here, we'll bring their gifts over to their home after they call and say it is convenient after their family who called them and said they wanted to visit them tonite and they said yes, leaves, I've changed clothes and have on my PJ's as I key! I don't think that I should get out in the dark and the cold, hoarse, weak, exhausted, and ANGRY! Errrrr! PS...did I say I'm VERY TIRED????? 
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Hope you're having a nice day!
Love, Maria
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I hope you don't get too much damage from that storm! Our snowstorm wimped out and we only got 4 or 5 inches yesterday. We have a humidifier hooked up directly to the heating system since it really does get so dry in the winter. Makes a huge difference! Hope you have a great day!
chidogs on 01/08/2011:
Glad you are on the mend. Have a great day. :)
geevee on 01/08/2011:
Hey, girl.Weren't you around 150 before I went AWOL? And now you're 140. WOW!
biscottibody59 on 01/08/2011:
My CPAP machine has a built-in humidifier, so I'm breathing moist air all night:-) Otherwise I'm like you--dry air just makes life miserable--hope you get to feeling better today!
Holding steady there--good job!
moogy on 01/08/2011:
I really hope you don't get the power cut off, that is awful, it occassionaly happens here during a storm but only for a little while. I can't imagine being without electricity for a few days, not good. As you know it is Sunday here and I am just about ready to leave for Church to teach my lesson so I wanted to stop by and let you know that I will be thinking about you teaching your lesson tomorrow and hoping that it goes really well. I always pray before I prepare and teach so I will pray for you as well.:)
V on 01/08/2011:
Stay warm my friend! Yes my overactive imagination creates some very strange dreams for me..LOL Love you!
moogy on 01/08/2011:
Yes, a candle, bread and peanut butter, a good book, a blazing fire. You will be fine!!:)
loveray on 01/08/2011:
it is reallly cold! i hope you guys stay warm and get some rest:)
moogy on 01/08/2011:
Well, my lesson went really well. I hope your's did as well, even though I misunderstood and thought it was today (tomorrow for you), never mind. At least we have our hearts in the right place even if our minds are a bit on the dodgy side!!!!LOL
moogy on 01/08/2011:
I love books, I always have one on the go. You probably wouldn't like them, I love thrillers!! Might scare you a bit!
loveray on 01/08/2011:
yea, i think its supposed to start tomorrow afternoon and we should have a ton of snow and ice by monday! i am looking forward to some time just to chill indoors without having to make any excuses about why im being lazy:)
V on 01/08/2011:
LOL it is only crab meat, not the whole thing...LOL
chidogs on 01/08/2011:
Maria, I could get really addicted to storing stuff in these containers. They are so easy to pack and store! We got two more today to finish the last of the holiday stuff. :)