DC Conversation, Canada Day Weekend, June 30-July 1st

Welcome to the Diabetic Connection or as we call it - the DC!!!!

Good Morning Everyone,

Hope you all are doing fine and enjoyed a good nights rest....

Nancy, glad Cathy is doing okay and I hope her recovery goes fast and smooth for her....We are hot and humid too, but not dry like you are...We seem to get rain or thunderstorms fairly regular.... Word has it that Army Ants are moving into the area, eating crops...They had a little write up in the paper this week....Makes you feel so bad for the farmers and all the hard work they do, and for us too, who enjoy the benefits of their hard work....Always seems like something is happening to ruin things...

Joyce, I hope you got some extra rest from all the hard work and overtime this week.. I am sure when you finally got home, you were still wound up and unable to sleep....I hope this weekend brings you some peace and quiet and good rest....Are you keeping Maycee this weekend???

Deb, I am staying at the same weight, now and it just doesn't budge....It is annoying, but I do seem to do better counting calories than the WW points.... I think WW was a little too much food for me... Like some fruits didn't count points at all and you know, we have to watch how much fruit we eat....I am thinking of going back to the fitness center again....I stopped going when I flared up my knees from using the bike.....But now I think I could get back to doing some of the other machines as I am feeling pretty good... One thing about this hot and humid weather, my joints  feel better...LOL

I was wondering what you all think of Obamacare??? I know our insurance payments will go up, but that is really all I know about it or how it will effect us....Seems like no one really understands what is happening and congress passes a bill that 69% of the people were against.....

We have today at home to do whatever....Mom is going to Walmart tomorrow to get her hair done...I am thinking too, that maybe we could go later this afternoon, at 3 PM, and get the perm out of the way.....I have to talk to Ron and see what he says or wants to do.....

Everyone take care and enjoy your Saturday... Stay cool and drink a lot of fluids...

Mary

Good Morning all. We had one nasyt storm around midnight last night, they said we had winds over 60miles per hour, some rain, not enough. I got up extra early to see what damage was done outside, just pots turned over and some hanging baskets and our big flag pole is bent at bit. Hot again today, yesterday we topped out at 102 and today is to be 100...no relief in store that I can see. Mary not sure about the health care bill, I try not to worry but I have decided that you are better off owning nothing or having nothing, then its free, I watched 4 young latino girls Friday pick up bags of perscriptions and just showed their Delaware social services cards, no charge, I am sure all states are having these problems but here we are overwhelmed with the latino population due to the large chicken industry, just makes me so mad they can go come here and all is free, welcome to America...don't want to get started on that subject. Mary you will be beautiful with that new perm, I understand your pain with losing weight, I seem to not lose a pound. Nancy hope Cathy cotinues to improve. Joyce rest up best you can. We are planning on yard saleing soon so better get ready..hope all stay cool..Peggy

Peggy, I saw on the news this morning about the Eastern Storms..Wow...What a nightmare... I saw that two people were killed. One a 90 year old women, when a big tree fell on her bedroom....How awful...We knew there were storms around last night but seemed to be south of us and missed us...I think its time we helped our own people and gave them priority to benefits and help.... I have no objection to helping people, but I think the Americans should come first and foremost...Mom gets the perm tomorrow, I get a hair cut...The weight loss is a constant battle and I do have to watch what I eat because I gain easily.... The yard sales here yesterday were far and few between and the ones I saw were mostly junky....

Everyone take care....

Mary

Deb – They keep our offices chilly.  I even had to wear my sweater a couple times this past week.  I hope you did get some of the rain eventually.  It is strange how it moves. You are such a good SIL to take her around to her appointments.  I hope everything goes okay between her biopsy results and the cataract surgery.  I'm sure Danny will be very glad when his back doesn't bother him at all.  Your poor mechanic.  You are right, it could have been a lot worse.  I hope he is better soon.

Nancy – I bet you enjoyed your travels, but I also bet you are glad to be home.  I'm glad to hear Cathy is doing so well.

Mary – No, I don't think I'm having Maycee this weekend.  Her mom is off.  But she does work Tuesday and the holiday.  I told her I would babysit her and to let me know, but I haven't heard anything.  Enjoy your quiet day at home today. 

Peggy – Hope you get some good deals at the yard sales.  I'm not sure about the ObamaCare.  I guess I will just wait and see what happens.

The project at work got done.  Something tells me we will have to do these every quarter.  But that is an assumption on my part.
We did get rain.  Co-workers were saying a storm went through about 3:30 yesterday afternoon and the temp dropped 20 degrees as it went through.  When I got home, I did have a few things that were disturbed by the wind, but nothing serious.  Then about 4:30, I got woken up by more storms.  It rained for about 20 minutes.  We certainly need more, but we'll take what we can get.  We broke another record yesterday with a high of 104 again.
I don't know if you all see the same pictures I do on the side of this page, but the picture of the red, white and blue cake looks so pretty.  But I sure don't need a whole cake sitting around here.
I finally made it to the farmer's market this morning.  I got some green beans, new potatoes and corn on the cob.  Throw some ham and onions in with the beans and potatoes and I have my dinner.

Morning.  I saw some photos of those storms and it sure was a wicked one.  Even sadder are the photos and interviews of the fires in Colorado.  Wish we could send the rain, especially from Hurricane Debbie, over to Colorado.

So I'm laying in bed this morning at an "unearthly hour" for a night owl and since I'm not sleeping, I end up thinking.  Sometimes I wish there was an OFF button to the mind and those random thoughts, but it's probably a good thing we don't come equipped with one of those buttons, even if at times we are convinced that our kids or our spouse had flipped that switch.

Anyhow, back to my randomness.

I realize today is the last day of June.  WOW ... six months ago I was thinking about what 2012 would bring me and here it is at the half way mark.  It's been an amazing year so far.  At least I think so... how about you?

Almost everything on my 'Must do in 2012 list' has been checked off with success.  Hosting a celebration for a 60th anniversary and then a few months later, for an 80th birthday, have been the highlights of 2012 ... so far.  I'm sure that in the second half of 2012, the bigger highlight of a daughter's wedding will balance out the year perfectly.

As for my goals for myself personally.... well, I'm definitely not at the half way mark of where I want to be.  I had set a goal 6 months ago of what I wanted those numbers on the scale to say on the day my daughter walks down the aisle ... and well ... here it is ... the last day of June and I realize I have a long ways to go!

Yet other numbers are more positive.  I was at the doctor's the week after the big party for the 80th and he reported all my numbers were great and he was surprised that my blood pressure was so low.  That shocked me, for May had been a very stressful month with my dad in the hospital and mom waiting for surgery and the details of the party all on my shoulders. ... and yet it seems the stress did not show up on the medical side of life.

I loved that report from the doctor.  It verified for me that my Rock is my Saviour and that my trust is in my Lord.  Truly, in those times of stress He is the one who carries me through the tough times.  

Yes, looking back at the first half of 2012, I may not be where I'd like to be on my weightloss journey ... but as for the journey of my life, I will look behind me and see that for much of 2012, there is only one set of Footprints in the Sand of my life's journey.

Thank you Jesus!

(In case you're not sure why I speak of Footprints in the Sand,
check out the poem I'm referring to at 
http://www.footprints-inthe-sand.com/index.php?page=Poem/Poem.php 

Heard about those nasty storms in the East, good grief, what a scary thing, and nothing a person can do about it.   Wonder what the weekend will hold for that part of the country?

Peggy, many of those Latinos who get free stuff are in fact "Americans" too, born here, same as you.    It's the laws, and unemployment and a number of things that are causing problems.  

hauke, what a relief for you to know you don't have diabetes anymore, that is sure worthy of praise!!   Proves that not everyone with weight issues has diabetes, the news media would like us to believe otherwise, at least here in the US.

Mary, hope you get your Wal Mart stuff done today, before more crowds head to the store.     We didn't even get to Wal Mart yesterday, but did do Target to buy a vacuum, haven't opened the box yet.

Joyce, perhaps you can have a restful weekend, after your busy week at work.   I had forgotten that you are a word processor, that is what they used to call what I did, back in the olden days when it all began.

Off to finish the bike time, and need to cut up and steam another head of cauliflower.   dh is grilling hamburgers today, and we bought alot of fresh strawberries at the farm down in the valley yesterday.  

Have a good one, folks!!!   Keep on truckin', and don't starve yourselves.

Doris

Yard sales weren't much today, just a couple items. Too hot I guess, many closed before 11am. Doris I don't doubt that some are born here as you and I but the overwhelming numbers show that they are not legal here, many are driving uninsured vehicles, we had a large population and the processing plants hire many and are often fined for hiring illegals. I have often said the processing plants are paying off the officials and I am not the only one with that thinking..Makes me sick. Peggy

Good Morning Everyone,

 Hope you all are doing fine.. We had a cloudy day yesterday and it looked like rain most of the day till in the afternoon, when it cleared up and got warmer.. No storms here yesterday..They all went around us...I know there were bad storms on the East coast and other area.. We saw it on the news that millions were without power....

 We are doing the Walmart/perm things today at noon..That is when the hairdresser comes to work, at noon, so that is when we are going.. Hopefully, I can get a hair cut too...I want to shop a little in Walmart today, while we wait for Mom to get beautiful...She needs a perm, bad...Saturday, I did odds and ends around the house and cooked a good supper of ham, taters, baked beans and a SF jello salad....Today, I am making pulled pork and a salad..I can get the salad made before we go to Walmart..Then we can eat as soon as we get home and have a decent meal....I have wanted to make pulled pork for awhile now, so I hope the recipe I chose is a good one....

Peggy, no many yard sales here. I discovered on FB, that a lot of people in our county and surrounding area are just posting what they have on a FB page.... I joined 3 groups last night and we the things we are seeing for sale look nice and reasonable....The one group is just Elk County yard sales, the other group is Elk, Clearfield and Jefferson yard sales and the last one is clothing, purses and jewlery items for Elk county.....My daughter found all this on FB and says she addicted to the site and is on there daily... Ron is looking at mine right now, waiting to be accepted to the group....My daugther said Ron will be driving all over the county picking up things now...LOL I think this is why there aren't as many yard sales in our areas and people seem to be posting nicer things on FB...Some of the yard sales we were at, were trashy....

I am trying to understand what Obamacare will mean to us and others....I still don't understand it as I am sure many people feel the same....Lets just hope, it is for the good of the people.....

Hauke, I am glad your numbers are better...What a blessing that is...As you lose weight, your numbers will improve dramatically.....Keep on trying.. We are all pulling for you....

Hope you all enjoy a good Sunday....Stay cool...........

Mary

Doris – I do plan on having a quiet weekend.  I did some laundry yesterday but that was about it.  I will do some cleaning today.  I do have to run into work.  I forgot to do a couple of things and I am off until Thursday.

Peggy – You are probably right about the heat and the yard sales.

Mary – I am thinking of making pulled pork on Wednesday.  It sounds good.  Good luck on the FB sales.

Some areas got rain yesterday but we didn't get anything here.  Another chance this afternoon.
Today is the last day for our priest.  He has been transferred.  I'm going to miss him a lot.

Morning All!

Glad to hear most everyone is doing well. Hope you are staying as cool as possible.

Our county got hit extremely hard by the storm that went thru Friday night. We had to drive home in winds that topped 80 mph. When we got here, around 5:15 p.m., the electric was out. It didn't come back on until around 5:30 p.m. last night. Talk about miserable, 95+ degrees & no air conditioning, not even a fan. Our concern was the chest freezer. We had just went to the meat market last weekend & bought beef & pork freezer packs, to the tune of almost $300 & several pounds of really good meat. Before it got really hot yesterday we went into town, had breakfast & coffee (we were desparate), & bought 4 20 lbs bags of ice. After putting the ice in we covered the freezer with an extremely heavy comforter. Were able to keep everything frozen. Don't think we would have been successful if the power had stayed off another 24 hrs in the heat we've been having. A big help, we feel, is the fact that the freezer is in the basement. Did lose some things in the freezer & fridge upstairs but nothing major. Marty was a bit down over losing an almost full 5 qt. bucket of ice cream.

Today need to play catch up on laundry & got to get groceries. Thankfully, I'm off this entire week. First order of business tomorrow morn is cleaning carpets AGAIN! Amazing how long a dog can live with congestive heart failure & a cancerous mass in his bladder. Especially at the age of 15. I love him but............!

Going for another of coffee & to look at pictures of storm damage in our area. Hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

Susan

Joyce, sorry you have to run into work, but how nice to be off till Thursday.. I wanted to make pulled pork for awhile now and I bought a beautiful pork roast, that I saved for the pulled pork...I want to freeze the leftover pork, if there is any left, that is...LOL I know I shouldn't eat pasta salad, but I love it with all the veggies in it...LOL I have to get myself together this morning and get started with that and cutting up the watermelon....Don't work too hard...

Susan, I am so glad you didn't lose the meat in the freezer...How devastating that would have been to lose all that wonderful meat.....An ice cream loss isn't too bad and be replaced easily...LOL Poor Marty....LOL Enjoy your week off and don't work too hard.. Our carpets need cleaned too, but that is going to have to wait awhile... I am not doing it in this heat or till after Ron's cataract surgery is over and done...   I see there are doggie diapers at Walmart.. I often wondered if they would work....

 I have to hit the shower and get started on the  morning projects.....Always so much to do and keep up with....

Mary

Hi, everyone.

Still haven't had much time to just sit and chill. Seems like something always going on.

MARY, we are still hot, hot, hot. And, it will be on for the whole week, too. Not going out too much, just staying in the A/C. I do water the plants early in the morning. Looks like FB gets you in touch with all kinds of things.

JOYCE, I wanted some quiet days, but that won't happen until after the Fourth, now. Do you still hear from MARGE? I think today is her birthday. Saw some of your pics on FB. Enjoy your days off.

SUSAN, oooh, those straight line winds are so dangerous. They always do in so many trees and property. Glad you are safe. No power is a bummer, too. Russell has a big generator that can keep the fridges, freezer, the sump pump and some lights going during a power outage.

Hi to PEGGY, HAUKE, DEB and DORIS.

Hugs and prayers for all.

Nancy Z.

Morning ... or I should say Afternoon all!  I'm sure most of you are busy making supper ... and I sheephisly have to admit, I'm just getting going.  Not sure why yet, but my alarm did not go off this morning so I slept right through church and half the afternoon.  I feel very rested ... but sad I missed worship.  But having slept over 13 hours last night, I'll be ready for fireworks tonight!

Doris, I'm sorry to tell you I'm still a diabetic.  The doctor told me my levels were good (which I loved to hear considering how much cake I'm made in the past 6 weeks) ... but he and I were ecstatic about my blood pressure numbers.  They had been running too high 6 months ago and I figured with all the stress of my dad and mom and the parties that they would be over the top.  He had warned me I was prime suspect for a stroke or heart attack if we didn't get those numbers down ... so to hear the were actually just a tad below normal - well - I could have hugged him.  

I can't say I've done things much different as to what I eat as I haven't been eating salt for a couple of years ... but I did determine as one of my 2012 goals to read the Bible through this year and I'm almost on track for that.  Hopefully over the summer I'll catch up to where the guide says I should be.  But I know I'm also doing more prayer time and when I heard my blood pressure numbers, which should have been over the roof as it had been an incredibly stressful two weeks .... I could only say Thank You Jesus for carrying me over the troubled sea.

I don't have much planned for today.  I was at a BBQ last night - I had lobster for the first time ever!  Interesting experience.  It was so fun watching the 4 kids attack their lobsters.  I tackled mine as best as I could.  I was surprised it wasn't "fishy" tasting and I could see myself enjoying the lobster meat ... especially in some of those recipes I see them making on Food Network.  As for the whole lobster... I didn't especially enjoy doing that.  I thought it's like someone killing a chicken and we bring it to the table roasted whole and we have to gut it at the table.  I think if the lobster was dug out in the kitchen, I'd enjoy the meat ... and that's a lot coming from a gal who won't eat fish of any kind.

It was actually Matt's birthday party.  (Wyanita's fiance)  His birthday is on the 4th but since he works out of town during the week, she had the party last night.  I had a wonderful time .. and felt so honored to be there.  They had two other couples and their kids over ... and then me.  I had bought him the 4 pack from Tony Roma's ... their 4 BBQ sauces.  Matt is really into BBQing and he had this huge BBQ and they use it a lot.  So I didn't really know what to get him until I remembered he's the BBQ King!  

Oh .. and I'll admit ... those kids were so loving their lobster, when I was done with the experience of digging out those legs or whatever they are called, I gave the rest of my lobster to Matt's two kids to just gobble up.  They sure enjoyed it more then I would have.  Wyanita had bought a chicken breast for me as she knew I didn't do fish, but I told her I'd give it a taste.  At least now I can save I've had lobster ... and somewhat enjoyed the meat.  Guess I'm just not into the mess of the meal because it sure made a mess.  Everyone had to go wash and we wiped the table so we could enjoy the corn and potatoes and BBQed veggies as the second course.

It seems Matt's not much into cake but at mom's 80th he loved the Black Forest Cake I made.  Last Tuesday Wyanita called for the recipe... and her cake was amazing.  She told me later she had used the low fat Cool Whip instead of whipping cream and found some low calorie cherry pie filling ... and even used Splenda in the cake.  The cake was great ... and she saved everyone a load of calories.  But that's just how she cooks these days - with health and calories in mind.

Well, I should quit gabbing and to find a cup of coffee.  It should be done perking by now.  Enjoy your suppers everyone!

Loving you all
Hauke 

WOW ...

I was just watching the weather news ... no power and major heat can equal disaster!

So stay cool!  

Drink LOTS of cool water!

Rest a lot.  ...  heat can be very draining on the energy so don't tackle right now to do major cleaning or such.  Just grab a book and go relax in the shade.

Hope everyone stays well ...  

Obviously the ones without power won't see this - but just know we are thinking about you and you are in our prayers.
Hauke