Taking It Off Together Tuesday, Week 16

My wt loss ticker:



We'll, I've gone from being the biggest loser to gaining most of it back. I feel like the bouncing ball from 'Sing Along With Mitch'. I know that none of the rest of you are old enough to remember that show. I was about 10 years old when it was on. We always watched it together and we did 'follow the bouncing ball' and sing along. It was fun.

I am happy to say that my weight is bouncing around at a lower number than it was before. That's the important part. I really can't complain. I've said all along that I want to change my habits and let the weight come off naturally. I guess that the little bounces are natural. So I'll let my attitude be bouncy, too, and just enjoy my life. And I'm working on reinforcing some of the new habits that are trying to slip. Fruits and veggies have always been the hardest thing for me. Maybe I'll make a chart and see how I'm really doing.

Hope you all have a great week! Here's Leigh's report:
(Julie, email me your snail mail addy so I can mail the tote to you!)




This week our contest is sponsored by Clara who writes the Coming Back to Life! She is offering a hand made tote as a prize this week! Here is a picture! Oh it is SOOO cute and perfect for fall!





The names of this week's "losers" were dropped into a coffee cup and this week's WINNER is Julie!



Congrats to Grace for being this week's biggest loser of 3.2 pounds!! Be sure to cruise over to her blog and congratulate her!



Chris - 2 LOSS
Tammy - 1 LOSS
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - no report
Grace - 3.2 LOSS
Leigh - 2.5 GAIN
Clara - 2.5 GAIN
Dette - 1.0 GAIN
Julie - 0.6 LOSS
Cheryl - NO CHANGE
Audrey - no report
Christy - 2.4 LOSS
Tina - 1.4 GAIN
Danielle - NO CHANGE
Jessie - NO CHANGE
Steph - no report



And welcome back CYN who is reporting no change this week.



This week's total - 0.8 LOSS!

Taking It Off Together Tuesday

This has been a roller coaster week weight wise. My weight was quite a bit lower on Saturday, but I re-hydrated myself again by Sunday so it was back up a little. We had a wonderful event at church this week. We had a two Sunday missions convention which ended this past weekend. It's an annual event and we always celebrate how multi-national we are. We have 28 different nations represented in our church. That does not mean that someones great-great-grandparents were born there. It means that the person him/herself was born in that country and maintains the language of that country. Pretty amazing isn't it!

I can't list all the countries, but Nigeria has the most non-US representatives. African countries are widely represented. Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia. Probably more, but I personally know these folks. We also have France, Brazil, China, Philippines, Malaysia, Russia, Sweden, Cuba, Mexico. It's like a slice of what Heaven will be. 'People from every nation, tribe, and tongue...' It's so awesome to look out from the choir and see more than one skin color. And ladies usually wear their beautiful African clothes. We just can't get fabrics like that here.

The Sunday evening highlight of our convention is a potluck dinner. Everyone brings a dish from their country. I made mac and cheese and my husband made a poke-cake. I won't torture you with a list of all the wonderful ethnic foods we had. Suffice it to say that I stuffed myself. It's amazing that I still lost 2.5 pounds.

Here are my weekly stats:

* All time high: 237.5 pounds
* Last weigh in: 223.5
* This week: 221.0 pounds
* Change: -2.5
* Overall change: -18.5 pounds
* To go: 31.5 pounds




Here's Leigh's report for the group:

Last week we continued the contest where everyone who reported a LOSS had their name added to a drawing for a lot of 100 Mary Kay samples! The names of this week's "losers" were dropped into a coffee cup and this week's WINNER is Danielle!

This week our contest is sponsored by Ciara who writes the Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog! She is offering a hand made bracelet as a prize this week!

And check it out! We had an over all loss again this week (barely, but it's still a loss)! Congrats to Clara for being this week's biggest loser of 2.5 pounds!! Be sure to cruise over to her blog and congratulate her!

Chris - 1 loss
Tammy - 1 gain
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 1 loss
Grace - 2.2 gain
Leigh - 1 gain
Clara - 2.5 loss
Dette - no change
Julie - 1.4 gain
Cheryl - no report
Audrey - 2.4 loss
Christy - 3.2 gain
Tina - no report
Danielle - 2 loss
Jessie - no change
Steph - no report

This week's total - 0.1 LOSS!

Photo Hunt - Road

Roads mean so many different things.  Roads can be exciting adventures, the way to Grandma's house, vacations, off to college, going back home to see family, heading for work or shopping.  I had some trouble choosing which road pictures to put up.  So I'm not posting just one this week.

 

This road meant an adventure!  We had never taken a long distance train ride before.  And it was a trip to see kids and grandkids which made it even better.  We were fortunate enough to be in the last seat of the last car on the Capital Express.  I spent quite a bit of time watching the track roll away behind us.  It was a great trip. 

We took other train rides while we were in DC.  We road the Metro and took a commuter train out to our daughter's home.

 

This road was a wild ride to the top of a mountain.  We visited Trinidad and Tobago with friends a few years ago.  D was born and raised in Trinidad but came to the US for college and decided to stay.  Her family was so gracious and we stayed in her brother's home.  He gave us this hair raising ride up the mountain. 

 

Looks like a path, you say?  Well, this was one of the more improved parts of the road.  We went thru a couple of stretches where the grass in the road and all around was higher than our heads.  I don't know how D's brother knew where to go!  But I loved it!  Both my husband and D's were white knuckled.  The next picture was taken from the back seat.  Amazing that it turned out as we were bouncing around so much I didn't think I could hold the camera still.  No the picture isn't flipped, they drive on the left there.

 

 

Here's another amazing stretch of road.  On a driving trip to see the kids and grandkids we took US-40/I-68 instead of the Ohio/Pennsylvania turnpike.  We came upon this wonderful spot, Sideling Hill, and stopped at the visitors center.  The road used to go two very hilly, winding miles south to find a pass through the mountains.  They blasted this awesome cut and built the road through it. 

Isn't this just amazing!  I took this picture through a camera port in the pedestrian bridge across the road.

 

I hope all your roads lead to happy places!

Wednesday Hero

L/Cpl. Jason Hanson
21 years old from Forks, Washington
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
July 29, 2006


L/Cpl. Jason Hanson died when a gasoline truck near a building he was in exploded, causing the building to collapse in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Three other Marines were also killed in the blast. Lance Cpl. Anthony E. Butterfield, 19 yrs. old, of Clovis, California; Cpl. Phillip E. Baucus, 28 yrs. old, of Wolf Creek, Montana; Sgt. Christian B. Williams, 27 yrs. old, of Winter Haven, Florida.

Hanson graduated in 2003 and joined the Marines in 2005. He married his wife just before shipping out.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Taking It Off Together Tuesday

My wt loss ticker:

 

I like being busier again, but it's sure cutting down on the time I have for blogging and visiting my bloggy friends.  I'm sorry I didn't make it to everyone's site last week.  I'll do better this week, I promise. 

I see there are several of us in the no change boat this week.  For me no change is actually up 4 pounds from where I was Saturday.  Seems almost impossible to bounce that much in only 2 days.  I'm expecting a big loss this week.  It may be a little harder since MWH is out of town.  He keeps me accountable if I start getting the twinge to binge.  But I'll do my best to keep myself acountable.

 

Here's Leigh's report:

We currently have a contest where everyone who reported a LOSS had their name added to a drawing for a lot of 100 Mary Kay samples! And since I currently don't have any other prizes, we will have the same contest this week. Just remember that maintaining doesn't count, sorry! Also, if you have a prize to donate that would be GREAT!! Just let me know!

The names of this week's "losers" were dropped into a coffee cup and this week's WINNER is Dette!

And check it out! We had an over all loss again this week! Congrats to Grace for being this week's biggest loser of 3.8 pounds!! Be sure to cruise over to her blog and congratulate her!

• Chris - 1 LOSS
• Tammy - 0.5 GAIN
• Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - no report
• Grace - 3.8 LOSS
• Leigh - 0.5 LOSS
• Clara - No Change
• Dette - 1.5 LOSS
• Julie - No Change
• Cheryl - No Change
• Audrey - No Change
• Christy - 1.4 LOSS
• Tina - 0.5 GAIN
• Danielle - No Change
• Jessie - 3 GAIN
• Steph - no report

This week's total - 4.2 LOSS!

Want to knit a square for mental health?

Mary Ann aka Smalltown RN is looking for people to knit a square. She's planning to use the squares to make afghans for mental health patients. Such a great idea! Here's a little bit of what she had to say...

Then I got another idea. I know bloggers are such a generous group, I wondered how they would feel about knitting a basic square. I thought if I could get enough squares I could make maybe another afghan or maybe even two and then donate them to the Mental Health Society.

Check out Mary Ann's post here to get details.

Thursday Thirteen episode 9

Thirteen Things about Rocking Chairs

I love rocking chairs.  They've been an important part of the furnishings of every home in which I've lived.  I rocked myself, kidlets in the church nursery, my nieces and nephews, my daughter and my grandchildren.  There's just something special about the movement that brings peace and contentment to my spirit.  The healthcare industry will tell you that people who rock as they age will have less problems with blood clots in their legs because of the exercise of pushing the rocker.

Here is a list of some unique and interesting rockers I've found on the internet.

1. This is only a prototype, but very cool.  There is a power source in the back that is powered by the rocking motion.  It's used to power the light in the top of the rocker.  I'd love to try one of these chairs!
2. These rockers actually look pretty comfortable.  They're surely a unique shape!
3. This chair would save your poor legs!  I know mine used to go to sleep when I had 3 nursery kids in my lap!
4. This has to be the strangest rocker I've seen.
5. Looks very comfy but how do you rock it if your feet aren't on the floor?
6. My little sister had a chair almost exactly like this.  When my daughter was 2 or 3, my dad refinished the chair and gave it to her.  She loved it.
7. Many of the presidents had rockers.  Here is JFK with his.
8. This is a Chinese rocker.  Don't you love the intricate carving?
9. Here's a favorite.  The bentwood rockers are very comfortable.  I also like the cane seat and back.
10. This is a Windsor rocker.  I haven't seen one with the high back above the curved wood before.  The curve of the back looks like it would be very comfortable to sit in.
11. Here's a great one for you and your sweetie!
12. This is an old-fashioned platform rocker.  My mom had a platform rocker that was like an overstuffed chair on a pedestal.  It not only rocked but swiveled.  The nice thing about the platform rocker is that it doesn't creep.
13.   This is really cool.  You could put the baby in the cradle and knit or darn socks while you rock with the baby.  OK, how about read a book or watch TV.  I know we don't darn socks in our society.  A friend of mine makes child size rockers in this style.  The kids love to put their dolls in the cradle and rock them.

I can't believe I've run out of numbers already!  I didn't even touch the glider rockers or the little rocker I had for rocking my baby.  But I think you get the idea.  I really love rocking chairs and will always choose to sit in one if it's offered.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wednesday Hero

SSgt. Andy Pena



Staff Sgt. Andy Pena performs in-flight calibrations on a HH-60 Pave Low while flying Sept. 3 over Ellington Field, Texas. He and members of the 55th Rescue Squadron deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., to Ellington Field in response to Hurricane Gustav with less than 24 hours after notification. Sergeant Pena is an aerial gunner.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Taking It Off Together Tuesday

Well, I guess I'm back on the wagon this week. I gained 2.5 pounds. We were on vacation last week. I guess the gain is not so bad in that context.

The real problem was that Amish baker at the Shipshewana flea market. I was a goner as soon as she offered us a sample of her molasses cookies. They were even better than the ones my grandmother used to make. We bought a dozen each of molasses, monster, and snickerdoodle. I admit it. That's really why I gained 2.5 pounds this week. Well, we also bought cinnamon roasted pecans and kettlecorn. And my most wonderful husband (MWH) didn't eat half of those. We had a great time at the flea market. It was my first time there. We managed to restrain ourselves in the non-food shopping area. Everything we bought fit into our reusable shopping bag.

So now I settle into fall and try to get a routine going again. No more vacations for awhile. I was so impressed with my MWH Friday night. We were sitting in a Cracker Barrel waiting for our food to arrive. I had a pad of paper to work on a shopping list. MWH says, let's plan our menus for the next week. Then we'll know what to buy at the grocery store. How cool is that?! I think it's really great that he's buying into menu planning almost quicker than I am. And he loves to go shopping with me and helps me resist the snack food that screams my name. I'm blessed beyond measure to have such a gem for a husband.

Looks like everyone else did much better this week. Here's Leigh's report:

Last week we announced a contest where everyone who reported a LOSS had their name added to a drawing for a lot of 100 Mary Kay samples! The motivation worked! Nearly everyone reported a loss this week. So we will have the same contest this week. Just remember that maintaining doesn't count, sorry!

The names of this week's "losers" were dropped into a coffee cup and this week's WINNER is Ciara!

And check it out! We had an over all loss again this week! Congrats to Cheryl for being this week's biggest loser of 4 pounds!! Be sure to cruise over to her blog and congratulate her!

Chris - 4 GAIN
Tammy - 1 LOSS
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 0.4 LOSS
Grace - no report
Leigh - 2.0 LOSS
Clara - no report
Dette - 0.5 LOSS
Julie - 0.8 LOSS
Cheryl - 4 LOSS
Audrey - 0 CHANGE
Christy - 1.6 LOSS
Tina - 1.4 LOSS
Danielle - 1 LOSS
Jessie - no report

And please give a warm welcome to Steph who lost 2 pounds this last week!

This week's total - 10.7 LOSS!!

Unconscious Mutterings

 

 

1. House :: Home
2. Think :: Before you act
3. Clot :: Dangerous
4. Believe me :: Sounds like gossip is coming!
5. Fumigation :: Bugs - Yuck!
6. Bore :: A hole
7. Luck :: Gloom, despair, and  agony on me...  http://www.jibjab.com/view/150392
8. Patient :: Doctor
9. Tremors :: Shakes
10. Pickles :: Sweet midgets!

 

Come join in here.

Taking it off together Tuesday

Well, I gained half a pound this week. And I don't even care! Actually at one point during the week I was up about 3 pounds. We ate out several times this week. We also walked the Mackinac Bridge on Monday! I'll post more about that later in the week. After our 5 mile walk with 70,000 or so of our closest friends (tee hee) we trolled the main street of Mackinaw City and ate. Pizza, ice cream, popcorn - for breakfast? It doesn't sound like that much now, but it sure felt like it then! Neither of us wanted lunch and we had a really light dinner. Maybe that and all the adrenalin made the weight come almost all the way back down. Anyway, I consider this a great week!

I heard a motivational speaker on Friday. The thing that sticks with me the most is that you can always tell what someone's real goal is by their actions. That's a little scary to think that the goals I think I have aren't really my goals. My subconscious is ruling, I guess. I'm going to try and keep this in mind over the next week and see if I can really take some actions toward the goals I say I have.


Exciting things are happening with our group! Check out Leigh's report:

This week we are adding a contest! It seems we all need motivation after all. So, for everyone who reports a LOSS (maintaining doesn't count, sorry!) on the next weigh in will have their name put in a drawing for 100 assorted Mary Kay samples! So drink your water and count your calories. We can all do this!

And check it out! We had an over all loss! Congrats to Christy for being this week's biggest loser of 5 pounds!!

Chris - 3.2 LOSS
Tammy - 1 LOSS
Life With Hashi-Thyroid Blog - 0.4 GAIN
Grace - 0.4 LOSS
Leigh - 0.5 GAIN
Clara - 0.5 GAIN
Dette - no report
Julie - 0.2 LOSS
Cheryl - 0 CHANGE
Audrey - 2 GAIN
Christy - 5 LOSS
Tina - 1 LOSS (from last week)
Danielle - 2 LOSS
Jessie - 0 CHANGE

This week's total - 9.0 LOSS!!