Carla,

I admire your adventurous spirit. When we lived in the big house, we would fix the back yard up as a campground and put our tent up (the only time it ever was used) and the kitchen screen up (I made DH buy a screen thing for cooking) and we would camp out with the kids but as soon as things settled down, I would go inside and leave DH and the grands.  I am not an outside person and other than hiking for fossils or other rocks, I am not motivated to go do out side things.  Now, when the weather is nice and the flying insects are gone (in AR, that's like a week in the fall), I do enjoy going out. 

Today we are going down the mountain and watch our grandson graduate. I bought him some shares in a couple of companies and we are giving him some money so he will be happy.  When he turned 16, DH started a investment portfolio for him and we bought bought him stocks and paid for him to spend an hour with the stock guy we use. An hour isn't enough time but he did learn that holding on to good stocks can make you a millionaire real fast and the investment guy told DH that our grandson sure did ask the right questions. Plus, the kid has saved every dime he has made on the farm and birthday and Christmas money so we think he will do well. I cannot believe my grandson is graduating and that he has a girlfriend and is headed off to college.....I am old. All of My husband's grandkids are out of school and married with kids and two of the grandkids have kids so he is a great/great granddad....I know...sounds rough.

Well, today my biggest goal is to drink the water and stick to the meal plan. Today was egg day so I made us scrambled eggs with mushrooms, bell peppers, and nutritional yeast....we had rye bread toasted with a little almond butter on top. Lunch is three bean soup. I mixed pinto, northern, and those cranberry beans together with more pinto than the others and cooked them all day in the crock pot.  We had them for dinner with shrimp and okra but today, I am going to cook them down to make a nice thick soup....and we'll throw in some chia seeds.  

I have been looking forward to dinner all week. My grandsons and brother in law went trout fishing and they caught a ton of trout, some bass, and I think they have some cat fish too and we are going to have a fish fry after my son graduates this evening.  I have made potato salad and a pumpkin roll.  I am taking rolls that I have rising now. I cannot wait...hushpuppies...yeah!  

Well, that's my diet and social plans for the day.  I am going to try and get some walking in while I am down the mountain...it's real flat down on our farm so I don't have to struggle as much to walk outside as I do up here with all the freaking hills....we live on top of a huge hill and it is so uneven to walk.....

Ladies, have a good day and drink the water, eat the veggies, and go absorb some sun's rays....even if it is for only a short time.  

Good Morning Carla and OFF,

Carla, you are a brave woman.  My idea of camping is Residence Inn, by Marriott.  Last year, I got a cabin at a campground while Colleen and the kids camped in their pop-up.  I hated having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, coz I locked myself out of my cabin one night.  Not good.  

I work up early coz my bursitis in my hip is bothering me.  I got a shot for it a few weeks ago, but it didn't seem to take.

My food has been so-so.  The weather took a turn toward the cold yesterday, and I didn't get my walk in.  Must get back on track.

My exercise goal in 6,000 steps today.  Weather be damned.

Latest on my friend, Adrian, is that he's having a skin graph done this week.  He has been through the wringer.  It's been three weeks since he was rushed to the hospital.  Thanks for praying, and thinking good thoughts.  He's only 41, has two little boys, one in school, and the other 3 years old.  His wife had WLS at the same surgery center I did.  I got to know him when we both volunteered on an overnight with the homeless at our church back home.  In the winter,  our church, and several others, open the doors to take in the homeless overnight on the colder nights.  

Must scoot.

Hugs,

Trish

Yeah I can do that !!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a very cold and dark day here..we have had a spate of downpours but the lilacs are now blooming! I had PLANNED on making two poached eggs on my piece of ancient grains toast (I allow myself 2 slices/week). However, you know the saying:

WANT TO MAKE GOD LAUGH? Make PLANS!"....while I had a restless night as ope usual, and slept instead until 12 noon (Yay, weekends!), I went to the kitchen to find that JB had been to the grocery store and bought a few things including a dozen eggs.

Last week, I went to make brownies for my grands and there were NO EGGs! He had hard-cooked them all for snacking.  I explained, once again, that I want some raw eggs left for me for various reasons (baking, comfort food moments, planned protein).

Today, I had my taste buds ready for my PLANNED poached eggs and there are one dozen HARD COOKED EGGS in the fridge! I asked (in a most pleasant voice, naturally)..where the hell are MY eggs????

His reply: "Our hydro bill is too high. I cooked all 12 because the pot was too big and took 12 to fill it nicely or they get cracked bouncing around in there and the hydro for cooking ten eggs is the same for cooking twelve eggs..so I was being EFFICIENT and thrifty!"

My response:"

Hey Nancy and Ladies,

I have gotten my water in this week too. Let me just say that in the beginning, when I started amping up on the water, I went to pee every twenty minutes and I complained to my doctor. He said, well, since you have not been drinking the water the way you should, your kidneys are having to struggle at getting those toxins that the water brings through the filtration system.You have the poison because you haven't been drinking enough water to cleanse the system, so yeah, you will pee a lot for a while but keep at it and your body will adjust.  And, it has. I still pee much more than I did before increasing the water but the urine is clearer and I pee a lot when I go...Just like everything else, it takes our bodies a bit to get use to us treating them correctly. When we walk, our muscles and joints fuss at it but it is a process just like our kidneys fuss at is when we suddenly bombard them with all tha****er. LOL.

Ladies, my tail bone has been hurting me so much. You know, when I got sick and lost all that weight, my tail bone hurt me so much that I had to carry a pillow and when I gained some of that weight back, my tail bone got some padding back...then I gained a little more (more than I wanted) and my tailbone was feeling great...well, since becoming a vegetarian, I have lost quite a bit of weight and now the damn tail bone is back to killing me.  I guess I'll be carrying the cushion with me to work.  

Last night, DH and I went to the grocery store to pick up some cat products and earlier this morning, we ran to the farmer's market and picked up some fresh produce. I bought another TX watermelon from a guy who usually sells peaches and pears. He drove down and picked up a truck load and he said they should be eaten with a day or two...well, I cut that sucker up and DH and I have eaten water melon all morning.  

I have also cut up the celery and carrots so we have something quick to eat.  I tell you, it's work to make sure we have the healthy food and that it is ready to go.  

Nancy, I use both hemp and chia seeds but I put them in my soups to make them creamy...the chia seeds I let sit in warm water while they dissolve but the hemp, I throw in and the two make my potato soup so rich and creamy with adding milk or butter. I also strongly recommend getting nutritional yeast and using it in soups and even on salads...gives everything a cheesy flavor.  Also, the yeast is full of protein.  

Well, let me get off here and see if I can get some house cleaning chores done.  

Ladies, enjoy your Saturday.