Saturday, November 29, 2025

119.4 - yikes! Hopefully some of that is just needed bathroom time. The extra stuff gets dumped tomorrow after everyone is gone. I think I will make and freeze a turkey pie with those leftovers.

Yesterday was too chilly for me with the wind so I stayed home and got some laundry done and redid my pedicure while the kids went to the beach club. Don't know how they could stand it but they are here from up North. Leftovers consumed last night, followed by some goofy holiday movies.

The first group, DSD and grandchildren, leave here at 10 am. Other DSD and husband don't leave until 6:30 pm out of the local airport so we will have dinner with them before they depart. Lots of laundry will be done today, including the sheets on our sofa bed so I can put it away clean. Three more sets of bedsheets and lots of towels to be done. Luckily I sneaked our clothes washing in yesterday while everyone was gone.

Just finished my Christmas shopping! All online. I have never been done this early but I followed my list from last year to make sure I remembered everyone. Most of it will be shipped to my SIL on Cape Cod with a few things here for DH and my Seattle family (I wrap and ship from here).

Have a showy (but not snowy) Saturday!

Liz, you are running a bed and breakfast! Lucky family who gets to enjoy your lovely home and clubs.

I may be having a showy snowy Saturday! More snow here today, but it is pretty. I was going to go workout, but our street isn't plowed yet, so I am just going to hang out here. It's a very reassuring feeling that I can choose to confront the snow, or just surrender to it, depending on how I'm feeling. Surrendering for now, although we do have tickets to the new Knives Out movie at 4pm. We were going to go yesterday, but it was sold out all over the place. That actually made me happy, because I enjoy going to the movies, but at times it seems to be dying out. On our movie list for the next few weeks is The Rental Family, Hamnet (absolutely LOVED the book), and of course, Wicked.

I want the house decorated, but I am having a devil of a time getting motivated to do it! I think I will start by bringing one tote up, and unpack that one.

Haven't given much thought to Christmas presents yet. I have a unicorn husband in that he will probably do most of the shopping (although we will talk about what we are getting people), and wrapping too. Our Christmas list is smaller than in years gone by. We used to buy presents for all of our 8 nieces and nephews on DH's side, but we don't exchange gifts anymore. My family is small, with just the one brother and one nephew (with 2 adorables) so not a whole lot of shopping for that side either.

I'm in my office, where my desk faces the window to the back yard. Lots of critters out in the snow. The rabbits are chasing about, squirrels and some chickadees are in the brush pile. There is beauty and whimsy, even in this season.

If I could just stay warm and cozy inside and look at the snow outside I would enjoy seeing it. It is having to ultimately venture out in the cold and snow that I am happy avoiding while in Florida. Parts of Massachusetts may get a fair amount of snow this week which is early in the season compared to recent years.

Liz, why do you say 'Yikes!' when you are still under your desired weight range? Or have you reconsidered it and decided to make your range lower?

202.3 for me today. Can't complain about that. I got a great workout in yesterday. Since I missed my workout on Thursday (due to exhaustion, not Thanksgiving!), I thought I would do a "Push-Pull" workout yesterday. Usually a push-pull is doing a chest exercise, followed by a back move. So you work both sides, but hitting each side about half of what a normal full workout would be for back or front. Well, I got a bug up my butt and did a full chest workout followed by a full back workout. I was done by the end. I thought about throwing some ab work in at the end, but by the time I was done with back I was DONE! I'll hit abs and do some cardio today.

I have the day to do as I wish. My plan is to put up the tree while Ron is at church tonight and surprise him. I believe he will think it's a good surprise! I also need to get Buster on the grooming table. I have been terribly lackadaisical about keeping him trimmed since we are on hiatus from showing until the New Year. But if he is to look fabulous in Palm Springs I need to keep up with his trimming.

I think most of you might suspect that my brain is a bit busy when it comes to body image, etc... My latest thoughts are revolving around weight loss as a "senior". (Ewwww.... that is so creepy to put myself in that category!) My skin lacks the elasticity it once had. As I lose weight and fat and make some gains in muscle my skin does not have the "bounce back" it did 10 or 15 years ago. It is disconcerting (to me) to have a chest with some definition but see my nipples two inches below where they out to be in comparison with the muscle. I know women get "saggy boobs", but it must be nice to be able to wear a bra to put them back where they belong! Men don't have such an option, or do they? Shape wear? I must investigate.

Oh, and as plastics get closer and closer I am having fun pulling my jowls and nasal folds back trying to see what I might look like when I get that refresh. I am looking forward to seeing a face in the mirror that matches more my inner feelings of youth and vitality.

Well, I think it's time for me to get a move on the day. I am wishing for a Sunny Saturday. Fingers crossed that the afternoon is sunny. I'm getting a little tired of the valley fog. Blech!

Haha, some of us can only dream of a bra that puts things back where they belong. I get what you're saying though. I remember going swimming with my Dad when he was in his later 60s, and being surprised his chest looked like the old guy he was. He had always been very fit because of his large animal work and construction work, so it caught me by surprise. Does it bother you enough to want surgery? When I first lost weight with my surgery, I wore shapewear everyday. I was super concerned about muffin top. As I've aged, I still want to look nice, but I'm okay with some cracks in the facade, and "looking good for my age". But everyone has different tolerances about what makes them feel good, and should pursue what makes them happy.

Liz's success with fillers has me thinking about exploring that route. I had no idea they were that effective! I wouldn't expect it to give me the same bang as an actual facelift, but I could see it might erase some of the RBF.

Compression undershirts for men are indeed a thing!

I am still in range - it's just that long held fear whenever my weight goes up that it will continue to do so.

Putting the tree up does sound like a nice surprise- I hope Ron was pleased!

And compression shirts for men are definitely a thing.

Greetings all

Air drying hair on this semi sunny day. We kind of got footballed out earlier so we are lounging peacefully. DH decided to experience his Irish heritage this morning by boiling a huge pot of potatoes. Nice comfort food but not exactly on plan. Anything to avoid cooking. That said, I am considering getting a new stove so maybe I won't hate cooking so much. Our stove is ancient and slow. I hear the new invection stoves are super fast. (auto correct says infection).

Yep Liz you are running a b and b. Fun but I bet you are looking forward to some down time. And as we call it, "quality time in the bathroom". Difficult when there are many guests.

Peps you da beast. Kudos on the work out. Hey I am still getting Facebook adds for bras for old ladies with saggy boobs. They are not pretty. Some have astounding engineering and look totally awful. No thanks. I will sag. Hug those pups.

So I will hit the gym in a bit and do my 20 minutes of walking. Not much but it matters.

The gallery is having an anniversary open house today. 13 years. I am staying away. More room for the shoppers.

DD one tote from the basement sounds like a good plan. No need to rush. Enjoy the home cozy feeling. There is truly nothing like being snowed in and not needing a thing so one can bask in the snuggly feelings.

Hmm Liz Christmas shopping done? We are only beginning to formulate plans. We will likely go to a friend's house - the one whose wife died just before last Christmas. So it will be bittersweet plus we all have to pitch in a lot as he has Parkinsen's disease and can't do what he used to. His late wife was an absolute master at entertaining and had 7 Christmas trees with ornaments from all over the world and it is always such a pleasure to go there. So we may not know ahead who all will be there so I need flexible gifts. Like bottles of local wine or boxes of CBD gummies...

Well off to prepare for the gym and maybe the appliance store. There is a large new one here in town.

Diane S

I guess your DH really wants to get his money's worth with that potato peeling machine LOL!

Christmas shopping is done because my list is relatively small. I don't exchange gifts with everyone and I just get token gifts for a lot of people (so give them the same item if possible - one choice for men and one for women). The token gift for women is a wearable blanket (they are all up north) and for men it is a man's manicure set and flashlight that can be extended. So in the end it is a really small number of personal gifts.

A few of us at Thanksgiving and the kid having a cucumber: