Paul's Corner

Well being a dancer as well, I somehow put on 35 pounds and well I was not happy. So I was told to lose the weight and they are right, who wants to see a fat dancer. Here is what I did:
-do not eat fast food or fried foods
-eat in moderation
-no sugary sodas
-limit alcohol to one glass of wine or one beer at night

exercise:
-weight training 3x wk
-dance just about everyday, ballet, jazz ,modern.....
-pliometric exercises 2x week

I still continue the exercise portion and just simply eat in moderation.

I do pick one day where I just eat whatever I want, which is usually saturdays unless I am performing.

So I did lose the weight, I feel good,ladies think I look good, so it is all good.

Paul good luck in whatever you are doing.

This is from someone who went from lean (I don't think I was ever skinny) to fat. It was a weight increase of 30kg's (66lbs).

I have now lost 7.5kgs and am steady at about 0.5kgs loss per week.
Exercise alone failed for me, but there were other factors. Fortunately that's no longer the case.
Now I'm on a low carbohydrate diet, less than 100grams per day, with no high GI carbs.
I'm also exercising by walking 11kms 4 to 5 days per week (all that time will allow at present), including a steep hill of about 2kms.
I've lost 17cm off my waist.
I need to lose another 15kgs before I start running again but plan to add cycling and some weights sessions shortly.
My goals are long term.

The diet has been monitored by a practitioner.

Peter

Peter, I'm also on a low carb (almost no carb) diet, and have only lost 30 pounds in 15 months, and struggling for every ounce off!

Of course, being a Great-grandma is a factor too.

I know that the old metabolism is typically slow, even though I'm on the recumbant bike at the gym 6 mornings a week

I pedal to the music of the 1940s...maybe I ought to switch to Hip Hop!

Peace, love, and happy losing! (As Weight Watchers used to say, "once through the lips, always on the hips!")

Mil

Hi all,

I've been lurking since December, haven't seen I Robot yet (but am eager to), watch SB often (and this is the only place I feel comfortable admitting that!), and think it's time to dive in!

I recently decided I needed to fix my eating habits because I have a terrible sweet tooth and had been steadily gaining during creeping middle age. So I got the South Beach Diet book and started to follow it - virtually no carbs for two weeks, only good fats (like olive oil), no fruit, lots of high fibre/low carb veggies, lots of low fat proteins. I lost about 4 kg in two weeks. (That was about all I needed to lose, the rest is exercise to firm up muscles going south with middle age.) There is a second phase for continued but slower weight loss that allows limited carbs (but they must be high fibre).

The "maintenance" program, which is basically for life, also emphasises the importance of limited carbohydrates and almost always unprocessed (high fibre) versions. Wine is allowed but no beer (bummer, but it makes sense in terms of food chemistry).

The book explains the rationale for the diet in a way that makes sense, and when you understand it you can adapt it suit your own tastes and preferences and still stay within its guidelines.

I've been a "reformed" eater for about three months now, and feel healthier and more energetic than I have for quite a few years.

Laura

My daughter, her husband and I are on Atkins. We've done pretty well with my daughter losing 10lbs, hubby at 23lbs (don't ask me why men lose faster than women?) and I am at 13lbs.

Does anyone have any good-low carb recipes to share?

Well . . . prior to the diet, I must have been doing "something" right because I discovered that I was 40 lbs. lighter than I was 4 years ago. I normally don't weigh myself. There's a tendency to let numbers determine our value. I normally go by the feel of my clothes. I decided to try the Atkins diet and I went from a size 24 to a size 18. I'm happy with that for now! Sometimes I'll go 4 days on, 1 day off, and so forth. Oh yes, EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE!!!

Exercise: have to vary it or else I get bored, so I alternate between swimming, roller blading, walking, cradio cross training, weight training, Pilates (at least at this point in my life). Trying to do something every day, but when I don't feel like it I'm entitled to a day or two off, i.e. not making myself a slave to either exercise or diet.

Food: using common sense, avoiding snacks in between, reducing portions, watching calory intake, but not denying myself pleasures here and there.

Most of it is mental for me, not getting excessive either way and accepting me for who I am at that point, setting healthy goals and putting everything into perspective.

Hey Laura--welcome-I lurked for months too, SO wanting to be part of the 'group'...

Paul--This is the hardest part about 'over 40'--it takes twice as long to get rid of any extra 'padding'!! And I hate to tell you this, but beer is one of the worst!
The advice so far has been excellent, so nothing to add here...0-low carbs, lots of protein, and water, water, water....

Just make sure those low carb diets are not high in fat or cholesterol or you won't live to enjoy your new weight loss. I have noticed from looking at labels that most of the low carb foods and receipes are higher in fat. You should have less that 300 mg. of cholesterol everyday and most people get a lot more than that. Be careful of the saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats too. Some low carb foods can be high in saturated fats (animal protein).

hehe i used to be fat...i lost weight and got almost anorexic skinny by eating nothing but steamed white rice and baked salmon with a salad every day for months...i got skinny skinny but then i started eating regular foods again and i have never really gained all the weight back im at a healthy weight now

Weighing in on the diet issue - I'm on a low-carb/high protein diet as well, and I've lost 40 lbs. in just a little over three months. I have a long way to go yet, as I'm targeting another 80 lbs. One silly thing that has helped me quite a bit is that I searched through the clip art in my Word program and found a pic of a fat lady bending over to touch her toes. I made the pic smaller and inserted 120 of them (the number of pounds I wanted to lose)on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, and then taped the sheet of paper to the door of my overhead comparment at the office where I see it all day, every day. Everytime I lose a half pound, half a lady gets crossed off; a whole pound, a whole lady. It's a very visual way for me to see what I've accomplished, as well as to visualize my goal. Since April 12, 40 fat ladies have been crossed out! Several people in the office have asked that I email them my 'fat lady' page. So far, so good.

Paul - You'll be missed while you're gone, but enjoy the creative work and shine!

Hello to everyone here at PC.

Vicki

Brilliant, Vickie, could you please send me 40 fat ladies too? That's the amount I still want to lose...however, I'll take 20 ladies as a start! I want to be a thinner lady by Febr. for the FIF!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

LOL..There are 40 fat ladies in your mailbox, Grandma Mil! :)

Vicki

I eat lots of salads, with chicken, grated cheese, and green onions on them.

Then I hike, jog, dance, or surf for aerobics.

Those sweets are my downfall! I've got to cut them at least by half and firm my muscles up.

Love to everyone...I hope you're smiling today!

Maile

I didn't really have much of a weight problem until I reached (okay guys here is where you stop reading) menopause. After menopause you will really have a problem - so eat what you can before then and enjoy!

Laura, the diet you describe has the main elements in common with the one I'm on.
The first week was uchallenging, with less than 10g of carbs allowed, but my body soon got used to it.
I would probably now average somewhere around 50g of cards daily. This is the final phase.
The fat loss has not been dramatic, but it is steady and consistent.
The practitioner I see is also a medical herbalist. She prescribes various herbal and vitamin/mineral supplements.

It all seems to work for me. Hooray.

Vicki, fantastic effort. Good luck with the next phase.

Evelyn, nice to hear you're settled in at Mum's.
Please don't wear those green thunbs out, though!
I find your concept for balance in diet and life very sensible.

Cheers,
Peter

Welcome Laura!

Peter, Mil, Laura, Vicki, Sally...

Whenever I see the words 'Low carb', I always think 'Low energy'. Is this the case?

Peter, what does 100g of carbs translate into in practical terms? It sounds like one portion..

Congratulations to each of you on losing the pounds!

Love to all,
Mary

Vicki, having those 40 ladies in cyberspace may have been too much...I could not open your attachment, but thank you for the effort.

I will work up a diagram like you suggested. I have a printing program that might work.

It's a great idea, and you maybe you should try and sell it over the Internet. Maybe Ebay??

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Would someone please explain the obsession with weight loss? If you are healthy isn't that all that matters. I am not knocking anyone that wants to loose a few pounds, I just don't understand it. I had a friend that almost died of anorexia and since then I cringe when I see a pencil thin person.

Mary - my energy level has actually risen, probably due to a number of factors, not the least of which is not having to carry around 40 extra pounds! I take a great multiple vitamin and fiber tabs to 'keep things moving.' And I never get that mid-afternoon slump that used to make me prowl for a candy bar. Seems the more carbs you eat, the more carbs you crave.

Sorry my attachment didn't make it to you, Grandma Mil. If you have a word processing program, there's bound to be some clip art on it, or you can go to Microsoft online and download clip art free from there.

Jo - I agree that toothpick people have issues, but with stats showing that some 65% of Americans are overweight, it's a good thing to try to eat more sensibly. I don't think eliminating carbs is a good thing; balance is the key. I don't want to be a toothpick, but I'd like to be better able to keep up with my grandchildren as they're growing up. :)

I hope everyone in PC land is having a great day/night/morning/afternoon. The weekend approaches !!!

Vicki

Being overweight is becoming a really big issue here especially with children. They are constantly being told to eat more healthily and yet how can they when they are constantly being dished up fish and chips and things like that for there school dinners.
Doesn't dieting boil down to common sense and cutting down on what you normally have that is what these weight watchers meals are, aren't they, your normal meal only made smaller but costing a lot more money. I also think you need the willpower to want to diet, if you haven't got that there's no point.

I hope everyone here is happy and having a great day.
Love
Kim

My husband and I were talking about this tonight. He thinks smaller portions are the key. In the 50's we ate junk - Velvetta cheese for instance, tv dinners had just been invented. There were lots and lots of new, easy, fast foods. I think that is one of the reasons for the country being overweight today. Nutrition wasn't in the vocabulary. It was all comfort food. Doing away with that kind of thinking was a good idea. I don't know if you have noticed but restaurants serve portions that are so large that nobody can eat them, but they can charge higher prices and I think that's why that do it. Then, off course, there is the all you can eat buffet on every corner. I guess my husband and I aren't trying to lose weight we just eat sensibly. Since his heart attack I have tried to incorporate at least six or seven fruits and vegetables into our diets everyday and lots of fiber. That usually will fill you up and you don't want anything else.

Kim,
You and I are on the same wave length. We were posting almost the same thing at the same time.

Jo great minds think a like! I said we would make a great team.
Fiber is good for you but too much will make you go to the loo quite a bit!
Thanks for letting me know what HBO is, but you totally confused me about the tapes.

Why does Paul want us to talk about our diets? Is he calling us fat? Just kidding! I think it's a good topic.

Vickie- I want a page of fat ladies too! Twenty of them! I would be so thankful! Such a clever Idea.

Mary- I am an insulin dependent diabetic and have to take an injection every time I eat carbs, so I can tell you exactly what 100g is worth! Of course, when you do as I do, you don't count your carbs separately- they're all considered the same value numberwise but one is encouraged to avoid the refined carbs, ect. ect. A single seving of carbohdyrate is 15g for a slice of bread(about a 1-2 oz slice), a 1/2 cup rice, pasta, or mashed potato; 15g for a small sized apple, orange, bananna or 1/2 cup sliced, 1 cup of berries or grapes, or an entire half of a cantalope, and 1/2 cup of most types of juice; green vegetables are so low in carbs you don't have to worry most of the time and starchy vegetables like corn or a potato follows the bread/pasta guideline; dairy is 12g for 1cup milk, 2oz solid cheese and about 1/2cup cottage cheese, yogurt, ect.
So if you look at that as a guide and how much we generally have on our plates, there's quite a difference! It's not hard to add up 100g!

It's been interesting to see all these low-carb diets crop up, having spent the past 16 years counting them! It's actually very helpful if I eat out because I used to have to fear hidden carbs(added sugar or whatnot), but now most places I can just ask if they know the carb content and I can take my shots knowing I have a good estimate.

Yet, even with all this know-how I still want to loose! Mostly because I have to. I gained a good hunk after breaking off with my boyfriend in the winter and then poorly managing my life with school, work, whatever. I'll tell you what else did me in! Turning 21 and being old enough to go with friends to the bar! It was nice for my social life but those pounds sure came out of no where! Also, after I got out of my teens my body just changed. And I know that's not going to stop!

But I agree with Evelyn, It's so mental. If you are in the right mind set, think before you eat, and set some reasonable goals, it's so possible. But it sure is a lot of work. I feel like I have so many things to do, and diabetes is taxing enough emotionally, I spend a lot of time foolishly wishing my body would just behave!

Anyway, atleast this week in ballet class was not so discouraging as before. Dancing is not natural to me, but it's important that I like it because for me, it's excercise in disguise!

Love to all-
Astrid

Astrid,
My OB/GYN is a diabetic too and she told me that she has lost quite a bit of weight on the South Beach diet and it is also supposed to be a very good diet for diabetics, at least according to her. She said that since starting the diet she has more energy too. I am not recommending it one way or another, just wanted to let you know what a doctor with diabetes said.

Mary,
100g of carbs is a very low intake compared to the "normal" western diet.
I have not noticed any decrease in energy levels, in fact I feel generally better, without the ups and downs of fluctuating blood sugar levels caused by an excess of carbs, particularly those with a high GI (taken up quickly into the bloodstream, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar levels).
This type of diet forces the body to start metabolising fat stores instead of blood sugars(from carbs).
I drink lots of water and have 5 to 6 smaller meals per day. This ensures that my blood sugar levels remain reasonably constant and that I don't get any cravings.
I also eat lots of mixed salad greens including fresh herbs and baby spinach leaves.

How was your birthday? Please do tell.
My 46th is in January.

Peter

Oh, what didn't work? The "Diet Center" program. I was taking in less than 900 calories a day and yes, I lost weight but I also put it back on faster.

Wow, lots of good information here, so I'm glad Paul started this thread.

I've been overweight since I was a baby. Way back before Dr. Spock, "a fat baby is a healthy baby" was the norm, so since I was always chubby, I was supposed to be healthy. If you look at the Miss America's from the 30's, 40's and 50's, they certainly aren't toothpicks and neither was Marilyn Monroe, the American dream of sexiness back then. I'm sure Millie and Jo can add to this and I would love to hear your thoughts.

Back in the 70's the grapefruit diet was very popular. I lost 50lbs on it and now I find that Atkins is the same except for the grapefruit.

Peter, Jo, Mary and Astrid, you are all right about the glucose rising and falling and it needing to be kept at a manageable level. I find that I have more energy and am not as tired now as I was now that I am counting carbs instead of calories. I really suffered counting calories as I would almost starve myself on 800 calories a day and diet pills. Now I feel good while dieting and there are so many products that are "Atkins Approved" out that there is a variety of foods so that you don't feel deprived.

Astrid, I absolutely LOVE the idea of counting fat ladies! What a good idea. I hope you won't mind that I am now stealing your idea. Millie is right - you should make up packages and sell your idea on Ebay - you'd be rich!

I see ads on tv touting no carb beers and vodkas trying to jump on the wagon. If we follow all the "advice" coming our way, I guess we'll all be a bunch of happy skinny drunks, eh? ;o)

Have a good one everybody and enjoy your weekend...

A few years back I read an article that said that the perception of beauty actually correlated with the economy of the country. When times are bad financially, like the 30 through the 50's, then a plump woman was consider to be more beautiful than a skinny one who gave the impression of hard times and poverty. That continued into the 60's and then in the 70's started to change. By the 80's a thin woman was considered to be the most beautiful. There was a saying "you can't be too rich or too thin" or something like that. I heard it on television at lot. I think Millie Perkins and Sandra Dee were the first truly toothpick thin movie stars and they were former models and Sandra Dee had anorexia. My personal favorite star was Alice Faye who looked a lot like a chubby Elizabeth Shue. She retired in the late 40's, but I used to catch her movies on late night television and thought she had the ideal figure.

Vicki, congratulations on losing the 40lbs! That is some achievement.

Astrid, thanks for the info on the carbs and g. You're definitely an expert! My son is still on a restriction diet for allergies (He is around your age) so we're still on the lookout for hidden sugars. I wish you continued good health. Enjoy the ballet classes!

Michelle, hope you are well.

Peter, reading about your diet, it makes sense why it's working for you. I wish you continued success with it and look forward to you telling us you've started running long distance again.

My birthday was great. Thanks for asking. The concert was a big part of it. Some things in life reinforce the idea that you yourself are basically a 'constant' even though the years are passing. For me, music is one of them. To hear S & G singing songs live that have been a part of my life for so long, totally tuned into that idea. It felt like time stood still. The fact that they sounded so good helped, as did the amazing atmosphere of warmth and nostalgia. It was a real high and the fact that I got to share the experience with my son made it even better.

I'm happy to be where I am on my journey now. There is a growing sense of knowing I'm where I should be. I find when I look out now I see the path opening wider in front of me. I'm really beginning to understand that age is irrelevant in so many ways. Anyway, it feels good. I hope your 46th finds you in a good place too.

I was just thinking - we started our journeys at around the same time but at opposite ends of the year and of the world!

Hi Sally! Good luck with your diet too.

Welcome to Victoria and a warm hello to all the familiar faces.

Love to you all,
Mary

Jo, some the stars whom everyone wanted to emulate from my era were Vivien Leigh, (emotionally ill and very thin), Greer Garson (just right) and then those that were top heavy, in their yo yo dieting mode, like Marilyn Monroe, Jane Mansfield, Jane Russell, and Judy Garland.

Remember the Photoplay magazines? We wanted to emulate the stars while reading about their lifestyles that seemed so glamorous...underneath it was mostly divorce, and the fear of getting older, and fatter!

Anorexia and bulemia were terms unheard of, even in my college days, though I am sure it was a factor for many, but never mentioned. Everyone wanted to look like Miss America.

Thank goodness today it's healthy eating and exercise that are so readily encouraged in the media. However, it's the kids that are obese at an early age, and that really is troubling.

When I was teaching ages ago, schools had a physical education teacher and P.E. twice a week. Now, I understand some of those programs have been cut because of budgetary concerns...how sad, how dangerous!

Gotta go and make salads for Ellie and me before we're off to see "I, Robot"!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Millie,
I do remember the Photoplay. I had a subscription - could not wait for the next issue! We forgot to mention people like Shirley MacLaine. She certainly wasn't what you would call thin - very, very fit, gorgeous legs, but not thin. Maybe dancing is the key to everything - lose weight, look great, feel great. She at least wasn't top heavy.

Sally C.- The "fat ladies" actually come from Vickie. But, yes, they are very clever and I think she could do just that! There could be all kinds of "fat lady" paraphenalia- post-its, charts, scales, jogging suits. . .

Vickie- I just got my own "fat ladies" this morning. I had no trouble downloading. Thank you, thank you, thank you! They are so cute! Yet also very sad looking! Just the right combination- they are funny to look at, but at the same time it must be very satisfying to put them out of their misery with a big X across them!

Mary- glad you found the info helpful. Has the diet made a difference in your son's allergies?

Nertha- what is the weather like in NYC these days?

I wish everyone a good day ahead!
-Astrid

Well, I guess I will step away from this discussion. I can tell you about sodium, cholesterol, saturated and unsaturated fats, postassium and a lot of other things concerning certain diets, but I don't have a clue as how to lose weight. And since I can't anyway because of hypothyroidism I have just learned to live with myself.

Mary, I feel the same way regarding age not being of great importance. Some folk fall into the trap of becoming slaves to certain pre-determinations of life based on cultural or social beliefs. No thanks. I prefer to be me and do it my way.

I'm so pleased that your birthday was so nice. The concert would have been a wonderful experience, mellow yet exciting at once, I would imagine.

If I ever get back to distance running (and I bloody well will!), then you will most certainly hear about it! I love the feeling of running fast over distance, with the mind and body combining to push the limits. I find freedom there.

Continued well wishes on your journey.

Peter

HEY ALL

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THE DOCUMENTARY THAT PAUL IS PART OF FOR I, ROBOT WILL BE ON HBO 7-25-04 AT 5PM.

I HAVE DIRECT TV AND ITS ON CHANNELL 505 HBO-W
7-25-04 AT 5PM, IF ANYONE WANTS TO WATCH IT.

WE DID OK ON THE WORLD SERIES, WE GOT BACK AFTER MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT. WE WENT 2 AND 4 . WE WON 2 AND LOST 4. ONE LOSS WAS BAD UMPING CALL, WE PLAYED 3 TEAMS THAT WERE 1ST IN THIER STATE. WE LASTED 6 GAMES. THATS PRETTY GOOD. WE WERE PLACED IN A VERY HARD POOL (GROUP OF TEAMS TO PLAY AGAINST). I AM VERY PROUD OF OUR BOYS. MY SON HAD A TRIPLE AND PITCHED VERY GOOD. GO CYCLONES. HE IS NOW DONE TILL HIGH SCOOL NEXT YEAR. CAN'T WAIT! I AM DEAD TIRED AND SICK TO THE BONE, I OVEREXTENDED MYSELF ONCE AGAIN.

NERTHA, THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT, I HAVE FORWARDED YOUR MESSAGE TO CLAY. HE SAID "MOM, YOU AND YOUR COMPUTER FREINDS ARE WEIRD, STOP TALKING ABOUT ME!!!" HE WAS KIDDING, HE SAID TO SAY THANKS.

LOVE TO ALL,

KELLY

Kelly,
Yea for Clay!!! You get a good rest this week-end.

JO,

JUST FOUND OUT WE TOOK PLACE 56 OUT OF 88 TEAMS.
NOT TOO BAD. WE ARE VERY PROUD!! I AM RESTING VERY MUCH. TOM TOOK THE KIDS OUT TODAY SO I COULD VEG IN FRONT OF THE TV. THAT WAS A TREAT!! I PLAN TO REST MUCH MORE BEFORE BACK TO WORK NEXT WEEK. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

KELLY

Astrid wrote:
"Nertha- what is the weather like in NYC these days?"
===========
Astrid, we have been having rain and parts of New York and New Jersey are flooded right now. Trouble is there is rain forecasted for the rest of the weekend, so no relief for those who are struggling with water in their homes!

Kelly wrote:
"NERTHA, THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT, I HAVE FORWARDED YOUR MESSAGE TO CLAY. HE SAID "MOM, YOU AND YOUR COMPUTER FREINDS ARE WEIRD, STOP TALKING ABOUT ME!!!" HE WAS KIDDING, HE SAID TO SAY THANKS."
=====================
Kelly,
Please, congratulate Clay on his and the Cyclone's strong showing at the world series. Should be very proud of his acheivements. You both get some rest, you have word hard! Tell Clay that we are not weird, we are just chatters. :-) LOL

Jo,
I'm not an expert in losing weight and keeping it off either ... I'm more of a yo-yo. Still, I have to face the fact that I need to lose some weight, so I am following the discussion with great interest.

Hope everyone is in good health and, unlike us, enjoying good weather.

Nertha

Hi I’m nearly 15 and all I want to be actress I’m not going to say I’m fat caz I’m not but I’m not going to say I’m skinny I’m not I come for sale in Victoria and I’m one of the most healthiest person in my year but I worried that in the world we live in being healthy active person with a fairly good figure is not enough
caz when I see teens on tv I can’t help think that I need to go on step further to eliminate fat so I have a chance at my dream

fast food is the problem

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the welcome.

For me the decision to change my eating habits was less about losing weight than about overhauling aspects of my lifestyle that I'd been letting slip. I'm at a point in my life where I'm beginning to absorb the reality that life isn't infinite, and I want it to be good for as long as possible. In recent years I've slipped into bad eating habits (lots of prefab microwavable meals, not taking lunch to work, skipping breakfast), because I'm on my own now and work long hours. Well, not really because of those things. I had gotten lazy. And in the past couple of years (post menopause, Jo!), I've noticed that I put on weight over the cold Canadian winter and then struggle to get it off in the spring so I don't have to buy new clothes. When I heard about the south beach diet, I decided to check it out as a possible first step in that overhaul. It works for me because it is very much like how I used to eat, and allows lots of variety as well as snacks between meals (as long as they are the right kind of food). I seem to need that, because otherwise my blood sugar drops, I get desperately hungry (and cranky, like a child!), and run over to the cafeteria and get a greasy muffin, or a personal pizza for lunch. Not good when it becomes pretty much every day.

But what I haven't succeeded in doing yet is establishing an exercise routine that I can stick to. Right now I walk to and from work, so I'm OK (although I really need to do more than that). But this winter I'm moving and will have to drive or bus. I used to do Tai Chi, but the schedule of available classes makes that less than perfect as something I can rely on. I'd like to start doing yoga again, but I can't seem to find the self-discipline to get to it and keep at it every day. I'm also thinking about getting an exercise bike (and a real bike next spring for the good weather). For me, the sticking point seems to a finding a good time for exercise every day. I get up early and leave for work early (maybe I should exercise instead of reading the morning paper). I usually don't get home from work until sometime between 6:30 and 7, and my metabolism is crying for dinner by then. Maybe I need a drill sargent to give me a shove into it. Maybe after I get back from my holidays I'll have the energy to find the self-discipline.

Peter, how do you find the time to walk 11 km most days of the week?!

Laura

Laura, I work for myself, so I have a certain amount of flexibility.
I start work at 6:00am and finish at 6:30pm most days, but as often as possible I will take a break at around 1:00 - 2:00pm and go for the walk.
As soon as I get home (a 5 min trip), it's dinner, kid's homework and reading, and playing with the kids, so I don't get much of a chance for exercise in the evenings.
When I used to train for running and cycling, in winter I would always do my cycle training on the indoor trainer, sometimes starting as late as 9:00pm and lasting up to 1.5hrs.
But, I can't do that anymore because it would cut into my sleep time, which would not do me any good.
I have to take the long and steady approach.

Good luck with yours.
Patience is the key, in my view.

Peter

Nertha,
I am following the discussion too, it's just that I can't add anything. As Kelly probably knows too when you have Hashimoto's thyroditis your body sets the mebabolism and it is so hard to fight, especially as you get older. I would like to lose weight, but no matter what I do I don't lose a pound. When my husband was in the hospital I lived on coffee for about two weeks, ate very little and was constantly on the run - I did not lose even one ounce. When I complained to the doctor that I "felt fat" she said that my weight has been the same for years, that my body has set a healthy weight. Your mind and your body are two separate things. Your mind may want you to lose weight, but the body is trying to protect itself from damage.

Laura,
You wrote:
"maybe I should exercise instead of reading the morning paper"
My husband rides a stationary bike for 30 minutes 4 times a week and watches CNN while he is riding. That might be a alternative to reading the paper.
I can recommend a good Tai Chi video tape if you are interested in that. I have found that it is an excellent way to practice the moves. It at least keeps you sharp on certain moves even if you can't do the whole work out in a small space.

Laura,
Okay, post menopause is an "excuse", but the fat distribution of your body after menopause is so different than before that it will make you feel fat even if you aren't. It happens to men too. The fat distribution changes on both men and women. There are, of course, people like Jack Lalane, the body builder and exercise guru of the 50's, who is in his 80's and has the body of a 35 year old and the head of an 80 year old.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far.

Astrid, thanks for asking after my son. There has been some improvement but it is very gradual. He says it is worth staying on the diet for the moment in the hope that things will continue to improve. But he'd have to really think about it if it had to be longterm. At the moment, it is impossible for example for him to eat out in any shape or form and even though we have all become more inventive, his meals are very limited. Thank goodness for chillis and jalapenos! He loves them and they give great flavour to what would be very bland food.

Peter, that freedom will be such a rush when it comes. Even as a dream experience it feels incredible. You're obviously into a rhythm with all of this. I'm sending lots of supportive and encouraging thoughts down to you to back up your own efforts!

Millie, can't wait to hear what you thought of I Robot!

Kelly, congratulations to you Clay and the team! Hope you manage to get a chance to recover before you're back to work. Take care.

Jo, I'd be interested in the name of the Tai Chi video. I bought one a couple of years back, hoping to keep it up on my own but it was just too complicated. Would it be suitable for refreshing yourself with the movements?

Tim, hope your test went well.

Hello to Michelle & Evelyn.

Diane, thinking of you and wishing you well.

Love to all,
Mary

Mary,
The video is called Tai Chi for Health. The ISBN number is ISBN1-55873-203-9. Also, there are several by Dr. Paul Lam that are really good and I highly recommend just about anything he does. He is Chinese and I find him hard to understand when he talks, but his movements are easy to follow.

Mary,
I looked on Amazon and it turns out that there are two videos called Tai Chi for Health. It is the one with the woman on the front, not the Yang Long Form one with Terry Dunn. The copies start at $2.69 used and go up to $12.95 for a new copy. This one is actually better than the Dr. Lam videos.

Hello all,

Jo, thanks for the Tai Chi recommendation. I'll give it a try. And if I can do the crossword on an exercise bike, maybe I can bicycle in the morning! I know exactly what you mean about the effects of menopause on the body. For a couple of years, I thought the "pad" that appeared around my waist about 8 years ago would disappear if did things right but I soon realised it's a permanent fixture of the middle aged me! I was trying to say that I hadn't been taking very good care of myself, and together with the inevitable effects of menopause I felt that if I didn't make some drastic changes I was going to be endangering my health. The winter weight gain was symptomatic of poor eating habits and lack of exercise. If you are eating well and are healthy, you shouldn't worry about your weight. I wasn't eating well.

Peter, I admit to being a tad envious of the flexibility you have in your work schedule. Eons ago I used to run 8 km in the late morning or early afternoon every day, and I absolutely loved it. Was addicted to it, actually. I can no longer run (knee problems), and five years ago I took a job that doesn't allow me that kind of midday break for serious exercise. Adjusting to that has been far harder than I thought it would be.

Mary, do I remember correctly that your son's problem is sugar? And is it just sucrose, or is it all the sugars (like fructose, lactose, maltose)? Surely not the latter, I hope, that would be exceedingly limiting. Can he eat sugar substitutes? In addition to chiles, I'd be thinking ginger, balsamic and other tasty vinegars, cumin and the other spices of Mediterranean cuisine. I hate bland food!

I hope the HBO show on I Robot gets put on the DVD when it comes out - no HBO up in these here parts. Al Jazeera, sure, but HBO is bad for us!
Criminy.

Laura

Hi everyone
I have never tried or considered trying Tai Chi mainly because I didn't know what it really was. Is it a form of relaxation, exercise or a combination of the two.
Does any of you know the best way to tone up arms. I don't want to end up looking like a body builder just more toned and I am not sure of the best way to do it, any ideas?

Laura you are not the only one, sadly I also can't get HBO :(

I saw a short clip of I Robot, it looks FANTASTIC! Can't wait to see it

Have a great Sunday
Love
Kim

Laura- Do you really get Al Jazeera and no cable?Where do you live? Silly me if I didn't get the joke, but if that's true, that's really wacky.
I personally don't care for television much, so it's not that I feel you're missing out on the HBO thing, I just think it's odd if you can view Al Jazeera, but not HBO.

Kelly- your son sure sounds like quite the athlete, and I admire all the effort you put out to support him. You sure deserve the down time! I hope he does well when He starts up in highschool.

Jo- Thanks for the update! I'll be keeping my eye on the mail box! I'm looking forward to seeing a new and more recent aspect of Paul and his work!
My mother and her sister have hypo-thyroid conditions. They both take synthriod daily. Is this the same as Hashimoto's? I should, of course, know that. Back in May my mom did a 100 mile bike ride fundraiser for diabetes research, and she definitely will swear it was the hardest thing she ever did, especially because she needed to loose weight and the thyroid makes it so hard. But she did it! She had lost quite a bit before the ride as well, and all the way through it's been a struggle. Add to that her age(53) and the fact she's getting into menopause. She's been able to do it though, so I think it's possible for you, too. It's just a bigger commitment, the more factors you have against you. But like you said a little way back, The more important goal is being healthy.

-Astrid

Astrid,
You can have hypothyroid from insufficient thyroid hormone. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease where the body declares war on the thyroid and starts to slowly destroy the gland. It happens when antibodies attach themselves to proteins in the thyroid tissue. Autoimmune diseases are inherited and because you have diabetes I would suspect that your mother and sister probably have Hashimoto's. Unfortunately the thyroid is also the gland that controls your bodies metabolism. Metabolism is what allows you to burn up those calories. The slower the metabolism the slower the calories are to burn. Hyperthyroid speeds up the metabolism (weight loss) and hypothyroid slows it down (weight gain).

Kim,
Tai Chi is called meditation in motion. It started out as a martial art and it still can be taught like that. Did you ever see Kung Fu with that Carridine guy? That was supposed to be Tai Chi. It is a very gentle, slow motion type movement. I took it originally because I was doing Transendental Meditation and wanted to try some other form of meditation.

Paul,
What a great topic for conversation!
I lost 45 pounds in less than six months with the following diet:
-Virtually no sugar; limit foods (such as potatoes and pasta) that break down to sugar (thus stored fat)
-No fried foods
-Absolutely no alcohol, which seems to affect the body's ability to metabolize food
-No fast foods (not even the salads are healthy; take a gander at the nutritional info)
-One apple a day (a recent study said patients who ate an apple a day lost 66% more weight than those who did not)
-Very low sodium; do not add salt to any food
-Finally, aerobic exercise for no less than one hour six days a week
By the way, that was two years ago and I've kept it off but I keep my diet in check...with my rule of thumb being, if it tastes good, it's probably bad for you!
Doris

Jo, thanks for the tips about the Tai Chi videos. I checked Amazon.co.uk quickly and found a few of Paul Lam's. Didn't spot the other you were talking about but I'll have a better look later. I'd love to find one that would help to get me back into it.

Laura, my son is actually off a good few things including wheat, dairy, refined sugar, citrus fruits, black pepper(!)...the list is longer than that but they're the main ones. The sugars are confusing which is why I looked for help here. He can have fructose but not dextrose or sucrose. Maltose is a new one. Haven't heard of that one!

Hi Kim! How's the weather across the way? Hope you are in good form.

Astrid, how are things with you? Hope all is well.

Peter, can you help me? Is there an Aussie group called Bakara (or something like that) on the go down there? There's a song that has been getting a lot of airplay on one of the radio stations here that they've said is brand new from Australia and I think that's the name they gave. I can't find it anywhere so maybe I caught the name wrong. Don't know the name of the song but the first line is something about walking over to a bar..

Welcome Doris and hi to Paul and all the rest of the gang. Hope you are all well and happy.

Love to all of you,
Mary

hmmm...secrets...maybe not..but change in attitude and better eating and lifestyle choices definitely helped in weight loss for me.

I think moving the body more really helps. So does eating smaller meals (balanced and yes low sugar, low carb and high fiber proteins) more frequently and tons of clear pure water.

I have stopped watching tv for the most part and instead of unwinding that way, I only choose one or two nights per week to watch a couple shows then turn it off. Computer will be trickier though!! But this is helping some too.

Yes, I think increasing the activity level and just replacing dead (processed foods) with living healthful energizing foods seems to be helping more...lol

good luck to all with the long term and short term weight loss or management goals.

besos,
Katalina (down to an Americano now not latte that evil 650 calorie drink.)

ps Hey Inn beebie. Miss you sweetie.

Mary,
I was looking on the American Amazon site. I will look and see if I can find it in Britain for you.

My husband carries a picture of me in his wallet from back when we were first married. I was around 20. At a company party about 20 years ago he pulled it out to show it to a woman that had just gone to work for the company. She was around 22 at the time. She turned to me and actually said "God you have really let yourself go." I almost jumped across the table and strangled her. But revenge is sweet!!! Today she still works for the company. She has been married 20 years and has had three children. When I see her now I have to bite my tongue not to say "God you have really let yourself go."

Hi Mary, Yes I am really good at the moment. The weather isn't so good, it is still windy and wet but it always seems to brighten up late afternoon when it's too late to do anything. What is yours like? That is so awful your son can't eat so many foods, he must get really fed up about it and we all seem to eat with our eyes so if it doesn't look tasty you don't think it is going to be. Can nothing be done about it?

Jo I don't think I could have been so calm with that woman, I would have smacked her in the chops if she said that to me. Yes revenge is so sweet. My ex always wanted me to be a certain shape, dress and look a certain way and now he is married with two kids and he looks really scruffy and overweight and I've lost it, so now I feel quite smug about that.
Thanks for explainig Tai Chi to me.

Grandma Millie what did you think to I Robot?

Hello to everyone here and welcome to all the new people.

Love
Kim

Hey All

Haven't been on this site in many months. It's not easy losing weight. Until I was laid off I never realized how fat I had become. I slept walk all the way to a size 24. The boot from the job made me take inventory and my lifestyle needed an overhaul. This meant low carb, no whites (bread, rice, etc) and no sugar. I exercise 6 days of week. But I have to weight train otherwise I have a tough time losing the weight - don't know why that is. Now down to a 16 and will continue. Aside saw I-Robot, to be frank I wasn't crazy about the film. It was a bit slower than expected. Love that Sonny though.

My secret is to accept myself the way I am. It's unfortunate (and a little infuriating) that this isn't an option in the entertainment industry.

For an eye-opener, I recommend Paul Campos's book, "The Obesity Myth".

Paul...So happy to read that you are getting great reviews for I, Robot. I plan to re-surface to the land of living this week and see this movie as well as Spiderman.

Hope everyone in the Corner is thriving!

Linda

Mary, haven't heard that song or group, but will keep an ear out for you.
I just thought of a few more old favourites:

Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty)
Year of the Cat (Al Stewart)
Africa (Toto)
Rose of Cimeron (Poco)
Deep Water (Richard Clapton)
Flame Trees (Cold Chisel)

If I thought about it long enough I would bore everyone silly, so I'll stop here!

Your son is really having a tough time. He must be a very brave and diligent young man to tolerate those kinds of dietary restrictions.
I admire his courage.

Doris, Great effort!
Your guidelines sound spot on.
Many people disregard the importance of zero alcohol. The body sees it as a toxin, so it tries to metabolise it before anything else, thus ignoring fat & carbs usage and storing more as bodyfat, as a result.

45lbs is fantastic. Well done.

Peter

Cat, Spot on. Accepting yourself is paramount in any regard.

Cheers,
Peter

Paul-This weeks 'Entertainment Weekly' has a side article discussing your work and a picture of you from strictly ballroom, and to tie things with dieting and exercise I saw and read the magazine while I was bicycling.

On another note, I am not sure if I have accepted myself yet I am too hard on myself but its so competitive in my world.

Loads of vegies in loads of different way laddies and men don’t settle of a boring meal after along day when in the same time you can make the yummiest healthiest meals the best quick snack is Peter bread pizza with your choice of healthy toppings
Just buy peter breads and chop lots of vegies eg. Tomato capsicum 99% fat free cheese spring onion ect. Use your imagination
(Tip: make a hole bunch cover in tin foil then stick them in the freeze and eat when you feel like it)
Cooking time preheat oven 200 and cook of about 20 min
They’re great of kids too Enjoy
But the real key to weight loss simple exercise (yoga is great) and look in the mirror everyday and say I love the skin I’m in.
Cya

Had my 6 week visit to the doctor on Friday. My blood pressure is good and I've lost 16lbs so far on Atkins. I'm having blood work done this week to see how all the other levels are. My cholesterol has been good,even on Atkins, but he wants to see if it's gone down any - or up.

My family misses bread and pasta the most, but I can do without the sweets, so I don't miss them too much. We don't do take away or fast foods, so controling what we eat is getting easier now. My doctor said to try South Beach Diet for a variety, so will think about it.

Thank goodness for the internet. We're getting some great receipes and quite more varity as well. I'm doing low impact exercises because of my knees and my daughter and her husband are walking and riding their bikes with the kids. Do you know what? Even the kids are looking better since we changed our lifestyle.

Congratulations to all you losers who have done so well on your diets. And thanks for sharing your tips.

Here's a shout out to all the new people here. My goodness, is Paul's cyber-family growing. Of course, a big Hi to all the oldbies.

Be well.

It's wonderful to learn that my chickies are losing weight, and that members of the families are involved also!

Whether it's the Akins or South Beach (the one I've been on for ages) or just counting calories,
whatever works, good for you, as long as your blood work is checked regularly!

Kim, how did I like "I, Robot"? I believe I mentioned in a past post that Ellie and I are not fans of sci-fi, and would never had gone to see this one if it wasn't for the fact that Paul was on the technical staff.

We waited (impatiently) for the end, and watched the credit crawl, and when Paul's name was mentioned, we were the only ones left in the theatre, but we cheered anyway! 'Nuf said!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Cat,
You said,
"My secret is to accept myself the way I am. It's unfortunate (and a little infuriating) that this isn't an option in the entertainment industry."
Isn't it the public that sets the standards of what they(we) want entertainers to look like and it is usually the very young that set those trends.
On this site over the past few months I have read what a hot, sexy, etc. body Paul has but very little about his acting ablity and choreography abilities.
Paul Newman was also once hot and sexy, but today he is an old man - still hot and sexy to a few of us. But too much emphasis is put on only one part of the machine - like a car that may be beautiful, but without an engine it isn't going anywhere. Tom Cruise is one example - can't act, can't dance, can't choreograph, but he's kept his figure!

What I am trying to say is that Paul actually has more talent than Tom Cruise, that goes without saying, but if people keep emphasizing his body and not his acting ability (he is after all an ACTOR) who in the devil will ever know that. That also goes for every other actor. Actors come in all shapes and sizes, but if you can't act then you are just a car without a motor.

Hellos and hugs to everyone here at PC!

I haven't posted for awhile. So, when I saw this new thread-I laughed! I'm entering my 14th week of pregnancy and finally-I think-morning sickness is gone!! Now, I feel like I'm beginning the insatiable hunger stage!

Instead of the word "diet"-I use the word "food management". Diet just sounds so restrictive.

And, everyone has their food management style. I do have a few beliefs though....fast food is naughty, if you buy the "junk" food-it will get eaten, if you buy healthy good food-that will get eaten, too!!

My husband and I want our girls to have healthy food and body image habits-so-we must practice what we preach.

And, I agree-being okay with one's self is paramount. I'm not thrilled about the weight gain from pregnancies but I don't beat myself up either.

Congratulations to all here who are doing well with their food management plans!!

HUGS!
Abeth

Jo Said:

"Isn't it the public that sets the standards of what they(we) want entertainers to look like and it is usually the very young that set those trends."

It tends to be an echo chamber. Right now the American public is incredibly fat-phobic, and it's being driven in large part by a multi-billion dollar diet industry. In England, someone like Kathy Burke can be a sex symbol!

There's an awful lot to say on the subject, but I don't want to take over the board! :) Instead, I'll throw some links:

Just about anything from Sandy Swarcz is well-informed:

http://www2.techcentralstation.com/1051/searchauthor.jsp?Bioid=BIOSZWARCSANDY

And the earlier mentioned Campos:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,3605,1200549,00.html

I lost 19 lbs. (give or take on or two which keep coming and going).

"How'd I do it?"
Frankly, it was a bitch. (A bitch on WHEELS to be exact.) I have two little kids who NEED fat for their developing brains, and a "meat and potato" husband, plus I sit on my arse for an hour one-way commute as well as a 9-10hr day sitting at the computer.

SO: I did a modified South Beach because my sis-in-law was doing it and had SUCH good results. She emailed me the guidelines, and I started. Day 7 with narry a carb in SITE and I was NOT pleasant to live with. Saving grace was sugarless pecan clusters. Just ONE, however. (*snif*) Never knew I could chew that slowly.

Seriously though, just cutting out BANANAS (a BIG no-no for sugar, although natural) and carrots and potatoes since then has been good. If I wanted to start the Phase One (strict) again for the 10-days or whatever, I could. But haven't had the wherewithall yet to do that.

It definitely changes your thought processes about choices when out to dinner, or at friends, etc, and of course at home. Planning meals to take to work was a PAIN (I had to get up 10 minutes earlier in the am to get everything together) and I still follow the guidelines for Phase Two (where you introduce fruits back in and one carb a day). It's held me.

I would LOVE to try to eat ALL naturally--like the American Indians did (corn, beans, squash were their biggies) and see where that takes me. We are planning a few "Scavenger Nights" this summer where we eat only what we find/catch...this will include fish, wild carrot root ("Queen Anne's Lace" common name in the states), and berries. We'll see who's starving before bedtime!

Blessings to all...must get to work. HUGS all around!
Dhi

In Florida, we have an abundance of obese people...it is really sad! We call this state "Home of the newly wed, the overfed, and the nearly dead" !!
I say it's because the weather is so hot most of the year that you can't even breathe, much less get out and walk, run, skate, or do any outdoor activity at all! (Can you tell I still miss the mountains?)

Lyn B, so far the summer temperatures in southern Florida where we live is lower than other parts of the U.S., where over 100 is the norm in the western states. Our high so far has been 92, and it's been breezy.

During the fall, the temps tend to moderate, and the weather from November to April is downright gorgeous which brings everyone out for walks, bike rides, swimming in heated pools, and other activities, while our northern kids are shoveling snow and fighting ice storms.

During the Follies In Florida, I expect marvelous temps for the Convention, so everyone bring shorts, sneakers, and swimsuits!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hello All!

Before I share my weight loss secrets I have to share this little bit with everyone...

Last night my husband and I went over our friends Gene and Ted's and I was talking to Gene about movies. SB came up in the conversation (I couldn't possibly know how it was introduced hmmmm) and she told me that she was watching TV and saw Paul working his movements with the techs for I Robot. She also said that the robot in the movie is named "Scott Hastings". Hmmm.

weight loss secret #1 get moving
weight loss secret #2 eat more veggies
weight loss secret #3 don't obsess over what you should have eaten or if you go off your diet. If you are craving an ice cream bar just eat it and get the craving over with.
weight loss secret #4 when you have lossed a significant amount of weight wear something to flatter the new figure, not the baggy clothes of your old figure. This will keep the motivation level high and the opposite sex looking in your direction (which also keeps the motivation very high).

weight loss secret #5 keep you hands busy with something other than food and ease your stress with an activity that involves excercise or a good book not a tray of brownies or a bag of chips.

weight loss secret #6 desert is not the enemy it is meant to be comsumed less often. Plan one day a week or two that you will eat your favorite desert. And don't keep it in the house.

Good luck to all!

I reckon self-acceptance is the source of all inner strength. Without it, you are always on shaky ground.

Kim, glad to hear things are good with you. Weather is not much better here. I'm teaching Spanish students at the moment and they're counting the days to getting back to the heat and the light! I don't blame them.

Peter, I know and love the first three songs. My brother bought me the single of Africa for my birthday when it came out. Don't know the others but will check them out. One more to add - Broken Wings by Mister Mister. I love the chorus.

Thanks for your words of encouragement concerning Martin. To be honest, I admire his courage too. His way of looking at it is that he has been feeling under par for so long that anything is worth a try. At least if it makes no significant difference, this way he'll know he gave it his best.

How interwoven would you say the physical journey you are making at the moment is to your spiritual journey? Is it a means to a spiritual end - eg experiencing the freedom of running - or an end in itself? Just wondering.

Sally, great to hear your good health news. I wish you continued success.

Dhi, congratulations on losing the lbs!

Michelle, you're in my thoughts. Love to you.

Abeth, great to hear things are going well with you. Take care.

Love to all,
Mary

I think as far as food/weight-loss go, just learning to listen to your body can do wonders. And eating slowly. To me, it's about more than losing weight and how I look. I want to feel good about the way my body FEELS. I want to be able to move freely and feel light on my feet. I'm getting there!

I try not to eat refined carbs or sugars, but I do eat carbs. I buy really good whole grain bread, oat bran, texmati rice, etc. Lots of veggies, blueberries every morning. I don't eat much dairy at all because I don't like the way it makes me feel, I use rice milk. Small meals, lots of water and a few good supplements help too. I take a multi-vitamin, calcium, magnesium and omega 3 in the form of fish oil. I've been sidelined recently but usually walk on the treadmill (at an incline), lift weights and do some basic exercises (crunches, etc.)

I agree with the idea that if you're craving something, eat it. Don't deny yourself what your body is telling you it needs. Hey, maybe it needs that chocolate truffle for mental health purposes, that's important too! It all balances out, so don't worry about being so rigid or you'll go crazy. I know, I've been there!

The body image issue is a tough one. I see my friends with daughters struggling to keep them healthy and whole. It's really scary that VERY young girls are concerned about their weight. My nine year old neice didn't want to go to swimming lessons (that she loved) because two other girls kept telling her she was fat. She's not, but now she thinks she is.

Love to all,
Michelle

Peter, your songs brought back some good memories! Right now I have a song stuck in my head that will NOT go away. I like it...at least I did like it! It's called The Way and it's by Fastball. I think it came out in the late 90's. Anyway, I dare anyone to listen to it and see what happens. That tune is not going away.

The last song I had stuck in my head was Friday I'm in Love by The Cure. I thought Saturday would put an end to it, but not a chance:)

Mary, Stairway to Heaven and Knights in White Satin are both songs that remind me of old boyfriends. They were sort of their theme songs I suppose. The one that liked Stairway was always searching for deeper meaning in the lyrics and trying to get me to join him on his quest. I ended up hating that song for a while. Now I hear it because Chris plays it on guitar. It seems to be a rite of passage for guitar players.

Michelle

Michelle, do you know the scene in Wayne's World where the shop has the poster saying 'No Stairway'?

For me the opening bars of Nights in White Satin means slow dancing at first dance with first boyfriend. Ah...the memories...

Take care,
Mary

Mary, I know the Wayne's World scene well! It's a big joke in our house!

OH MY GOD! That was my first dance with my first boyfriend as well! And I'm fairly certain he was wearing cologne for the first time. I thought he was amazing! What a great slow dance song.

Michelle

Oops, just spotted my mistake in typing Knights instead of Nights. Freudian perhaps. What could it mean?

Michelle

Michelle, this boy was Italian and smelt heavenly! I think that was part of the attraction actually...no Irish guy at the time would be caught dead wearing cologne.

Knights..as in shining armour?

Mary

Yep, those kind of knights. Mary, it's just so cool that we both have this memory, more evidence that we share AT LEAST a few brain cells or something! Of course you were in Ireland and I was back in Kansas, and my boyfriend wasn't Italian...

Michelle

Michelle, in Paul's corner of the world, distance doesn't count...It IS cool.

Have to give in now and head to bed.

Love to all,
Mary

Jo-
Yay!! I got my video in the mail today!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Have not watched it yet nad probably won't be able to for a few more days because our guests from Italy are still here and we converted the room with the television for them to stay in. But soon I will see it and I'm excited. Then I will have to go see I, Robot again but with more insight! By the way, I noticed from the label on the cassette that you have very neat penmanship! For some odd reason I appreciate that about people who do.

Hey Mary! Thanks for asking! I'm doing fairly well these days. Trying to stay cool now that the weather has really stated to heat up and the drought is really showing. Actually, I think a big storm is brewing outside, which always causes a little excitement this time of year. There's always a chance that some lightning can get a fire going in the foothills around here. We've been lucky so far, though.

I don't know how much has been in the news outside Salt Lake, but a woman in my neighborhood went missing while out for a jog early last week. She was 5 weeks pregnant and they suspect her husband. A friend of mine in California said they heard about it and the story was told as a new Lacy Peterson kind of case. It's so awful though, and there are a lot of volunteer search parties still looking around the area where I live. Even though there's gossip about her husband, it still gives me the creeps every time I leave the house alone. I don't know how many of you here in the states heard about Elizabeth Smart, either. She was abducted from a neighborhood near mine as well. And Ted Bundy lived here, too. So a word of warning- Don't come to Salt Lake City if you're young and female!

On a much lighter note, I weighed myself last night and I've lost 7 pounds since early May when they weighed me at the doctor's office! I felt a little slimmer and I've changed my excercise routine a bit lately, so I'm pleased with the direction I'm headed in!

Hello to all and I hope everyone is doing well!

Love,
Astrid

Er....Who was that masked, chain-smoking, jello-slurping man?

Peace Paul,

Since I'm a mom of 4, the oldest being 9 years old and the youngest being 2 years old, you could say my body has been through a rollercoaster ride from the moon and back! It's been great though. What I've encountered over the past two months is a very safe and easy way to get lean and still eat a good amount of food. There are no two bodies that are EXACTLY alike, nor is their a " one fits all " type of exact diet for everyone. There IS however, a general guidline that seems to work a great deal for most of my freinds and definitely is working for me. I seem to be losing up to 5 pounds a week give or take a pound or two. Anyway, For my female freinds, it's good to get a least 3 oz. of protein in every meal, for guys it would be at least 4oz. No big deal if you go over a little. I do this at the 3 main meals ( breakfast, lunch, dinner). also add a fruit ( 1-2 cups) in with it and at least 3 vege. portions a day...the rawer the better because it is in a more pure form to metabolize faster in the body. Any vege.'s cooked , I have a cup. I go a little easy on the butter, margarine, etc. I try not to eliminate all the fat...good fat is good for you...some bad fat is o.k. just not alot. In between meals ( I do 3 in between meals ) fruit, a high vege. or soy protein bar is great, or even pretzles seems to work for me. Don't get me wrong , I LOVE junk food ( pizza, hot dog ,ice cream cake,chips,blah,blah ). I do this also 1/day a week for each one ...NEVER 2 in the same day. That's cool and seems to work because I'm really not denying myself that much. I do, though, limit the intake to like 1 slice of pizza instead of 3, and 1 cup of chips instead of half the bag. Portion sizes are good...keeps it in balance. For drinks coffee, tea, selter water, once in a while o.j. and soda sparingly ). I'm still learning about the importance of drinking lots of water, since our body is made mostly of water. Good fat burner in the body...good for cleansing and peace of mind ) I walk 2 miles every other day at a medium to high intensity. Good for the mind and soul....It's amazing because I can walk by a tree or garden or something and notice something so beautiful and a wonderful creation of earth's beauty, that I just didn't see there before. Ya know like a radiant colored flower or a bird's nest. Anyway, I do alot od ordinary mommy lifting everyday and night ( Right all you mom's, dad's, and bubbes ( yiddish for grandma ) That's really all I have time for. There are some good slim down recipe's I have for chili and spaghetti sauce. Good luck Paul with all the blessed work that lies ahead for you.. you are sooo beautiful and your heart radiates with love and is received by all of us who always wish you and your family the best.

Tara

Hey all!
Staying in tune with this thread, I thought for the heck of it I would weigh myself as my pants are feeling a little loose. I LOST 10 LBS. I wasn't even trying but I guess last week running to this ball game and that ball game and only eating 2 times a day was the trick. Hope I can keep it off and maybe lose some more.

The final games were done on Sunday afternoon and our ball team finished 32 place out of 84 teams. Much better than I previously thought!!
I am glad its all over for a while.

Did anyone catch the HBO special with Paul on it? HE IS STILL AS HANDSOME AS EVER.

Jo, as far as body's go, Paul isn't sporting his strictly ballroom bod, but from what I saw, he looks as good as ever. You could definately tell he is still muscular.

MIGHTY FINE LOOKING PAUL!!

My hubby, the dear person he is, TIVO'D it for me so I have it saved and I can watch it from time to time.

Off to bed as back to work in the morning.

Love to all
Kelly

Mary, Broken Wings...yes, yes! A great song.
I heard The Cranberries' "Dreams" on the radio while I was driving from my hotel to work this morning. It set me up for the day.
Doesn't music connect us with ourselves, somehow?

Michelle, I'll check that one out too, if I'm game.

Peter

Tara, your lovely name reminds me of these:

1) A Southern mansion and plantation in Georgia, housing a family named O'Hara.

2) A marvelous Australian actress who, in the role of a lifetime, danced with her magnificently talented partner right into our hearts.

Welcome to you and David!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

My goodness, David, what a tribute. Welcome to you and all the other newbies.

Peter and Mary, you keep naming all the songs of the 70's and 80's that I love, and yes, I am not ashamed to say that I loved Disco in the 70's. In fact, we just saw The Village People perform over the weekend, and I LOVED it. They were my favorite group from that era, but unfortunatley, due to their lifesyle, they look a little raggedy. The construction worker and the Indian are the only two left from the original group - don't know what happened to the others. But, YMCA is ALWAYS played at any celebration I've been to and even my grandkids know how to dance to the tune.

Good morning/afternoon/evening to everyone who stops by here today.

Be well.

Oops, Had a senior moment there, please excuse me.

Astrid, we know about the kidnapping in SLC and unfortunately, we have the same situation here where they are searching for a 16 year old who they say was abducted and murdered by a family friend. They haven't found a body yet but they have charged the man with murder. There is also an uproar in the community about the way the police are handling the search because they haven't organized the community to help search for evidence. This week is also the 10th anniversary (I hate that word because it's not a happy time) of little Megan Kanka's murder. Her parents are responsible for Megan's Law that notfies people when a sex offender moves into their neighborhood.

Mil, I'm hoping we don't get our yearly snow storm in Feburary. It would put a crimp into flying down to sunny Florida. But, shorts, sandles and bathing suits are easy to pack...

Astrid,
Thanks for letting me know you got the video.

Sally C.,
You should get yours today or at least by tomorrow.

Kelly,
Yes, Paul does look very muscular. In my opinion better than he did in SB, but that is just my opinion.

Welcome to Tara and David. Everyone here is friendly and you will enjoy the group.

Jo, I agree, my husband used to be a bodybuilder. ( way back in the day) Bulk is very sexy. I think Paul looks very sexy. Lets not start on the yummy accent. :D

Kelly

I'm waiting for the high carb diet to come out........

Michelle, thanks for the reminiscing last night. I really enjoyed it! Hope you're having a good day so far.

Warm welcome to David and Tara.

Astrdi & Kelly, please watch the HBO special once for me and enjoy it on my behalf! Congratulations to both of you on losing those pounds.

Peter, 'Dreams'... perfect start to the day.There's something ethereal about her voice. I love it.
Yes, music does connect us with ourselves. It touches on some intrinsic part of us that is not concerned with the things of this world. When I am affected by music (and I'm glad to say that happens easily), I feel lifted up above all the different parts of my life to somewhere else. To be there is to feel on familiar ground but there is always the element of surprise at finding myself there!

Sally, one thing I loved about disco was that it was so easy to move to.

Beth Ellen - thanks for the LOL!

Hi to Jo, Mil, Lyn and everyone in the Corner.

Love to all,
Mary

Just wanted to say a quick hello to everyone on the Corner!

As for diets, I agree with Beth Ellen, I'd definitely miss the carbs. We only have one life to live...

hearing great reports on the HBO special. Hmm, wish I had cable, for once!

Love to all,
Maile

Paul and Grandma Mil, I just got back from Hawaii and it somehow changed after 11 years. More commercialized in Waikiki, less fish in Hanauma Bay but I was able to come face to face with a sea turtle while snorkling in Pupukea beach and astounded at the site of magma(lava) flowing into the cliffs of Big Island. The world is such an amazing place!!! Some of us were not really hiding after all. Just disappointed that you'll be missed for a month! As for diet, I eat what's out there, I love chocolates, ice cream, you name it. I'm not fat because most of the time I miss lunch at work. I guess that's called starvation diet, but its not done on purpose. To keep my abs flat and body not too stiff, sort of, I do jazzersize at least 1x/week. The key, I guess to a slimmer you is less food intake and more activity.

David--(sarcasm)I knew it!!! I'm so psychic!!(/sarcasm)
Actually, I'm just glad you recognized the line! Pretty cool about the cousin connection...hi ho! Have VERY good friends out there in Redondo Beach (they are retiring soon to Lake Tahoe)--They're both in law, one form or another.
My diet is the caffeine/nicotine diet, but no one's written a book on that one yet...Haven't you tried the 'nicotine patch' yet? I've even tried hypnosis to stop smoking...the next step is acupuncture--they say it will work for weight loss and smoking at the same time.

Jean- I lived on Oahu back in 67-71 and we thought it was getting commercial then, a la Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi: 'they paved paradise..put up a parking lot'...I don't even want to look at what they have done to it now... Yep...'Swell' days were spent surfing Ala Moana Beach, and 'Flat' days were spent skateboarding down winding hillside roads near a swimming hole called "Jackass Ginger"! LOL! Some friends of mine were there last week for a family reunion, can't wait to hear what they say about going back after all this time.

If P's gonna be gone for a month, we need to get Andrea to fill in and keep us posted, hmmm??

Well, this is really kind of cool chatting about weight loss secrets-should we drop recipes too? Like no-carb/low carb favorites? This is actually very good reinforcement -like support group therapy to stay on (healthy) track.

Welcome back, Jean, it's nice to know you've had a lovely vacation!

From Florida, Hawaii is also a stop over on the way to Australia!

I don't snorkel because I can't swim, but I admire you for being able to do both! Our grandchildren all swim, two of them on swim teams. Grannie would rather lipsynch.

Julie and Jean live within a half hour of our village. Ellie and I have met our darling Julie, and now we're looking forward to meeting Jean too! Now, if Beth Ellen would contact us, we could have a pre-convention get-together!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Grandma Millie thanks for letting me know about I Robot. I have to say that I'm not all that keen on sci-fi films, they are too weird and I can never understand them. I bet you had a big smile on your face when you saw Paul's name appear on the credits.

Kelly did you get my email that I sent a few days ago and did you manage to set up your own site?

Peter & Mary you were talking about songs, one of my all time greats is Foreigner's I want To No What Love Is. A good classic.

Hello and welcome to Tara and David

Hi to everyone else here tonight, I have just seen this huge spider crawl under my door it is so big I could put a saddle on his back and go for a ride, I need to find a shoe!

Love
Kim

David,
You should take a look at the pictures in the Dance section. Dancers have beautiful feet, just as someone that works with their hands has beautiful hands. The muscles become developed and enhanced.

David-
I work in a salon and the majority of my days are spent doing pedicures in this summer season. So I must say with somw authority that Paul's feet are far from flawed! The only reason I noticed is that in the picture gallery you can see a tattoo on his ankle in one of the photos, and of course in looking at it I did give his feet some thought, given my profession.

Beth Ellen- Ha ha ha, LOL about the high-carb diet!!

Peter& Mary- finally you two mention a song I'm farmiliar with! J/K! I know Knights in White Satin, ect. but they're not songs I ought to be farmiliar with! That Cranberries song, or anything by them, always reminds me of the terrible, pimple infested years in middle school, when they were at their most popular. They were/are a good band though, and I'm glad for their sake that some people out there such as you two associate good feelings with them, because no one my age does!

Lyn B- Oh, I think that's a clever idea to have Andrea fill in! I wonder if she would have an interest?

Take care all-
Astrid

Astrid,

Thankyou for that diligent artful detective work. I still wonder what those shoes are concealing? Alas I feel the worse?!LOL

Poppe

Astrid,
Thank you for the compliment about my penmanship.

Sally C.,
I hope that you got that video today.

David,
Depends on what you call beautiful. I call a construction workers hands beautiful. A mind can be beautiful. If you can dance then your feet are beautiful. It doesn't matter what they look like.

A big hello to everyone at P.C.

Good morning all.

Jo, I got the tape yesterday, and I thank you for your kindness. Paul still has his boyish grin and is still studly. Of course, the accent just puts the icing on the cake, hey?

Will pop back in later - duty calls... it's name is WORK.

David - Are you smoking something other than cigarettes? :) I'm a smoker, too (unfortunately), and not too far from you geographically - in Anaheim, CA (although I do NOT know Mickey Mouse personally). Welcome to PC.

And to all you wonderful PCers out there - a big hello. I can't post as often as I'd like, but I do try to keep up with reading about everyone else's adventures. Best wishes and good vibes to everyone trying to make improvements in their lives.

Vicki

(Beth Ellen, I think you should be the trendsetter on that Hi Carb diet! You could make a mint! A Jr. Mint, that is!) ;-)

"Enigma's Reduction" (WHAT a wonderful book title!) ;-) In the vein of Beth Ellen, I'm waiting for them to come out with the hip reduction. But I'll wait for the pill. ;-)

David - Welcome! You're a hoot. Don't hold back now... just feel free to get nutty like the rest of us. I can tell you tend on the shy side. ;-)

On FEET! Who cares? My husband's are disgusting but just as long as he doesn't actually TOUCH me with the ole scaley things...he can stay.

Diet - Water and sugarless candy, too.

Kelly - WHAT? You LOST weight at a baseball tournament? Must not have had the FINE fare from the concession stands--sausage and peppers, hot dogs, nachos...(god that's making me sick just thinking about it).

Millie - you're very dedicated and I'm glad you've incorporated that exercise routine into your life. More energy = more sex, right??? hahahahahah
love,
Dhi

David...meet Dhi. Dhi...meet David.

I think I'll just sit back and watch the fun begin.

"Fantastic, paradigm-shifting insight into the true nature of reality is isomorphic to insanity, but sleep clears it up, unless one is
schizophrenic."

Dhi, more energy=more sex? I'll have to wake Ellie from his nap and ask him....I'll let you know later....

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Dhi,

Conssession is to expensive ! Besides I am too busy taking photos to worry about eating during a game. I give my daughter a few bucks here and there for snacks but that is it.
Kel :)

Dhi,

Conssession is to expensive ! Besides I am too busy taking photos to worry about eating during a game. I give my daughter a few bucks here and there for snacks but that is it.
Kel :)

Kim,

I got your email and yes, I tried to set my own site up but couldn't figure out what to do after i uploaded the photos. Oh well, I just thought that would be a way to share my family with all you guys.

Kel

Whooo...on the fly....two more:
"Everbody wants to rule the world" - Tears for Fears,
"True" - Spandau Ballet

Sally C, ..disco, fantastic! Stayin' Alive! Brilliant!
Mary, I KNOW what you mean. Isn't it special?
Kim, nice choice.
Astrid, those memories lock in, don't they?

David, Welcome!

Enigma, surgery sounds painful, but good for you!
It's great that you are happier.

Have to fly.
Cheers.

Kim, I love that Foreigner song! I went out and bought the album because of it. Spiders...please don't kill them!! I love to see them indoors. They take care of the more creepy crawlies for me. By the way, how is that gorgeous face coming along?

Astrid, I know what you mean about the songs conjuring up a time in your life. I got into the Cranberries because of my son playing their music when he was around the age you're talking about!

Jo, I'm thinking of ordering one of the Paul Lam dvds. I'm going to start looking around for a class for September and I reckon this will ease me into it.

Peter, 'True'..heartfelt. I love it.
T for F.. another time I bought an album on the strength of a song. I thought I had experienced all that song could offer until I saw it played in a scene in 'Donnie Darko'. Incredible melding of film and music...Became re-aquainted with John Farnham's 'You're the Voice' after finding it on an 80's compilation the other day. I'm going to have to include it......He's an Aussie isn't he?

Hoping Paul is finding himself happily busy and not missing home too much...

Welcome to Enigma and hello to everyone else out there - old and new.

Love to all,
Mary

Mary,
I have Paul Lam's Video's and if you can't find the other one then that is the next best thing. Like I said he is a little hard for me to understand, but you can follow his movements easily. I wish I could send you my copy of that video I am talking about, but it wouldn't run on your VCR I'm afraid because of the different speeds in the US and UK.

Kim,
What is the Foreigner Song?

Kelly,
Let us know when you get those pictures posted?

Hello to everyone.

Jo, that's very kind of you to even think of doing that. Thanks. I'll have another go at looking for the one you recommend and if I don't succeed, I'll get the other. Amazon is actually great to buy from. The last order I put in only took two days to get here from the UK. I'll let you know what I end up with.

Peter, just realised I got my Tears for Fears songs mixed up. It is actually 'Head Over Heels' that is in the film. Another classic. They're on the same album.

Mary

Kelly if you want any help with your site let me know and I will try my best to help.
You said you have your pictures on your site do you mean you can't view them?

Mary sorry but I just don't like spiders, I really do have this phobia about them, even a money spider looks like a tarantula to me.
The gorgeous face has been put on hold just for a couple of days. At the moment I am concentrating on finishing the cottage so that should be finished in the next day or two and then there will be no stopping me :)

Jo If you would like a copy of the song let me know and I will do it for you. It's a slow smoochy one.

Yes I like the Tears for Fears song and I also liked Careless Whisper, George Michael. Oh and I like Billy Ocean and Queen.

Grandma Millie I've had my daily intake of SB, I can never get fed up with watching it. That shows what a great film it is when you can keep watching it over and over. How is Grandpa Ellie?

Goodnight all
Love
Kim

Peter-
Ok, so here's the bizarre thing about me- I'm a rabid 80's music fan, even though I was only born in '81. So, to see you mention Tears For Fears and Spandau Ballet, it really made my pulse jump a bit! I mean, I could really go off on a list of what I dig but I don't know what it's worth. I really love everything from Wham! and Madonna to Joy Division and Love&Rockets. I've managed to listen to all things popular through the years but my CD collection is rather odd-ly dated for someone my age. Anyway, my whole point is that I love "True" and "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" quite a bit myself.

Oh, I'm so excited! I usually just check out SB from the public library for free when I want to watch it, but I actually broke down today and bought the DVD for myself!!! So, I'm going to watch the documentary tape for I, Robot and then my new DVD!! I only wish things had worked out better for Paul and even just the smallest amount went his way from my purchase:(

Love to all-
Astrid

Astrid,

Even though Paul doesn't get a few pennies each time we buy Strictly Ballroom, he has gained an enormous and faithful fan base, and many many friends here on the corner. While it doesn't pay the bills, not a bad consolation prize!! : )

Kim, I will email you soon about the website.
I am working on burning a cd of "sports Illistrated" shots for our World series book that is being made for us. (LOTS OF PICTURES OF #9 , I AM SURE. (Clay is #9)

Jo, when and if Kim an I figure it out, I will let ya all know when the pics are ready. There will definatly be a few baseball.

Love to all

Kelly

Mary, since those two songs are on the same album, I'll forgive you on this occassion, but please don't let it happen again. I may have to slip on the purle suit and set things straight.

Yep, John Farnham is an Aussie. I fact he was Australian of the Year, a few years back. He is an icon and extremely popular with fans of all ages.

Astrid, I always admire an 80's music fan!

From downunder,
Peter

WHY IS IT THAT EVERY TIME PAUL IS AWAY THIS SITE GETS CYBER-JACKED????

I think we have all be insulted in one way or another by Mr. Poppe whose address happens to be almost identical to Ms. Enigma's and whose famous cousin was born in 1890!

Astrid & Kelly, I agree with you both about SB.

Peter, sincere apologies about the mix-up. It was unforgivable. The purle suit you say? Hmmmm...Now how could I mess up again..??

Hope everyone is having a good day so far.

Love to all,
Mary

Hi everyone,

I don't check in much, but I do catch some of it here and there.

Seems like work is getting more active for you Paul. This is good. Mil your program is coming along. Great!

Weight loss. Sunrider products are amazing. I don't know if they are in Austraila, but they are worth checking in to. Based on Chinese medicine, balancing the body and all that stuff. Good stuff.

Take care everyone.

Joan DeRosa

Joan, good to hear from you...it's been too long!

"Follies" is coming along just fine, and, of course, you must know of the FIF convention next year, in conjunction with "Follies".

About 20 of our PCers have shown interest in attending, from all over the U.S. and Europe...very exciting, and maybe Paul will show up also!

For more information, please contact me.

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hellos and hugs to all here at PC!!

I just wanted to check in and say hello.

May I suggest a new sub topic? How about talking about what we are greatful for and/or what/who we appreciate most in our life?

Today-I appreciate my husband the most. He takes care of me when I'm sick and when I'm not.

HUGS!
Abeth

I was just about to post here to ask people tips on weight loss cause i'm been feeling v. sluggish lately, you people think of everything! :)
I appreciate my family the most - all of them, without them i'd be very lonely, just preparing to go back to college, looking for a new place and i just realised how much i'm going to miss them...
Hi to evrybody, hope ye all are well and not fading away too much :)

David -Ha! No, my husband is NOT a dancer (although we did a FAB impression of two people who knew how to swing dance at a wedding last summer...until he over-extended my elbow. The scotch helped cure me, though) and the only surgery he's had was to cut the Bad Boys from ever impregnating me again. So I think Michael Jackson and Ms. Osborne can just stay in their exclusive whacked-out club. ;-)

Joan! Good to hear from you!

Peter - Are Men Without Hats still alive?

Abeth - I am grateful for people who don't let themselves be egged on.

That is all!
**poof!**

Dhi, sorry, I don't know the whereabouts of Men Without Hats.
Please don't become distressed about this. More scotch may help.

David, again, I say welcome.
Please don't assume that all persons on this site are acting out of the same motivation. It would be wrong to assume so. I understand what you have written, but please give it time and you may see that it could be a little off the mark, given the bigger picture.
I think that a few of the oldies here are just friends with a common bond, i.e. an admiration for Paul's work and his person.

Personallly, I don't see myself as one of Paul's fans, per se. That's not to say I don't admire him, because I most certainly do. But, I don't admire him because of his fame, but because he is a nice bloke with a lot to give to others, and he has created a site that is good fun, without too many rules.

I'm genuinely sorry if anyone has offended you.

Have a good day.
Peter

Astrid, if you're REALLY an 80's music fan, then you would remember the group "Flock of Seagulls"!

I ran....I ran so far away (ay, ay).

Dhi would remember.

Abeth, Good choice.

I'm greatful that I'm alive.

Cheers,
peter

Abeth, hope all is well. I'm grateful for being alive. I appreciate all the experiences that make that a good thing.

Who are these men without hats??

Take care all,
Mary

Kelly I will try and help you as much as I can with your site. Just click on my name for my email.
I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures.

Mary the weather has improved, it's been hot and sunny. Is it the same where you are?

David it is so weird we used to have a bloke called Michael who would write here and the way he and you write are very similar!

Hi to everyone else here, Jo did you catch those kittens?

Love
Kim

Mary, I too am very grateful to be alive, as well as being greatful (oops,...in too much of a hurry). LOL

Peter

I've just re-read a previous post of mine.
I neglected to mention that I admire Paul for his incredible and varied talent, as well as his work (plus all those other things I listed).
Phew, I hope that clears that up!

Peter-
Oh, you bet I'm a fan of Flock of Seagulls!! That song "I Ran" has to do with one of the best memories of a summer evening in my late teenage life- a car ride, an astronomy lesson, a short romance, a good bottle of wine. . . But I love all their work, especially the one that goes "If I had a photograph of you. . ." Or atleast I think it's that way- I'm too lazy to go check the album liner.

So, in general, I think there's a little overreaction going on here. I agree with Peter in that when you are a newbie here(I've only been posting since June after lurking for a month or so), it is exciting to be welcomed and it's easy to have a strong reaction- and then later you gain a sense of the bigger context here. Which to me means that you give everyone their due respect and give your presence time to settle in. There are still many here that I have no association with, and perhaps I won't ever. In this situation I am going to do as Paul asked in the situation with Michael just before I came along- which is to slow down and think about why we are rubbed the wrong way and consider how to act with respect. Sometimes this means ignoring what we don't like and having faith that the bad seeds work their way out on their own.
David&Enigma- if you need any more understanding of this group and what has gone on, I highly suggest you go and read the archive "Newbies and Oldbies" and those just befor and after it. It's just a few months back. I am neutral as to your being here and my suggestion that you read the archive is not meant in any patronizing way. I just don't think it's worth it for any of us to be upset.

So, I watched the I, Robot doccumentary last night and it was so neat to see Paul in action as he is to this day. Oh, but it was so agonizingly brief! I think they could have spent a little more time on the subject of the robot movements as a whole. Don't those of you that saw it agree?

Abeth- what a good suggestion! Let's see. . . Lately I have been thinking about what an immense luxury it is for me, especially as an American, to live exactly as I choose. I can choose to expose my self to anything I want and to remove myself from anything I do not want. That I have been able to live with an inherent birthright to the act of choice. I'm not saying life is always peaches and cream. I'm not that naive and even as I type this I think of so many instances where this idea of choice is so far from the truth. But what there is of it, I am very grateful for.

Kelly- I think it would be cool if you share with all of us once you get the site up! Not that that wasn't the plan- but I just wanted to put my 2 cents in on that!

Hello and best wishes to all-
Astrid

well it's been forever hasn't it. Hello my dear Katalina. Hello to wonderful Peter,Grandma Mil,Jo,Dhi,Kim,Mary,Abeth,Joan,Kelly and all the old gang. I've been (nod to Peter) flat out. Went to Canada again and North Carolina,in the same week! Whew~ I go back to work on Saturday and I don't want to..gee Paul spend all his time trying to get work and I'm trying to shirk it...bad me.
Welcome to Enigma. David, you are a rouser..can't wait to see what you stir up, it won't be stale I can tell.
Peace

oh, BTW... I have no weight loss secrets just weight gain secrets.
1.Abuse your body while you are young.
2.Have two children within a short interval, much shorter than you body needs to heal.
3.Get and incurable bone disease.
Do this and you too can gain 150lbs in just ten short years. I hope I have helped to inspire.
*removing tongue from cheek*
double peace.

Inn, dear Inn!
Welcome back to you. My, you have gotten about, haven't you.
I empathise with the weight gain scenario.
I have not given birth to any children (how about that), but I did have some odd family stuff turn up to upset things for a bit.
Weight gain was an unexpected side effect.
This happened despite dietary controls and lots of exercise. It seems that sometimes the body does not listen to us!
Yes, it definitely is a challenge to maintain good health when whe're subjected to overwork, overtiredness, stresses of any description, temptation by junk food and "good" food and drink alike, and just about anything else that life chooses to throw up at us.

Gee, I feel better now.

David,
Did you know that Australia is one of the most heavily urbanised nations in the world? True, I swear.
If ever I come across one of those little outback huts, I will let you know what it's like.
I usually stay at the Crowne Plaza when I'm away.
It's one of those entrenched corporate mentality type things. At least they have running water.
The portrait often displayed by the foreign media is completely off-key with the daily existence of the majority of individuals.

It sounds as though you're enjoying YOUR diet!
I re-started the initial phase of my low carb diet yesterday, in an effort to shift the fat a little more quickly. So, I guess I'll have to pass on the jello.

Peter

David, I've never watched Survivor.
The ads were enough to turn me off, so I guess you're one up on me.

Re. Australian urbanisation, I thought that I would offer a little insight into a commonly held mis-perception.
I have personally never tried any of those delicacies you mentioned. The tribal Aboriginies in my street tell me that eating marsupials can make you fat. That's probably a suitable topic of discussion for this thread.
Being a modern, multi-culturally inspired ethnic type of Aussie, I tend to eat a variety of foods, and often with a european flair.
Olive oil is good for lowering HDL cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of coronary disease. Lucky for me.

Don't believe what you hear about kangaroo meat.
The truth is that if you eat it, then you run the risk of growing a tail.

Nice to see you in good spirits.
Have a good weekend.
I'm off to trap a few koalas for breakfast.

Oh, no, Peter, not a little bright-eyed koala, my favorite Aussie thing, way before "Strictly Ballroom" entered my psyche!

When we lived through the harsh winters of New York, before we retired, Ellie used to wear a little plush koala pin on his winter jacket. The little paws opened to grasp the fabric of his jacket. Our children, then little, loved it, (and so did I!)

The koala pin was lost when we retired to Florida, and heavy winter jackets were not needed. Then, came "Strictly Ballroom", Paul and you on PC, and other wonderous Aussie things.

May I suggest that you substitute bagels and lox for your next breakfast, and "save the koala"?

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Peter:

You don't have to give up Jell-O on your low carb diet. Sugar-free jello has zero carbs and only 10 calories per serving - and topped with whipped cream, it's a great indulgent treat that you don't have to feel guilty about. (My favorite flavor at present is Black Cherry.)

Welcome to David and Christine/Enigma and best wishes to all PCers for a great weekend.

Vicki

Lyn, is it true there are no snakes in Hawaii and that really proves its a paradise?

Grandma Mil, I can only snorkel in 5 feet of water or I panic and if I do I just float backward. I can only thread water for 5 min. and after that, panic sets in again. My daughter swims like a fish and complains why I never swim enough in our pool. That's what's great about Hawaii, you don't have to go out in a boat to see a wide variety of fish. I can only dreanm about surfing and scuba diving.

Hi all! Hope everyone is feeling good heading into the weekend and that all the diets are going according to plan.

Hi back to Inn. Good to hear from you.

Peter, worry not about spellings, just take a look at these and tell me what you think - Guitar Man and Make It With You both by Bread.

Kim, weather has picked up here too.

Just started into four weeks off work. Freedom beckons....

Love to all,
Mary

Hi all-Mary- Oh my god --Bread! just thinking about that song sends a flood of memories!!

Jean- it was true about snakes in Hawaii and still is as far as I know..but they have a particular little critter there..the mongoose..that eats snakes for snacks.
And I have SEVERE claustrophobia...and have never been able to scuba dive or snorkel because of it! I tried snorkelling on a cruise we took a few years ago to the Caymans, and was okay until we got to spot where it was about 15 feet (LOL) and looked under the water and started hyperventilating! Not easy thru a snorkel! I am such a wimp!
Hope all is going well for everyone.

Lyn, I know what you mean! I'm glad I helped to bring the memories back.

Take care,
Mary

Oh God, no. There are people talking about Jell-O here in the corner. And I thought I finally found a decent place to escape it!
You see, Utah is the Jell-O capital of the world. In fact, a substantial percentage of Jell-O profits are dependent on steady consumption rates in this state. Really- find and ask someone who works for them! They even had a Jell-O pin for the Olympics. Jell-O goes hand in hand with Mormons. You can't escape it or them!
Oh, I hate Jell-O.
Don't take that to mean I hate Mormons.
It's just that if you've seen as many Jell-O incarnations as I have. . . Uh! It's so awful!
It's not even a real food!

Sincerely-
Astrid

Mary-
I'm happy for your 4 week vacation! Hope you get to do something nice with it!

Astrid, those small diet Jello cups are the mainstay of our eating plan.

Ellie and I buy countless cartons of this jello, plus diet whipped cream to go with it to kill the taste, and voila, we hold our noses, and pretend we're having a dessert orgy! (Must be all that whipped cream.)

Peter, Ellie found our pet koala! (It was the little plush pin I wrote about!) I am going to take a picture of it.

It is almost 40 years old, and when we moved to Florida, Ellie had placed it carefully in a little box, and retrieved it yesterday when I mentioned that we were discussing koalas on PC.

It is now perched on top of my computer as I type. Sentimental? You bet!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

I am just curious about something. on friday I ended up in the emergancy room and found I have galstones. They wanted to remove it that day but the surgeon was busy. I now have to have the surgery done next week and I am very nervous. I was wondering if any of you have any advice or have experienced the same thing? Melinda

Mil-
Hey, diet Jell-O was a mainstay of my diet for a long time to! I got diagnosed with diabetes when I was 7, so as a kid it was one of those substitutes presented to me on a far too regular occasion!
Then I got a little older and I said to myself,"Hey, I don't actually have to put myself through this!" THe only thing worse than regular Jell-O is diet Jell-O.
I'm one of those believers that aspartame(Nutrasweet) does more harm than good. It actually interferes with your memory retention! After I read about that I said to myself, "No Way! Everywhere I go someone is going to tell me something is going to kill me, So leave my diet foods well enough alone!" But then as a test I gave up all artificially sweetened foods, opting for no sweets at all or just very small amounts of them. Also, this led me to abandon carbonated beverages as a side effect. I can't even begin to tell you how much better I felt. My brain was working better, I experienced fewer headaches and muscle stiffness, and my cravings for sweet foods lessened to an impressive degree. This is because the unnatural sweetness of aspartame conditions you to need sweeter and sweeter things to satiate your cravings.
Not to mention it tastes awful, as is.

Sorry for the rant! I promise I'm done. About Jell-O and aspartme.

Melinda- I'm sorry, I know nothing about galstones but I am sure you will get a helpful answer from someone here. I wish you well, no matter what they do in surgery for you.

Astrid

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far. It is hot and humid in this neck o' the woods. We had some "dirt rain" early this morning and it made it worse - 87% humidity at the moment.

Melinda, I had my gallbladder out a few years ago when the "belly button" procedure just came out. Three little incisions around your belly button that don't leave any big scars, and you're done. Had mine out on a Friday and went back to work on Monday. Of course, there is still the radical operation if you can't have the laparoscopy procedure, so you should talk to your doctor to find out what your options are.

Mil and Astrid, sugar free jello with whipped cream is the saving grace on Atkins. We have it for a snack and the jello cups are good when I pack my lunch for work. Splenda is replacing Aspartame in a lot of products and I think it tastes much better.

Peter, I'd really like to hear more stories about Oz, and Mary and Kim, I'd like to hear some of your stories about your country, too. I have a pen-friend in England whom I've been writing to for over 40 years. Her family came to visit us twice about 10 years ago and it was so much fun. Taking a trip to see them when I retire is first on my agenda and I can't wait!

Hello out to Paul, hope things are going well.

A big shout out to Kelly, Inn, Cat and Kat, Tim, Nertha, Jo, Michelle, Dhi, Vickie, Abeth, Maile and everyone else here.

Be well.

Melinda, you have received good advice about gallstones here on PC.

I was going to suggest you look up "gallstones" on Google, but after I looked it up myself, I saw that there were many options, and it could get confusing.

Tell your doctor about your concerns, find out the method he is going to use, and question him about the procedure.

Best wishes!!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hi Melinda,

I had my gallbladder removed over 10 years ago. At that time they already were doing the "three tiny holes" procedure, but my case was really bad and they had to do it the old fashioned way. My case was extreme ... but the vast majority of gallbladder surgery nowadays is done with the minimum of discomfort and recovery time for the patient. So, it is very likely you will be up and around in no time. :-)

My advice is to have it taken care of as soon as possible. For years I knew I had gallstones but didn't have health insurance at the time, so I postponed it, put up with the recurring and painful attacks, until I had a serious blockage and the bilirubin backed up into my blood and I was itching all over my body! It was really weird because I usually had painful attacks, but that time when it was really bad, I had no pain ... just the infernal itching and sickeningly pale stools (caused by the lack of bilirubin passing down to the bowels).

Hope I have scared you into getting your surgery as soon as possible. Don't wait until another emergency. For one thing, if you do it as elective surgery you have more control as to who will operate on you. If you go to emergency ... you don't know who will be on duty that day or night.

Take care and don't be afraid. Ask questions, like the others recommended because the better informed you are, the better decisions you will be able to make. Take care and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Nertha

Grandma Mil wrote:

"When we lived through the harsh winters of New York, before we retired, Ellie used to wear a little plush koala pin on his winter jacket. The little paws opened to grasp the fabric of his jacket. Our children, then little, loved it, (and so did I!)"
===============
We had one of those pins and we loved it, too, but we had it pinned to the rear view mirror in our car! LOL They are so cute! Both our children loved to play with it when they were riding in the car (it lasted for years!). :-)

A great big HI to all the PCers.

Nertha

Sally C, shouting back at you ... HI!!! :-)

Astrid, I agree with you about the Jell-O. When we eat gelatin we just take juice (apple, grape, orange, juicy juice ... as long as it is real juice) and add unflavored gelatin to it. Delicious and much more natural.

Nertha

Hellos and hugs to all here at PC!!

After reading some posts about Jello-I just had to jump in!! I hate Jello and I especially hate it with fruit. But, the baby that I'm carrying seems to love the stuff-I've had cravings that needed satisfaction. So, what did I do? I ate the damn stuff-yuck. But, it tasted really, really good. It was refreshing and clean tasting. And, it must be cherry with fruit cocktail! The power of Jello-I'm chuckling right now!!

Jo-Where are you???

I wish that I could name all of the good people here to say hello to but I'm still stuck with Baby Brain!! I'm feeling pretty good these days and I hope everyone is well here, too!!

HUGS!
Abeth

Abeth- It's good to here that you are doing so well--I get really tickled to hear about people's pregnancy cravings! It WILL make you eat the strangest things. My cravings with each of my 3 kids were egg rolls, bubblegum (no kidding!) and popcorn. And even though those aren't really odd, I HAD to eat those everyday!

As far as exercise- and redistribution of body fat-in my 30's I was doing all the "Firm" tapes-with weights, steps, etc. They really work fast-My body looked great! Now that I'm in my 40's and I need it the most, I don't have the motivation! (meaning I'm too lazy). What irony!

Ha! At some point I knew at least one person would have to agree with me about Jell-O!

Hope you are feeling well Abeth. You take care of that baby, give him/her whatever it needs...even if it is jello. BTW, I love jello, I am known as the jello queen in my family. I always bring the jello included dessert for our gatherings. I may just belong in Utah! I always have a box or 20 in the house and I truely believe there's always room for jello. What can I say.
Hello to all.
Peace

Lyn B, I still crave egg rolls and popcorn, and I haven't been pregnant since 1959.

Feel good, Abeth!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Mary, Those songs by Bread are really nice.
Enjoy your FOUR weeks off! (I can only imagine 4 weeks). Seriously though, have a wonderful time.

Sally C, I'll have to think of some stories. There's a lot to tell and I'm not sure where to start.

Peter

Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. The weather here has been fantastic!

Astrid, thanks for the good wishes! I'm really looking forward to the break. Hope things are good for you.

Melinda, sorry I can't be of any help but you've had some good advice from the others. All I can do is wish you the best for your surgery.

Sally, I'm like Peter. I don't know where to start! Quick idea - beautiful countryside (lots of green), unpredictable/interesting weather (depending on how you're feeling), never too far from the sea, friendly people, at least two pubs in even the smallest villages, lots of craic (as in good fun!)...it's a good place to live and to visit.

Hi Nertha! Hope you are well.

Abeth, it's great to hear you are doing well. Take care.

Peter, I wish I could send a few days down to you!
All I can do is wish you lovely, relaxing times when you're not busy working.

Monika & Evelyn, wil you be making an appearance soon??

Special hello to Michelle. Hope things are good for you.

Hope Paul is having a great time wherever he is.

Love to everyone in PC tonight,
Mary

Yes, Mary and everyone else! This is our appearance!:-) Hi from our mini-PC pre-FIF-get-together in Holland. We are having fun, are you?

Paul, I (Evelyn, whom you like to call the waster of beer :( ) drank a whole beer, didn't spill a drop and Monika was there to witness the event! Sorry no pictures.

Peter, your rabbit envoy was successful in kicking someone out of the townhomes I want to live in and I did get one for August 1 and Monika's wizzard of Holland also participated in this effort. Much obliged!

Now we are off to buying bread for breakfast, then to the zoo and later a barbecue. You can all join us if you want ... :)

Love from us to y'all!

Ps.: Upps, this is supposed to be Monika (not Momika) Obviously I (=Evelyn) am spelling challenged.

Hi Monika & Evelyn!! I WISH I could hop on a plane and join you for that barbecue! Hope you both have a wonderful time together. Don't forget, hugs all round from all of us here!

Evelyn, congratulations on getting the townhome! Oh the power of the purle rabbits - a wonder to behold! (Of course, Monika's wizzard was egging them on.) Here's to an amazing year for you!

Love to you both,
Mary

Hey all!

Just got back from the Rhumatologist. Had a slew of test and got felt up everywere imaginable by 2 different doctors for 3 hours but I must say that they were very thorough. They adapted very well to my warped sence of humor, I must say. They were both very nice. The first guy kept asking if my pain was "more than you would expect" and I would say "no, YOU would feel pain if you were to really hurt me", I was just kidding, of course but when the second doctor came in he grabbed my bad arm and yanked it up and I just instinctivly pushed him back with my right hand! Defense mechinisim, I didn;t even think about it! He was fine but he said "I guess that hurt, you must be the one with a bad shoulder!" What a scence of humor, I love it! The other guy said, "ok, so THATS what you meant when you said I would feel it if I hurt you !" The whole 3 hours, while invasinve, were pretty entertaining and painless, for the most part. I love a doctor with a scwnce of humor, it is soooooo much nicer. Anyway, I have to wait for my blood work but I CAN say right now they say I do not have Fibromyalsia or Schloraderma like my mom does. They can not rule out Lupas or Conective tissue disorder yet, need to run the blood and look at the chest xrays. But overall, I feel good. It was nice to talk to someone that didn't think I was crazy for acting this "sick" at such a young age. (for this disorder). I will know more in couple of weeks.

Anyway, how is everyone? great!! thats wonderful! Nice to see all is well at the corner!
Hi to everyone, toooooooo many to list seperate anymore, ahhhhhhhhhh how the family grows ... so many new kids in the lot. Wait, I am sounding too uch like Mil! don't want to step on the queens toes! Ya know I love ya Mil!

Love to all,

Kelly xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox kiss kiss

Hi to all!!

Melinda, My 97 yo Grandmother had gallstones 2 years ago that turned into a gangreneous gall bladder. She had to have it taken out, but the surgery took only about an hour and left a small incision. In fact, when she woke, her comment was "When am I going to have the surgery?". By the way, Gma is doing great now and still going strong. She says she wants to live as long as Rose Kennedy did and bygod she probably will make it!

Abeth, good luck with the pregnancy.

David and Enigma, welcome from one "newbie" to another. Your posts are very witty and full of satire. I believe that sometimes they are taken too seriously!! David, you remind me of my cousin Spencer, who is a wildlife ranger/lifeguard in the San Diego area!

Grandma Mil, call me at work. I am emailing you the number. Hopefully we can get together this weekend. Am looking forward to it!!!!

As for the high carb diet... please put me on bread and water (sun dried tomato herbal bread and Propel fitness water please!). If you could lose weight by eating just pasta and bread, that's the diet for me! Besides, what is wrong with a little padding? In the Renaissance, that was considered the epitome of beauty!

Peter, I have a friend who's father worked at the Embassy in Canberra. She raved about how beautiful Australia was and how much there was to do. Usually all we Americans see of Australia comes with "Mad Max", "Crocodile Dundee", and that awful movie about the kangaroo who steals a jacket (I can't remember the name!), just like when Europeans come to America for the first time they think they can drive from New York to California for a day trip! Until you have been to a place, you can't understand it! Just like when I went to London, everyone here I talked to in the US said that food in London and England in general was horrible! (I guess it was just a coincedence that none of them had ever been!) I found that not only was the food very good, but the people were some of the nicest that I have ever met!!

Maybe we should start a thread on misconceptions? Just a thought :-)

Beth Ellen

Beth Ellen-My misconception as a child was....while on vacation at the beach, I used to believe that when I went to sleep, the ocean's waves stopped as well and would start again when I woke up in the morning!!

Thanks for the well wishes for my pregnancy!!

HUGS!
Abeth

Hello All!

It's good to be back on the corner. I want to say a quick hello to Grandma Millie her stud-muffin Elliot, all the old cats of the corner and of course the big cat...Paul.

Well I did my first public clinic over the week-end. I massaged three people, two who had major back problems due to typing on the computer all day and the other just came for relaxation. When I came home after doing those three massages back to back I took three pain killers and I couldn't stand up for about four hours. The clinic instuctors in school told me that everyone has gone through the same thing and that my body will adjust eventually.

Why didn't I just marry a millionaire host dinner parties for his collegues, and spend his money and the rest of the time wear a bikini and hang out on his sail boat. I'm tired of being a liberated woman!

Back to reality...

It's raining like cats and dogs here. It's actually a good thing the plants need water, and we need a break from the heat down her in the tropics. I made my first key lime pie of the season yesterday and I hope to bring one to Grandma Millie sometime soon. I'd bring you one to Paul but Australia is a bit far. But what I will do (which will be a first) post it in the recipe corner.

Got to go, lightening is taking over!!!!!!!! These storms I"m telling Ya!

hello all! I was away for the weekend and look what happens. I could barely read all the posts.

Jean and Lynn, we do still have a clean record for no snakes here in Hawaii, unless you count the blind snake. He is, yes literally, a snake, but he is very small and very blind. No threat, really.

Wow! PC has gotten quite spiced up a bit lately. I ought to check in more often...all of you have given me some wonderful laughs--good for the soul.

Bye and love to all!
Maile

Excuse me! I'm still me, just Maile. That was a typo.

Julie-
Since I am in a somewhat similar line of work, I am going to give you fair warning! Please do all you can to take care of yourself. It gets easier to stand and work like that all day, but the stress certainly doesn't go away.
Always wear good shoes, give yourself breaks often enough, do A LOT of stretching during the day and be gentle on your hands. I spent about five months earlier this year sorting out and treating an inflammatory condition in my wrists due to overworking them. Of course, I had some other contributing factors but my occupation was a major reason.
Don't let that turn you off though. I wish you luck and once you get your practice going, it is a field that has many rewards.
-Astrid

Hurrah, Kelly, on your email telling us you are feeling pretty good these days! Keep that positive outlook!

Yes, the PC list seems to grow, and it's great!

I just heard from Beth Ellen, who lives only minutes from us.

She and I spoke on the phone, and have an appointment to meet on Saturday for the first time! Julie, any chance of your joining us late Saturday afternoon? Call me! We'll have a mini pre-convention before the big one in February!

Julie, yesterday I would not use the phone during that electrical storm. I learned long ago that when it thunders and lightning strikes can be seen, get off the phone! People have been known to be killed while on the phone during electrical storms! Just another tidbit of information from Grannie to keep my chickies safe!

I received some great pictures of Evelyn and Monika taken in Holland during Evelyn's visit.

Evelyn took a train to visit Monika in Holland. She was visiting Germany where her mother and sister live.

If anyone wants me to send the pictures, let me know. Evelyn gave me permission to share the photos!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Sally C give me a couple of days and I will think of some stories to tell you about Yorkshire/Kent etc. Where abouts in the UK is your penfriend from?

Kelly that is great you are feeling good. Like Millie said stay positive. I have Fibromyalgia I was diagnosed with it about 4 maybe 5 years ago, but at the beginning the doctors thought I was crazy and it was all in my head, typical thing to say if they don't know what is wrong with you. It was a relief to finally have a name to the condition.

Julie if you do ever find a nice, good looking, fit millionaire I wouldn't mind you sending him my way!

Well it's getting really late now.
Hello to every one here tonight, I hope you are all well.

Love, Kim

Kim, I know what you mean, my mom has Fibro and also schloderma, lupas, rhumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disorder, diverticulosis, osteo arthritis, diebitis and high blood bressure. i know I am leaving out a few, but who can count em all when it comes to her! Thats why they are checking me for everything under the sun. How are you doing?

Diane, how are you doing?

Kel

Hi Mary,
I am not too bad. LOL It's the heat talking ... summer is NOT my favorite season. LOL

Evelyn wrote:
"Now we are off to buying bread for breakfast, then to the zoo and later a barbecue. You can all join us if you want ... :)
=====================
Evelyn, would LOVE to join you and Monnika for breakfast and the bar-b-q! LOL Sounds heavenly! Here in NYC we are having hot and humid weather so it's not so pleasant to be outdoors. So glad to hear you got the townhouse you wanted. Things are falling into place so nicely, now all you need to do is come back to the USA and start educating Americans. LOL

BETH ELLEN, totally agree with you on the people I met and the food I enjoyed in England ... and the countryside ... gorgeous! I have beautiful memories of that trip. :-)

Hugs to everyone,
Nertha

Thank you to everyone for your advice. My appointment for the presurgery is tomorrow at 4:10 and I will find out everything then. I am hoping for the three small little holes but I also worry about the big cut and the stitchs...don't like those...lol Any way my children are also nervous. They are little and are worried about me. So tonight we are watching alot of movies and doing alot cuddling.

Abeth,
Good luck with the baby. I wish you lots of Joy!

Gran Mil,
Always wonderful to hear from you. Brings warm feelings. Have a wonderful day.

Again thanks to all of you and hope you have a wonderful day.

Will let you know how the appointment goes.

Love,
Melinda

Hi to all this morning. We're waiting for more rain today and it is hot and humid and just plain nasty out. We've been having flash flooding, sveral dams have already broken and roads are crumbling from all the water. We had a HUGE sink hole appear on our street and there are detours everywhere. What a trip! Now we hear that tropical storm Allan might turn into a hurricane. Any news about that Mil?

Peter, someone posted (sorry, I can't find the name) that all most Americans know about Australia is from MAD MAX and CROCODILE DUNDEE, and I have to agree. My impression was a country with the landscape of Mars - red, barren and hot as hell. Hopefully, you can shed some light on our misconceptions here and there?

Kim, my pen-friend lives in Nottingham, home of Robin Hood. I have learned so much from her, your country is so steeped in history, it is unbelievable to me sometimes. I've always loved ancient history and England fascinates me.

Mary, it sounds like you live in BALLYKISSANGEL, that lovely little village on the show I love to watch. I'd love to tour the British Isles one day. It is a dream of mine.

Evelyn and Monika, it sounds like you are having a wonderful time. Enjoy!

Melinda, good luck on your surgery.

Abeth, I loved your story about the ocean when you were little. Kids are so innocent, aren't they?

Kelly, I thought I had aches and pains until I read about your Mom's. I don't feel so bad now.
Glad to see you are doing well.

Big hi out to Paul. Hope things are going well.

Hi to Astrid, Julie, Maile, Nertha, Tim, David and Christine, Jo, Inn, Kat and Cat and all the other wonderful people here.

Be well.

Sally, we're okay here in south Florida, at least in the Ft. Lauderdale areas. The tropical storm has turned into a hurricane and is up in the outer banks of the Carolinas.

All we're getting are torrential rains on and off, some sunshine through the clouds, and then back to rain!

I'm supposed to present my monthly video concert tonight and Thursday, but the rain usually doesn't keep people from attending, if they use their umbrellas and have transportation!

Last year we had no hurricanes in our area at all! Close calls, but the hurricane season from June to November was relatively quiet.

I checked the average temps for February In Florida (FIF)....77 to 80s, so bring your swim gear and lots of sunblock!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Dear Melinda, we'll be thinking about you as you meet the doctor this afternoon!

There is lots of positive and loving energy heading towards you from everyone on PC, I know!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Melinda, Millie is right. Positive energy from the Corner is pretty strong stuff. I wish you the best possible outcome with this. Good luck.

Hi Kelly! So glad that you're feeling good. Love to you.

Julie, good to hear from you.

Sally, would you believe the village they filmed Ballykissangel in is only a forty minute drive from where I live! It's really lovely.

Millie, good luck with the show.

Sally, Millie, Julie and anyone else affected by the bad weather - stay safe!

Love to everyone here,
Mary

Thanks for the advice Millie!

Melinda, we're all thinking of you!

MELINDA, LOVE AND HEALING THOUGHTS TO YOU.

MIL, I WATCHED COSI LAST NIGHT. GOOD MOVIE. PAUL WAS VERY BRIEF BUT MEMORABLE. BARRY OTTO WAS WONDERFUL IN IT! I REALLY ENJOYED HIS PERFORMANCE.

LOVE TO ALL,

KEL

Hello to all!!!

Grandma Mil - Can't wait to get together Sat!!

Abeth - I loved your kid story about the waves. I also had one. I was born in Indiana and moved to Michigan when I was in pre-school. When we went to the beach at Lake Michigan, I thought that the people that were white went to get a tan and the people who were black were out in the sun to get lighter so everyone would be the same color! When I moved to NC, my friends that were black got a real hoot out of that one! (If I offended anyone, please forgive me!)

Kel - Sometimes it takes quite a few tests to figure out exactly what is wrong. I used to work in the hospital laboratory (Microbiology and Virology) and was constantly amazed at the complexity of the human body and of the amazing array of things that could go wrong! Hang in there and don't forget to get more than one opinion! My fiance had a car wreck and the neurologist here was going to do a neck fusion because he had pains in his neck and lower back. He went down to Miami to get a second opinion and ended up having a triple fusion in his low back. His neck did not bother him after that!! What a nightmare that was!!! But I took one day at a time (still do).

Nertha - I would LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE to go back to England. In fact, I am hoping to plan a trip there in the next few years. I am a real Angliophile - in fact I know more about English history (especially before the 1700's) than I do about American history! And my favorite music is harp and lute from the Renaissance era (very hard to find!) Sometimes I think I may have lived another life back then!

Daveman - Some of your poems are just too much!! They are so silly that I just have to laugh! Hope everyone takes you with a grain of salt (or sugar!) like I do!

Love to all - have to go back to work! :(
Beth Ellen

Paul,
I just saw one of your films from yester year and had to see what you were up to. I did not know of this site and have not read any comments. So please don't think I am being rude by not commenting on what has been said. I just wanted to say a HELLO. I am also pleasantly surprised to know you are in the film, I, Robot. I will definetly go to see it as I have liked you since you did the movie that I watched today, Ballroom. I also hope fatherhood is going well for you. I enjoy my children soo much and hope you do as well.

I'm just too bloody flat out!

Mary, please send at least one of those relaxing days down here for me. Include some nice Irish countryside and maybe a pub or two! I could do with a drink and a good relaxing time.

Evelyn & Monika, congrats on finding your new place. Good things happen to good people (well,...eventually). As I've said before, never underestimate the power of the rabbits, or at least the goodwill they carry.

Beth Ellen, Sally C, re "what Australia is really like:
Culturally we're problem some kind of melding of English, European and Asian Cultures. We are extremely multi-cultural and proud of it.
The "Red Centre" is a very big place, but occupies only the central part of the continent.
The climate difference from Tasmania in the south (cool), to Cape York at the top (sub-tropical) is significant. Winter temperatures at the top end regularly reach 32 deg C. (low to mid 90 deg F.)

There is a good deal of rainforest along the coastal areas and the dense bush extends many hundreds of kilometres inland.
There are a number of extremely rugged mountain ranges which run parallel to the eastern coast.
The wildlife is rich and varied, particularly the birdlife which live in the wetlands.
The beaches are mostly sandy, extensive, often expansive, and very beautiful.

The greater part of the population live in urbanised areas surrounding the main capital cities. There are also a number of larger inland population centres and loads of small country towns scattered all over the place.

The earliest architecture is English, with many old structures having been built by convict labour and their descendants.

Many chinese migrated to Australia in the 1800's to try their luck in the goldfields.

The "Snowy Mountains Scheme", a huge engineering feat undertaken in the 50's & 60's was completed using mostly European migrant labour.

My own family (actually both families) migrated here from Europe in the post-war years.

More later,

Peter

Luvs to the PC today/tonight

Melinda: my prayers and well wishes headed your way my dear.

Hi Sally and Kelly!

Enjoy the BBQ and visit Evelyn and Monika :)

Julie: Did you just see Catwoman recently (old cats..new cat, big cat?)? LOL *wink and a grinn*

Love the JelloFellow - GREAT fun!! hee hee

G. Mil: i remember those little koala pins...i lost mine...snif...do they still make them i wonder? Maybe at a curiosity shop or Archie McPhee's ?? BTW: an aside, how are your Follie Fillies and Fellas doing with rehearsals? Having fun? started yet? Latte hugs from your Pacific chickadee (oh yes my FL friend is visiting me...in a week. I'm thrilled!)

Hi Inn beebie/aka Blankeenie. Miss you Trivia Queen. Howzit going? You winning? Tell all!
oh ye.. i can do that too if you PM me (I'm getting ready for some serious salsa n stargazing..when you know who visits LOL)

Peter: so..does koala taste just like chicken? lol (shoot, they're too cute to trap for breakfast mm?)

latte luv to all especially those i forgot to name...there's so many of us now,
besitos, Katalina

BTW: did anyone see Catwoman and that Basketball one-on-one (ahem...fanning self) scene? omG!

Yikes and big Wowz.

*wink*
Kat

Beth
What a nightmare indeed! I am glad that all worked out for him. Everyone says I have the best doctors. Surgeons and everyone is trying to see my Rhumatologist per he is the best. I guess I just got lucky. my surgeoun ironically did surgury on my son 13 years ago. It's a small world. I still have "droopy mouth" but It's not as noticible and I guess you can't have everything. At least I don't drook anymore, Gross I know, but it was a problem for weeks after surgery. My insurance doesn't allow second apinions but luckly I had just changed insurances and changed doctors as a result so I kind of got 2 opinions , in a way.

Kat,

Hi back at ya.

love to all

Kelly

Hello Beth Ellen,

Still working on my iambic pentameter. My sister Enigma is much better at poetry than I am. Paul seems to do pretty good at poems. ((((PAUL WHERE ARE YOU??????)))))))
Enigma, I am sure all of Paul's fans will be supportative through this difficult period for you as I will. I go in for my MRI on Thursday. Three days a week in therapy for my back injury that I got during the tear down of the Starsky & Hutch screening at the studio is really depressing me!
Peter!!!!! What do yo think about the new Outback Jack TV series??? Seems like all Australians are overly beautiful people and love the outdoors. How's that trapping doing?? Do you make your own clothes from the animals you catch?? Have you ever met Paul and if so do you hunt together?? Peter, I have noticed that you type without an accent. Were you born an Aussie?? You seem very literate. Did you learn to read and write in an Outback Missionary school? Do you ride a horse to work? Does anyone actually work in Australia as they appear to spend a lot of time foraging for food and beautiful women chasing these rugged handsome men like Outback Jack? I have sooooo many questions?????

LOL
David

David,

Are you serious about the TV series "Outback Jack"? I haven't heard of it. I suspect that it's probably a good thing.

Paul used to live in the same town as me.
I spoke to him at a school function about 4 years ago. It was a real pleasure. He is a very real, genuine, unassuming man, with a charming disposition.

I try very hard to write without an accent.
Apparently, it works!

Actually, David, I have never been to the outback, but I plan to go there one day.

Yes, I was born in this wide brown land, but conceived in a far away place called Dalmatia.
But that's another story.

I like horses, but don't particularly aspire to ride one.

We don't need to forage for food anymore, at least not since the proliferation of McDonalds drive throughs (one aspect of your culture that I personally wish had never made it to our shores). Would you like fries with that?

Peter

Katalina, our latte luv, good to hear from you!

I will happily share my koala with you. (I took a picture of it and will forward it to you.) I don't think these koalas are being sold these days. Ellie put it back into its box for safekeeping for another 40 years!

Peter, I tried to send you a koala picture too, but it came back marked "undeliverable." Help!

"Follies 2005" is in its 5th month of rehearsals, and the cast is very upbeat and excited! Everyone feels that we have a big hit, and the opening show will be the Monday morning (Feb. 7th) of the FIF Convention, so you guys will be our first critics! (Even if it's lousy, we still have two night performances to get it right!)

Beth, we're also looking forward to meeting you!

Mary (from Ireland) is planning to come to the FIF. I tease her by telling her she should wear a shamrock in her hair so we can identify her at the airport! All you have to do, Beth, is ring our doorbell! Julie has already graced our home, and it's always a pleasure!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Peter, thank you so much for telling us about Australia. You have painted quite a nice picture for me, and that, coupled with what little I know about the land, makes me want to know more. Be thankful you haven't seen Outback Jack yet. It's a reality show where a bunch of bimbos are dropped off in the Outback to meet Jack, a regular Crocodile Dundee, and are supposed to try to win his heart. I thought the first show was funny, but that's about it. It is almost finished running here on the East Coast, so I won't spoil it for David, who hasn't seen it yet. Scenery is nice and Jack is nice to look at, but that's about all it does for me.

Mary, you live 40 min. from Ballykea? How blessed you are to be surrounded by such beauty.

Kelly, I have a friend who has Bell's Palsy and has a facial droop as a result. She is getting Botox injections for it and the results are quite amazing.

Mil, we're supposed to miss Hurricane Alex today as they say it's headed out to sea. Just some heavy rip tides at the shore, which the surfers love.

Hi out to everybody.

Be well.

Sally, it's Wednesday morning at 8:15 a.m. the sky is blue, and not a cloud anywhere...like nothing had happened weatherwise in the last 4 days!

Yesterday afternoon it poured at 4:00 p.m. just as Ellie and I were packing up my audio equipment to go to the multimedia auditorium to present my August "Sights and Sounds" video concert. We covered the equipment and my CDs with black garbage bags, but when we got to the auditorium the rain had turned into a light drizzle.

By 5:45 p.m. people started arriving, and by 7:00 p.m. I started the program. I didn't tell anyone, but this particular tape was shown once before, in Oct. 2002, but no one remembered, and the audience was very complimentary, as if they had seen it for the first time! When we left the auditorium, the famous Florida moon (remember "Moon Over Miami"?) was out and it's been uphill weatherwise since!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hello to all!!

Enigma - What a small world! I was supposed to be in Long Beach with my extended family unit last week but work demanded that I stay in Florida. What a bummer!! The family did say that the beach there (which we have been going to for at least 16 years) is starting to get rocky offshore which makes swimming and bodysurfing awful tough! My cousin Spence (the one from LA) was able to do his 50 mile swim (exaggeration - not by much!) but we are looking to other places for the next get together. How I love Wilmington - the historic district down by the river especially. I lived in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, and Asheville most of my life and still miss NC.

Daveman, aka Jellofellow, maybe you should stick to prose and leave the poetry to Enigma! ;) Still love ya though!

Kel, I am happy to hear that you have the best in the business working with you. Take advantage of every resource that you can get. The internet especially is a good way to learn about different things, as well as being able to hear from wonderful people like the ones here at PC.

(Can you tell that today is a good day for me Jo?)

Jo, haven't seen you post in awhile. Miss you terribly!!!

Mary - Can't wait to meet you in Feb. at the follies!

Grandma Mil - I don't think the rain is over quite yet. See you Sat!!!

Love to all on PC!

Beth Ellen

Enigma: WOW! I also live in Wilmington and have fibromyalgia. Oooooh! I mostly lurk, but since we're neighbors thought I would say hi.

Barbara/NC

Latte' Kata' - Are you getting lucky again? Being all cryptic..."when you know who visits"...honestly. SHARE, woman! ;-)

Peter, sweets, you DO write with an accent. They're just not all used to hearing it yet. (That and seeing you in the purle suit.)

Re our Inn - "...a bit of a live wire" -pah! More like a loose cannon! But we'll keep her. At least she shoots from the hip so we can see where she's aiming...most times! ;-)

JELL-O - You FREAKY people...my husband was born in Leroy, NY where Jello was founded (believe me, we don't let him forget that anytime either). It's hysterical, actually. In addition, I have to drive through Governeur, NY to get to my grandfather's camp and there in the middle of the park in the center of town is a GIGANTIC roll of Life-Savers, as apparently another NY resident created that candy as well. (No wonder we're all so sweet. Ha!)

Koala for BREAKFAST? Yum! Goes along with the South beach "protein, protein and more protein!" for the jumpstart to that eating plan. Seriously, I ws going to ask you guys for quick breakfast ideas other than fruit--a no-no on the first phase of the South Beach. I get up early and get out the door with a cup of coffee, so I don;t like to take time to eat breakfast at home, but rather a few hours later once I am settled in at my desk. Any quick suggestions? I do take eggs and cheese and microwave them (BLEAH) but about Day 11 I feel like strangling my chickens for only producing eggs! ("Come on, girlies...how about a nice Pop-tart out the butt, eh?"

Melinda - good luck with your gall procedure. Anti-oxidants (The blue and purple foods, blueberries, plums, etc) and fat-cutting (grapefruit juice) foods and teas are really helpful, or will be in the future.

Julie - on the liberated woman thing, I totally agree! Where is my Bikini and Diamonds-Every-Thursday Man? We could have our own private fitness trainers and be FORCED to exercise every day as we'd have nothing else to do to take up our time: no folding baby's laundry, savoring the little teeny socks that get ENORMOUS in no time flat; no picking up toys on our way up the stairs to our VERY LONELY rooms because our husbands were out working/having affairs; no more Ingenuitive (shut up, Peter, I know it's not proper!) Dinner Ideas for what to do with an ounce of Italian dressing, one frozen bagel and chicken thighs; and definitely no time to write to friends on the computer due to all the charity balls and all that (plus, who can type with those super-long acrylic nails which go with that bikini-on-a-sailboat uniform?); no pets to walk and clean up after...

**ohmygod breaking news**
THat reminded me of something I HAD to share--I put the 12 chicks (yes, real chicken chicks, Newbies) outside in a small ground cage yesterday so they could enjoy the 85 degree heat and get some fresh air. Well! "MOTHER, what are you doing? How can you POSSIBLY leave these poor, defenseless, eeny-weeny little creatures out HERE, under the mulberry tree, ALL ALONE!" says Brutus, our 4-yr old, 135 lb., Newfoundland. He sat in the H*O*T sun for over two hours until I MADE him go into his pen in the shade...he just SAT there looking at them, for the lack of any better word, BABYSITTING them! It was a hoot! My neighbor was flabbergasted, as she's got 4 dogs and not one would be that protective and interested, unless they were trying to make a meal out of them. GODz, it was so cute.

***ANYWAY, in summary: Eat Jello, or don't (just don't put a statue of it in your park), Eat Koala or just pretend to, have sympathy for Melinda and her surgery, enjoy Julie in her Life Without Purles (wink), and...anyone need a cheap (but quite hairy) pet-sitter?

Smoochies,
Dhi

omg, could that post have BEEN any longer? SORRY!

Loose cannon-you bet! You surely will never miss my hips, they arrive 10 minutes before I do and stay 10 minutes late..just try to get rid of them, I sure can't. Our Katalina must tell her own story but let's just say her future looks a bit rosier...(and she thought a girl of her beauty would go unnoticed..silly latte). Another sinful treat Java Chip Frappachino..no wonder my hips are huge. I have discovered a band called the Young Dubliners. They are not new, just to me but they have an interesting sound.
Outback Jack..what a man! He's very easy on the eyes.
Grandma Mil, I too had a koala bear like the one you have. Turns out the metal clips in them would poke through after they got worn so they stopped making them. I also had a glow in the dark owl from Avon, but sadly that is gone too. I really miss that one. I lost in when my jacket was stolen in high school. It was a sad day....a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago. Dhi, dogs are so sweet aren't they. Once I had pnumonia but I wouldn't go to the hospital and my dog lay in bed with me all day for a month. She would only take food or water on the floor by my bed and she would have to be carried outside for walkies. To this day she knows when I'm about to have an asthma attack and she pushes herself into my leg until I sit and relax. I don't know what I will ever do without her.
peace

Enigma-I'm going to the Outer Banks on August 21 for my week vacation-hope Alex wasn't too tempermental!

HUGS!
Abeth

Enigma I would be very interested to hear about this medication for Fibromyalgia and how it has affected you.

Sally C I know Nottingham very well, it is a twenty minute drive from me. My sister has lived there for a few years.
I don't know if you have seen the programmes, All Creatures Great and Small and Last of the Summer Wine, I live near to them. There is a lot of countryside, castles, cathedrals here. If there is anything you would like to know please ask. I bought some tea towels yesterday and they had lots of different Yorkshire scenes on them, let me know if you would like one, I would be happy to send it to you.

Kelly yes I'm fine, keep popping the pills and keep smiling that's all we can do. How are you?
If it's OK with you I will email you later today or tomorrow about your site.

A big hello to everyone here today/tonight.
Beth Ellen Jo is really busy looking after quite a few little kittens at the moment so she may be gone for a while.

Love
Kim

Enigma-I'm going to the Outer Banks on August 21 for my week vacation-hope Alex wasn't too tempermental!

HUGS!
Abeth

Enigma-I'm going to the Outer Banks for my week vacation on August 21-hope Alex was to tempermental!!

HUGS!
Abeth

Enigma I would be very interested to hear about this medication for Fibromyalgia and how it has affected you.

Sally C I know Nottingham very well, it is a twenty minute drive from me. My sister has lived there for a few years.
I don't know if you have seen the programmes, All Creatures Great and Small and Last of the Summer Wine, I live near to them. There is a lot of countryside, castles, cathedrals here. If there is anything you would like to know please ask. I bought some tea towels yesterday and they had lots of different Yorkshire scenes on them, let me know if you would like one, I would be happy to send it to you.

Kelly yes I'm fine, keep popping the pills and keep smiling that's all we can do. How are you?
If it's OK with you I will email you later today or tomorrow about your site.

A big hello to everyone here today/tonight.
Beth Ellen Jo is really busy looking after quite a few little kittens at the moment so she may be gone for a while.

Love
Kim

Enigma-I'm going to the Outer Banks for my week vacation on August 21-hope Alex wasn't too tempermental!!

HUGS!
Abeth

Peter, I'm working on getting all that down to you but unfortunately we haven't quite mastered the whole transporter thing up here. So it may take a while. In the meantime, how about I go to a country pub for a few drinks and think of you...?

Thanks for telling us about your beautiful country. To me Australia means freedom, sunshine and possibilities. Is Sydney as beautiful as it looks? My sister lived there for five years and still gets homesick for it.

Sally, the village I'm talking about is called Avoca. Maybe they're not filming there any more.
It's in County Wicklow (where I live) which is known as The Garden of Ireland.

Beth Ellen, it's going to be so great to meet you and everyone else at FIF! PS Please give Millie a big hug from me when you see her.

Healing thoughts to all those in need of them.

Welcome to Ben and hello to everyone out there (too many to mention).

Love to each of you,
Mary

Sally C, thanks for the description of Outback Jack. I reckon I'm fortunate to have not seen it.
It will stay that way too, since I'm not particularly fond of so-called "reality" TV.
Invariably they show a bunch of stupid people doing something badly. That's entertainment?

Cheers

Peter

Mary, It's a pity about the transporter. Yep, just find a nice quiet pub and have one for me.

Sydney genuinely is a picturesque city.
The harbour is a truly breathtaking sight.
I don't get down there much, but this Sunday I'm off to Sydney for the City to Surf. It's a fun run which attracts over 50,000 runners and walkers. I believe that it's the biggest community participation event of its' kind in the world.
I no longer compete, but each year I organise a coach load of people to go down. The race finishes at the famous Bondi Beach. It's a beautiful spot. I set up camp in the park at Bondi and greet our crew with a well earned Gatorade (or beer for the animals). Afterwards it's a big feed, few drinks and kick back in a beer garden at a pub a few km's away.
Everyone has a good time and I take inspiration and try to think of ways to be able to return to running. I'm part way there. Maybe some day. You have to have a go, you know.

Peter

Peter, I hope the day is as wonderful for you as it sounds and that you get the inspiration you are looking for. To be on your way and know where you are heading is what counts. I wish you many long miles of freedom in the future.

Love to you,
Mary

Regarding Paul's original posit to keep us yapping away while he goes gallavanting off to "Annie Get Your Gun": in the never-ending battle to lose weight, what works and what doesn't?

Well, you know the sling tethered on 2 posts that you put the fat part of your body into and it vibrates your fat off? The one you can get for 6 easy payments of $19.95? Well that's one of the things that does't work. The only thing it does is make your thighs itchy like hell. Of course, you could lose some calories by itching yourself vigorously, but that's entirely a side benefit and cannot be directly attributed to the direct working of the fat-o-brator.

But don't take my word for it!! Try it out yourself to see how it REALLY doesn't work!

Fat-o-braters have become very rare of late after people started suing the maker, so if you need one to validate my claim, send 6 easy payments of $19.95! You won't be disappointed. Honest! I have fat itchy thighs to show for it!

Evidence like that don't lie.

Gran Mil,
Thank you for the cards they are great. I sent you a pic of my daughter and when I get one of my four sons then I will send it too.
Thank you for all of your warm thoughts and wishes for my upcomming event...lol
My surgery will be done on Aug. 18th. @ 9:30 am. My stones are around an inch in diameter but the doctor says i can do the four cut thing if all goes well.
Again thank you to everyone for you lovely words and I would like to say Hello and Welcome to all of you who are new.

Have a wonderful day!

Luv,
Melinda

Hanh, it's wonderful to have you back, and I'm glad you reminded us about the Fat-obrator.

I had one years ago, and it didn't work, so I gave it to a neighbor's kid and he made a giant sling shot out of it, and scared the heck out of the neighborhood until the cops came!

Melinda, that picture of your little girl is gorgeous! Among four brothers, she must be the princess in your family! Best wishes on the 18th!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

I for one would not mind seeing a "fat" dancer--they would just move a bit differently, that is all. And isn't dance really the celebration of movement? If we really wish to celebrate movement, we would embrace seeing that movement from a variety of body types, as we would see a far greater variety of body movements. For example, women with large breasts must make much wider arm movements. Does this put me off? Of course not--it is just a different expression, that's all. It's a shame to see so much 'dance-is-for-thin-people' focus out there. I'm a very slender person, but I have quite a few friends who are overweight yet have discovered freedom, expression, through dance. I say let's not put any limitations on them...

Brent - I couldn't agree with you more. Belly dancers are NOT usually slender, at least not in the "old days" (oh 1,000 yrs or go, give or take when the dance was used by women FOR women, as a means of celebrating ones' Creative Self--the naval being the center of Creation as that has tied her-- by blood--to her ancestors, making her heart connnected to all who've come before her by the beating hearts that created her, etc.). I go to several festivals a year which either have one or the other kind of belly dancing: 1) Those who do it to move and celebrate themselves and their Divine Self, and 2) Those who do it to show off their bellies and boobs in hopes to stimulate sexual attraction. Period.

Hanh - the fat-obrator reminded me: I cracked up on my drive home last night, as I passed a VERY curious thing along side the barren road that just has corn fields on each side of it. All of a sudden there was a stationary bike--the old kind that you always see alongside the curb after the rummage sales that nobody purchased--just SITTING alongside the road! Someone must've dumped it, and while I HATE littering, etc, it just totally cracked me up.

Oh, Peter the beer garden sounds wonderful!And I'm glad you still find joy in the thing you loved, even though it's not 100% your choice of HOW involved you'd like to be. As a part-time farmer, I HEAR ya. I'd love nothing more than to be out in the future pasture, pounding fence posts (hey, there's a boob-lifter for ya!) and working myself to exhaustion to reach our small-farm goals. But for now, I read the books at night, tend my smaller gardens, talk to my chickens and do what I can to help Bill get the barn re-footed. It's JUST like being there...so close...yet, not quite. ;-(

Allright, best be off before I send David back to the microwave for more popcorn. And THAT won't help his hips!

Have fun Favo Latte', you sly dog you!
Smooches to Paul and everyone else. (Tim, dearest, you just busy as HELL? Stop in and jot a line. You're on the list as one of our Biggest Losers (weight and inches wise, you and Millie) so it'd be good to hear a few tips from you).

Toodles,
Dhi

Inn - Young Dubliners TOTALLY rock! They come here (to Rochester, NY) frequently, and as I am in a Celtic band, have rubbed elbows on occassion with them. My friend here L*O*V*E*S them, and so I get to listen to their music some days while working--her office is across from mine so the sounds drift.

Also check out: Glengarry Bhoys, Great Big Sea.

Enigma (and David):

What a lovely tribute to your Mom. I'm so sorry for your loss.

My sister suffers with fibromyalgia also - for many years now - but does well with a combination of herbs and medication. It really is debilitating sometimes; I can't imagine what it must be like for her - and you.

For the first few years she had it, she could not get an accurate diagnosis, and some docs referred her to a shrink because they thought she was nuts (that's the authentic medical term ). It was a genuine relief to her when she found a doc that actually knew something about the condition and became her partner in trying to alleviate her suffering. Did you have a similar experience?

A big group hello and hugs to everyone here at the corner. Hope all are doing well and finding ways to be happy.

Vicki

Hello Friends!

Since I peeked in last week, you've added about 100 more posts that I haven't had time to read yet. I will look at them over the weekend.

Millie has kept me informed about Paul and our friends here. She has expressed your concern for me and I am deeply grateful for your prayers and good thoughts. It really is a comfort to know that you're pulling for me.

I am one quarter of the way through my chemotherapy treatments. The first was tough, the second harder. My third session will take place tomorrow and my dosage has been reduced, so we'll see how that goes.

The treatments are scheduled to run through late November. These chemicals are very hard on the body and on the mind. Chemo causes a host of problems, including neurological damage. I understand that the situation will reverse itself within a year after treatment ends; but I'm very frustrated by my temporary reduction in mental capacity and the severe fatigue.

I've also been trying to adjust psychologically to my limited capacities and to the realization that even with this treatment there is no guarantee of full remission. Alas, there are no guarantees in life, are there? So the question is how to live as happily and as healthfully as possible right now. I find myself drinking in every moment that is peaceful, joyful, and/or pain-free. And that includes moments off deep gratitude for everyone who is being so supportive and helpful. So thanks, once more.

Be well and happy.

With love,

Diane

Brent, welcome and thank you for bringing up the subject of fat dancers. I'm sure you mean professional dancers/entertainers and I agree with you. What's wrong about dancers with a little meat on their bones? How did it ever come about that you had to be pencil thin to be a dancer?

Dhi, good point about belly dancers. You are certainly tuned in to the symbolism of the dance and it's celebration of women. Years ago, when I was younger and had a much smaller belly, a girl I worked with studied and performed the belly dance quite well. A bunch of us from the office would meet at her house once a week for a lesson and some companionship and we were pretty good. I never got to the point that I wanted to perform in costume as some of the others did, but I could do a mean dance of 1,000 veils (wink wink, nudge, nudge). Now I'm just too old, too fat, and too stiff in the joints to even do a hanky dance! The chicken dance is about all you can get from me these days...

Dr. Dave, I am interested in your pineapple cure for pain. I don't have a juicer so maybe I can use the blender? Do you know if the juice interacts with any medications you take like grapefruit juice does? I love pineapple and if it works it will be in my daily diet forever. How nice it would be to be without pain and not have to take so many pain medications.

Diane, God bless you as you travel on your road to wellness. You are in my prayers.

Hahn! Good to see you pop in. Fat, itchy thighs? You, too?? Welcome to that special secret society. ;o)

Enigma, I, too, am interested in how you are dealing with fibromyalgia and I will be e-mailing you shortly for info.

Kim, small world, isn't it? Only 20 mins. from Nottingham? I'd love one of your tea towels with scenes on them. I have one of Nottingham that I've framed and will do the same with my new one. Will be e-mailing you shortly, too. Thank you for your kindness.

Mil, I see another storm is brewing in the Atlantic. Any news yet if they think it will be a hurricane?

Hi out to Peter, Mary, Kelly, Nertha, Astrid, Jo, Tim, Vicki, Inn, Cat and Kat, Evelyn, Julie. Marge, Monika, Beth Ellen, Lyn B and everyone else tonight including Paul.

Be well.

Sally C, you are welcome. I know you said you like all of the history to do with the UK and just thought it would give you an idea of some parts of Yorkshire. I look forward to your email.
Enigma I would be interested to hear more about Fibromyalgia. My diagnosis took many years, the doctors attitude was, she's young so there can't be anything wrong with her, which infuriated me at the time. It is true that you get other things apart from that, the list can be endless. One of the things that I also get is Trigeminal Neuralgia, I get it in the brain. I now suffer with that every year and each time it lasts that bit longer. It is a severe stabbing pain that can last from a couple of minutes to nearly an hour and that can be 3 times a day. I had my last attack for 15 weeks. How long have you been suffering with Fibro?

Diane you are in my thoughts and prayers. Take care of yourself.

It is very humid here tonight, there were storms earlier but thankfully have now gone. It is suppose to be in the 90's over the weekend, about time too!

Hello to everyone here tonight
Love
Kim

Thanks Kim, go ahead and email me!

Kel

Just back from seeing the preview of I Robot. It was amazing! I could see what you all meant when you said Paul's touch was obvious. The robot movement was so fluid and graceful. Congrats to you Paul for doing such a beautiful job!

Diane, it's wonderful to hear your voice here again. You have been missed! I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. As always, sending you healing thoughts and prayers for a full recovery. Love to you.

Enigma, I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you and for all those here who have to deal with pain on a daily basis. I'm glad that you have found a doctor who can help you.

Welcome to Brent and hi back to Sally!

Special hello to my friend in Chicago. Hope you are well Michelle.

Love to all,
Mary

Hello everyone,

How are you all doing? Hope everyone is fine. I haven't had much time this week to read the posts, so I don't exactly know how you all are doing. Sorry :(

Evelyn and I had two wonderful days !!! We had so much fun together and also did so many things.
I can tell some things we did. Well, I don't think Evelyn has objections that I am going to share with everyone what we did together????

- on Sunday we went to a streetfestival called C'est la vie in Emmen, a city 10 minutes drive from my house. A festival with music through the whole city. When we where home again we (my boyfriend and I) TRIED to teach Evelyn how to play pool-biljart :))))
- on Monday we took a lot of pictures, emailed them, posted on PC, went to the zoo, took even more pictures had a great barbecue and, ofcourse, we watched SB together !!!
- on Tuesday I showed Evelyn the office were I work, I showed her my parents new house, we emailed with Grandma Mil, we read travelbooks about Florida, we took more pictures and at 16:00 I brought Evelyn to the trainstation again :(

Yes, we did so many things these two days. There probably are more thing I forgot to mention. But most important: WE HAD SOOOO MUCH FUN TOGETHER !!!!

Evelyn,
Thank you for these two wonderful days, and all the fun we had. Also thank you for your beautiful cd (SB soundtrack!!) and the other presents !!!

Love to all,

Hello everyone, this time from somewhere in the Southwest of Germany again,
Had a great time with Monika and it is sooooo very nice to have met one of the gang in person, adds a whole other dimension to the friendship!!! She’s so funny, nice, lovely, interesting, friendly, hospitable and her English is so very good (Monika, please read the following here: “your English is so appallingly bad, I haven’t the faintest idea what you were telling me the entire time I visited, and you also know that when you speak Dutch, it’s basically your bad attempt at speaking German, right?—okay these are insider jokes and she will know exactly what I mean, no I’m not mean to her, but she doesn’t believe me when I tell her how fantastic her English is!!!, lets see what reverse psychology can do!) I had a fantastic time!!! and thank you for the dream catcher, now if only I can think of a way to get it back without smashing it somehow? Suggestions anyone?

Melinda, I hope that you feel calmer about the surgery and most of all that all will go well when you have the surgery. I’ll be thinking about you and sending you healthy thoughts! I've only glanced at the new posts (basically since yesterday morning) and it seems that both Kelly and Enigma have health problems, so best wishes to you as well and I saw the Diane posted as well--I hope the chemo isn't too aweful for you and has the desired results for you, a clean bill of health soon and anyone else who I skipped over, sorry but best wishes of health to you as well.

Nertha wrote: Things are falling into place so nicely, now all you need to do is come back to the USA and start educating Americans. LOL
----
Well, I will give it my best shot! Anything in particular I should educate the American in??? He he…

Peter, I will never underestimate the power of your purle rabbits. Please tell them, that they are always welcome to come for a visit (once I moved there) or permanently settle there, should they wish to do that. There’s lots of fresh green grass around the houses, at least during non-winter season, and I’ll throw in carrots and other things that they might like to eat. I’m sure Freyja (my cat) would love to watch them from any of the three floors and any of the many windows she will have access to. Here’s a healthy dose of relaxation, good music, some German beers from a Biergarten (sorry, no pubs around here) for you. WOSH!!! It’s on its way to you now, did you get it? :) and have fun in Sydney this weekend!

Welcome to all the newbies!

Mary, Avoca/Ballykay looked really cool. What beautiful country you live in, I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland, now even more.

Peter, your description of Australia made me smile as well, always wanted to go there as well. Last weekend I talked to my cousin who lived in Melbourne for a year and a half and her take on OZ was rather interesting too. Also saw the ads for Outback Jack in the US before I headed to Europe, but didn’t think it was worth my time to see it. Quite frankly, I’m really tired of all the compete against a bunch of people for one guy or woman scenarios that have taken over TV these days!!! Do I really need to see people make out like that???

Hi Grandma, how are you?

Must watch what I say, my sister is reading this site now (or was earlier this week, after I told her more about it) Hi little big sis, in case you happen to read this! Will see you tomorrow evening anyway, looking forward to it and don’t work too much!!:) I’m not :)

Hi Sally, how are you? Hi Dhi, Kat (do tell your story!!!) Hi Inn, Tim where are you, texas?, Beth Allen, Vickie, Julie, Linda, Abeth, Lyn, Kelly, Kim, Jo (come back, please!!!), Hahn, and everyone else. Love to you all and of course the Mercurios as well! Hope all is well with you.

Evelyn, Grandma is fine here, thank you!

I had just finished a post telling everyone about Monika and her visit with you when I lost the post, and lo and behold, yours took over, thank goodness!

I know about the fabulous visit you had, and now when you meet Monika and Koen at FIF, you can talk about old times!

Enigma, I have lived 71 years, and until lately have never met anyone with fibromyalgia. I'm sure it's been around a long time, but maybe in my younger days, doctors did not have the knowledge or experience that they have today with the auto-immune diseases.

In the cast of "Follies" I have a lovely lady of 75+ who has a solo, and at the end I asked her to extend her arms to the audience.

Her movements were awkward, and later she confessed she has suffered from fibro for years.

I told her to do the best she can. She never complaines and when I ask her on occasion,
"how are you feeling, Louise" she replies, "just fine!"

Enigma, I thank you and the others for sharing your experiences, which will help us all by making us more aware.

Paul started this thread with a weight managment topic, and thank goodness for almost 300 posts we have either lost weight or stayed the same, but gained valuable insight into other important
matters of health (and "I Robot.")

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hello Evelyn and Beth Ellen. Just wanted to let you know what is going on.

At the moment I am taking care of four kittens and must do so until I have found homes for them. About three weeks ago I trapped and had spayed a feral cat and did not realize that she had kittens. Around nine or ten days later I took food out for her and found one of the kittens. The veterinarian told me that I had to catch and take care of the kittens until they were of adoptable age because the mothers milk starts to dry up after being spayed (they were between three and four weeks at the time). I have them in one of our bedrooms now and I am afraid it is a full time job taking care of four kittens in addition to my own three grown cats that are not taking well to having intruders in the house AND the feral cat colony that I take care of.

Evelyn wrote:
"and thank you for the dream catcher, now if only I can think of a way to get it back without smashing it somehow? Suggestions anyone?"
======================
Evelyn,

So nice to hear that you and Monika had such a fun time together! I help moderate an online miniature group and a few months back had a chance to meet one of my online friends in person. It was great, and it felt as if we had known each other for a long time and were just picking up a conversation from the day before. :-)

About packing the dream catcher for safe arrival ... when I ship the miniatures I make I use plenty of bubble wrap and packing peanuts. In this case I think if you cushion the dream catcher in bubble two or more layers of bubble wrap and sandwich it in between two pieces of stiff cardboard. Tape the cardboard pieces so the dream catcher won't shift positions. Pack it in the middle of the suitcase, among the clothing. Your chances of it arriving intact are good. :-)

Grandma Mil, Mary and Sally C, and the rest of the gang, a great big Hello from pleasantly cool NYC! A very nice relief from the heat/humid wave we had been enduring. :-)

Hope you all have a good day!

Nertha

Peter,
Really enjoyed reading about Australia. When my oldest son (now 22) was in second grade he read every book he could find about Australia -- that's the one good thing that came about as a result of his watching Crocodile Dundee countless times. LOL But he learned about the country, and knew so much that when he entered third grade and was asked what he did over the summer he had the History teacher convinced that he had been to Australia. LOL We only found out because my husband used to be a substitute teacher and he taught at the school on and off, so the History teacher mentioned that his summer vacation must have been really exciting ... my husband was puzzled, of course, because we had stayed in the city ... LOL Christian was really pleased to hear that his teacher had believed him. The teacher said he had all his facts straight, so he thought he had actually been there! And by his facts straight I don't mean the misconceptions that David has ... I mean ... HAD ... until he learned about the real Oz. LOL Sorry, David, could not resist teasing you. :-)

Beth Ellen, totally agree with you ... would love to visit England again. Nowadays I enjoy viewing it in movies such as "Pride and Prejudice." :-)

I think I am overdue for a dose of SB.

So long...
Nertha

Evelyn wrote:
"Well, I will give it my best shot! Anything in particular I should educate the American in??? He he…"
================
LOL Whatever your area of expertise is ... for starters, in German ... not that many of us can speak it! We need all the help we can get. LOL

Nertha

Dhi,
The story of your dog baby sitting the chickies is precious! Animals are surprising. When I was a kid, before we came to the USA) we raised a rooster from a chick and he was soooo smart! First of all, let me explain that we did not live in a farm, so the chicken lived indoors with us, slept in the kitchen. LOL My grandmother used to take a nap every afternoon and he would sit by her bed the whole time she was asleep, and then when she had slept for about 1 1/2 hours, he would fly up to the bed and gently, very gently, peck her feet to wake her up! He also knew who was a stranger and was very protective of us and would peck at their legs. He was also the best alarm clock we had! LOL

Nertha

Diane,
Thoughts and prayers for an easier time with the treatments and, eventually, complete recovery, are flying out your way. :-)

Hugs,
Nertha

Evelyn,
Oh, you really make me laugh again, but I think your German is just a bad attempt to speaking Dutch !!! :))))
Thank you for your kind words, it is always nice to read/hear positive things about yourself. Ofcourse I think you are funny, nice, lovely, interesting and friendly too!!

Grandma Mil,
Yep you are right, we definitely can talk about old times.

Nertha,
You must understand exactly how it feels to meet a online friend in person!!! Great isn't it?
Yes, I also felt as if I knew Evelyn for a long time!!

Jo,
Good luck on taking care of those little kittens! I know how hard it is to raise one kitten, but you have four to take care of !!! The cat I had was also two weeks when I got him. His mother was hit by a car and died, so they had no change of surviving without her. But lucky for them my aunt and me were there to take care of them. She took care of two and I took care of one kitten. I gave him (Simba) a few times a day a bottle with special kitten milk and he became a really big cat!!! Unfortunately I had him for only 3 years, because he walked away, probably also hit by a car?? It was really sad...

Mary,
Thank you for your email !!
I hope you have a wonderful time with you family !!! Enjoy your time together !!

Peter,
I also love to read everything about Australia!!! Thank you for sharing. Did Grandma Mil send you my pictures? I made a few really nice pictures you definitely need to see!!!
Have fun surfing in Sidney!!!

Inn,
How are you doing?
How is your friend, is she completely recovered??

Hello to Sally C, Michelle, Tim, Kat, Hanh, Kim, Beth Ellen, Julie, Marge, Kelly, Lyn B, Astrid... (oh, so many names, I can better say: Hello to everyone !!!)

Also hello to Christine (Evelyn's sister) !!!

Welcome to the newbies, I actually am a newbie again too, for not posting for such a long time :))) But I am planning to do that more often, at least, that's what I'll try to :))

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!

Love to y'all

Monika

Hi Gang, I've been gone for about two weeks on a cruise to Alaska and I am cracking up at Paul's request for diet tips! This cruise consisted of mega eating and drinking. The chef's staff was mostly Italian and the food was utterly incredible and available 24 hours a day; so all the diet and fitness tips are MOST welcome right now as I'm sure I gained 20 lbs. I did Tai Chi for many years and then, for reasons I don't quite understand, I gave it up about five years ago. I need to get back to it and I'm hoping to find a good teacher once again. For me, the teacher is most important because the practice of Tai Chi encompasses so much more than just physical movement. Anyway, I'm glad to be back in the loop with you all. Jennifer from Calif.

Ah-David-That post about surf sounds like some of Paul's poetry!
Hi to everyone! My husband brought back more that t-shirts from Costa Rica--(no, not that!!) I've been nursing a Central American Cold for 2 weeks!! Yuck!
Anyway-I have a friend with fibro, and she's has had to get out of two rough addictions to oxycontin because of it. She gets massages and hydrotherapy every week, but two days later-bam-flat on her back!
SOOOO many posts it's hard to keep up-hello to Ben and Brent...Inn, Maile and Jean- Aloha!, Diane(stay 'aggressively' positive--"a life lived in fear....") Mil, Enigma, my namesake Evelyn-Wie geht es Ihnen? Astrid, Jennifer, Melinda, Kim, Abeth, Nertha, Mary, Peter, Chase, Tara, Dhiana, Jo, Hanh...z..zzzz....zzzzzz.

(((Sending out mental waves of healing golden light to all who need it))))

Jeessuss David! Just when I thought you were normal!!

LOL!! Wait a minute...didn't you write "Waiting for Godot"???

Mr. Poppe,

Medication time.

Hey Monika, sadly Dez is not fully recovered she is still trying but it is going slower now. We can only watch and hope.
Hi to everyone, I've had a tough day so please forgive me if I don't do personals tonight. I'd look forward to being off tomorrow but I have so much to do it won't feel very relaxing. Owning a home is so much fun ---sarcasam at it's finest---
Peace

David, I think it's time for your meds. Vicki

Now Mr. Poppe,

We been through this before. If you aren't willing to take your pills voluntarily then I'm sure we can find other ways of administering your medication.

snap, crackle, pop (latex)...
One pain cocktail coming up.
How are we feeling today David?

*gleam, twinkle, grinn*

j/k..

Oh..I brought you some nice black cherry Jell-O

Kat

*smoochies* All y'all know i luv ya!

big huz to Inn, Kim (hug), Kelly, Mary (from one Irish smile to another), Monika, Evelyn, Diane (kees kees my dear), and lady Dhi (nothing to tell yet...hmmm i'm being angelic...no slyness or luck involved here...this is pure meeting of the ah...the ahhhh..LOL...hmmm Salsa meets Tango? yes yes...*poof! Houdini/Hairdeenie escape*)

big luvs back to G. Mil who sent me a pic of her Koala. awwww cutie patootie. I will find one...I'm on a KoalaQuest *winks/grinns*

luv to the Mercurios
big hugs to all the PC gang
g'nite to the Jellofello (hugz) and sis

Katalina

Mr. Poppe,

Well, the real reason that you've been sent over here is because they wanted you to be evaluated...to determine whether or not you are mentally ill. This is the real reason.

And Mr. Poppe,

Miss Ratched's one of the finest nurses we've got in this institution. Please be nice to her.

Now Mr. Poppe,

It's group therapy time. Please stop bothering the other patients and take your seat in the circle. Now...who would like to begin?

Mr. Poppe,

I won? A lifetime supply of toilet paper? I hope that it's Charmin'. It's so squeeeeezably sooooooft!

Perhaps we could use it to pad your cell, Mr. Poppe! I'll take the matter up with the hospital administrator immediately.

Darn, we've been hijacked again! Paul, Paul, come back, quick!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Things that are empty make a noise,
the full is always quiet.
The fool is like a half-filled pot,
the wise man is like a deep still pool.

Sutta Nipata 721
-----------------------------------------------
Should a seeker not find
a companion who is better or equal,
let him resolutely pursue a solitary course;
there is no fellowship with the fool.

Dhammapada 61
---------------------------------------------
"Never argue with an fool because he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience"

Yea, Grandma Mil!!!!

Grandma Millie, I agree. COME BACK PAUL!!!! How are you, you seem a bit quiet :(

Jo, Hooray you are back :) Oh dear you've named one, how is Popeye and the others?

It is boiling here today, lovely hot sunshine but lots of wasps, the little so and so's chase me everywhere! Good exercise.

A big hello and hugs to all my friends here.

Monika I haven't forgotten you. I will write over the weekend.

PAUL PLEASE COME BACK SOON

Love
Kim

A Fool Called Me Fool, What Do I Do?
--by Ashok Sharda

A fool called me a fool
What do I do?
Shall I feel offended
By giving the fool
Undeserved importance
Undue to an obtuse?

Shall I feel hurt and wounded
For the fool has formed an opinion
On hearsay, believing others
Without knowing for himself?

Shall I feel sorry
For the scorn spitting unreasonably callous fool
As the fools are not wise enough to know
They are acting fools?

Shall I ACT wise
Actively reasoning in the light of my own truth
Pitying the fool in recognition of fool being a fool
As I can’t demand wisdom from a fool?

A fool called me a fool
What do I do?

Was Buddha a fool?

You are talking about the little happy Chinese Buddha's. I am talking about the teaching of Siddhartha who was Indian. He lead an ascetic lifestyle, so even though I don't know anymore about what he looked like than you do, saying he had an eating problem is like saying Gandhi was too skinny - that is entirely beside the point!

You make a lot of noise and say nothing. Shows you what home schooling is worth!

I happen to agree with Grandma Mil. Hijacked means one post right after another with absolutely nothing to say except fill up space, get everyones attention and have an audience.

Hi Aunti Mil...had to wait seems likean hour to pull this blogup...300+ comments. Whew.
School is going great we're already in week 6 of 8. I have a 100 in Economics and 95 in Managerial Accounting. Wish me luck keeping it that way. I'm working my tail off.
Miss talking to everyone but this particular subject is a sore one with me so...I just played deaf.
I'm looking forward to the follies. I won't be dancing. I'm not going to take dance this year at all because of school...I will pick it back up after I graduate. It's absolutely so much fun. My son Spencer is going to take again. It'll be his third year of tap (mine too if I were to go)

Seems to be a lot ofnewbies here. Welcome everyone. Yep I gotcha on the hijacked..It's called interplanetary isn't?
What did Steven Speilberg call it?????

peace and love

Tim

Gidday Guys!!! Firstly to Diane - glad to hear from you! Sorry for the dificult journey you are on at the moment. I send my love and healing thoughts your way and know that you will get through this journey and on to better times!

I am currently choreographing a musical in Perth (Gabba Gabba Hey) and do not have access to a computer which is why I have been away from the site.

I have skimmed down the posts and as always good to hear from the oldbies and also the newbies. Dont however feel that you need to keep the posting going - especially if you have nothing of interest to write?!

I must go now as there is too much to do and not enough time to do it. All is well in my world, I wish the same for you all.

When commenting for the sake of commenting, I ask you please remember one thing: it's a regular person with a regular job who pays for the bandwidth.

Mind you, it's no burden at this time. I love the community here, and want you to talk to your hearts content! But seeing a lot of "noise" posts is a little irritating.

Cat

Dearest Paul,

It's so wonderful to "hear" your calming voice, and Cat's also.

The two of you must be continually commended for the success of this site, in its ability to bring us together in love and friendship.

Case in point: Yesterday Beth Ellen visited us, and we were so thrilled to met her!

She is a lovely, warm, and upbeat young woman, and a pleasure to know! Of course, she will be at FIF and is very excited about meeting those that are planning to attend also!

She lives and works nearby, and we met through PC, of course. We spent an hour together, and we shared our love of PC, of all the things Aussie that we love, (wonder what THOSE could be) and we shared our bios. She had to leave for an appointment and we agreed to meet soon again.

How lucky can this Grannie be? First Julie, now Beth, Jean soon, and then...???

Timmer, Auntie/Grannie is so proud of you! Your grades are marvelous, but didn't we tell you that
you would do well in whatever you do? It's wonderful hearing from you, please keep us posted!

Christine, yes, I do have arthritis of the knee, but after losing 31 lbs. and working out every morning on the recumbant bike, I have no pain, thank goodness, although that could change as I "age". I wish you well every day!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Paul, thank you and welcome back.

Cat,we appreciate the cost to you for the site. Maybe this could be like the fan clubs in the "oldendays" and we each pay you for it. When I was growing up they were several dollars each and you got a picture and a newsletter a couple of times a years. I web site is worth more I would think.

Timmer congratulations on your grades. Keep up the good work. You will be surprised how fast time flies.

David, not to mean this "disrespectfully", but if you go back and reread my post you will see that I was talking to other people. You seem to be talking to yourself.

Jo

Paul, it's great to hear from you! Wishing you continued enjoyment and success with the musical.

Evelyn & Monika, it was lovely reading about your time together. Hope the memories stay fresh until FIF! Love to you both.

Jo, good luck with your raising your cat family! I love cats. I feel so comfortable with their presence.

Millie & Beth Ellen, you are so lucky to live so close to each other!

Inn, I hope your next day off is more relaxing for you. Love to you.

Kat, big hug back to you!

Tim, well done on your exam results! All the hard work will be worth it. Keep going!

Peter, hope you had a wonderful time yesterday and that the day was an uplifting experience for you.

Love to Cat and to everyone out there in PCland.

Mary

Cat, great to her from you , and just in time!

Diane, HELLOOOOOOOOOOO , it is so great to hear from you. I have been thinking of you soooo much lately. I am sending you all the healong thoughts and prayers you and everyone sent to me in my time of need. ******************* Did you get em? : ) I wish you all the best and hope you are feeling spunky soon. Don't worry about the mental stuff. I have learned haveing brain fog on occation reduces stress as you forget what you are supposed to be stressed out about!!

Well off to the store for last minute things.
CLAY TURNS 14 TODAY!!! My nig boy really is a big boy now. He is 2 1/2 inches taller than me (hes 5'9") and weighs 185 lbs. ( I still have em beat there, darnit!) He is playing football now, They work em alot harder in High school, good. He needs it. We still have baseball tournements this fall and he'll be ready to go.

Love to all,

Kelly

Paul, great to hear from you. You are what keeps us all together. Like the glue on post-it notes. (see what I mean about brain fog?)

Kelly

ok,

back to the brain fog, this comment
""" My nig boy really is a big boy now. He is 2 1/2 inches taller than me *****

was supposed to read my BIG boy really is a big boy now.

I really need to read this before I post. But i can try to blame it on my new eye infection in my right eye and the fact I cant wear my contacts right now. (its common for my ailment)

Sorry, silly me

Kel

Actually, noise is posting for the sake of posting. For example, posting a bunch of stuff just to get to a certain number of posts.

This place is for more than just answering the main post--that's just how it's developed over the years. People have built friendships here.

I actually post to a similar place with my friends, where noise is absolutely welcome--we go for post numbers intentionally. It's part of the culture there. But here, I think it would detract from the community.

So I say settle in and get to know folks. They are a great bunch.

Here's something to talk about: are any among you an artist? Soon I'll be putting together a volume of Paul's poetry, and having fan art on the cover would be wonderful. I do ask that any submissions be of professional quality, and based upon one of Paul's poems. I'm seriously hoping for lots of submissions here! Just send it to me in an attachment at frykitty at yahoo dot com, or if it's on the web, you can post a URL here.

To avoid hurt feelings, I want to say up front: EXPECT TO BE REJECTED. Because if I get a lot of submissions, and can only accept one--obviously most folks will be rejected. However--all submissions (unless you tell me not to!) will be put on the site in the fan section.

David I have just read your post to Cat and noticed that you mentioned that the oldies use this place as a personal message board, what exactly have you been doing then apart from writing constant rubbish. You also said that we use this place to discuss our illnesses, what has your sister been doing then.

Tim it's good to see you back, and congrats with your grades. Keep up the good work.

Good to see Paul back writing and enjoy the work.

A big hello to all here
Kim

David,
One does what one can in the face of tribalistic territorial onslaught, even in this post-millennial age, n'est ce pas?

As to your post of 01:40AM: AMEN Brother!!! See you on the other side??!!

Jo
The issue is not whether Buddah is/was a fool, but rather the use of the words of this--what some believe to be an Enlightened human being--as a backhanded method of denigrating or dismissing other human beings. Not only does such a gross misuse of Buddah's words demonstrate a woeful lack in understanding of the teachings, but returns a prima facia guilty verdict against the purpetrator of the charges they levy.

Siddhartha also said that the path to Enlightenment is the Middle Way, embracing aspects from all sides.

Fortunately, determining what is useful or interesting is a subject business, at best.

Cat
Not wishing to be a burden on your "bandwidth budget", do you--or have you considered--accept(ing) contributions towards website upkeep?

--D.S.

Oops! subject = subjective

--D.S.

David: I'm actually just looking for cover art, but I'll certainly put any poems in the fan section. :)

I'm not considering doing any kind of donation system at this time, though I know if I got in a fix, you guys would be there for me.

You're right, Cat, just let us know!

Thanks for everything!

Peace and Love,

Mil

Okay, David/Dr. Sprivey,
You said you were not going to post anymore to this thread. I hate empty promises!

As far as Buddha's words, no one called you a fool. You read that and saw yourself.

Jo,
Are you implying that David Poppe and I are the same person? Earlier in this thread it was David/Enigma, now it's David/Dr. Spivey. I can assure you that, just as you were wrong the last time, you are wrong again.

Hate....what an extreme word and, in this case, an entirely misplaced emotion. Perhaps a bit of anger management is in order?

And, in quoting Buddah, your intent and motivation was crystal clear and painfully obvious. Try not to engage in self-delusional obfuscation. It's not becoming.

It appears that we have a serious conflict of personalities here. Unfortunate, really. I try to like everyone, even though it's not always possible. In this case, perhaps the best solution is that we not respond to each other any further. I know that I shall no longer "bother" you. And, that is a promise of cornucopian abundance.

The scroll bar is an amazing feature and I shall make full use of it.

Sadly, our last correspondence,
--Dr. Spivey

Monika and Evelyn, thanks so much for the photos.
You look to be having a wonderful time.
I also liked the photos of the dutch wildlife. I didn't know that the rabbits and birds grew that big over there. It must be the clean air and green grass.

Diane, So very nice to hear from you after all this time. Best wishes to you. I hope that all goes well for your recovery.

Mary, Thankyou. I was a good day. Love to you.

Paul, Good that you could drop in. Hope all continues to go well. Pity you're so far from home. A couple of beers in a quiet corner of a nice pub sounds in order.

Cheers,

Peter

I don't threaten, I don't bully, but most of all I don't shout. I have not accused anyone of anything, true, false or inbetween. I have only stated the obvious facts.

Inn,
I am so sorry that Desiree isn't completely recovered yet. I am still sending her healing thoughts.

Kim,
Thanks for writing me !

Tim,
Congratulations on your grades. You deserved it after all the work! Good luck on keeping it that way...you can do it !!

Paul,
It's great to hear everything is allright !

Jo,
How are the kittens?

Mary,
It was also nice sharing all the things Evelyn and I did together. Ofcourse the memories stay fresh until FIF, right Evelyn???

Peter,
I am glad you liked the photos. Yes, we had a wonderful time together.
You've said it correctly: of course the "rabbits" and the "birds" are very big here in Holland because of the green grass and the clean air :))))
How was surfing in Sidney?

Hi to Evelyn, Katalina, Grandma Mil, Beth Ellen, Marge (how are you, where are you?).

Love to you all,

Monika

Monika, No, it wasn't surfing! I went to the City to Surf fun run. I had a great day. It's officially the world's largest fun run. They had 60,000 entrants. Unfortunately, I just spectated.
Maybe next time.

Peter

Christine, (I love that name) the artificial sweetner that should be avoided is Equal, and all sweetners in that catagory.

I started using Splenda, and it's now being used in many products, but I looked it up on the Internet, and it, too, could be detrimental to our health!

The only thing left is Sweet and Low, and years ago it was used on rats and they developed tumors, for the questionable ingredient was saccahrine. However, that may have been a false assumption for humans. It's a real problem, and I guess moderation is the key.

Some time ago one of our PCers warned us about Equal. I switched to Splenda and now have cut back on that drastically too. We can't win!!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Peter,
I am sorry for the misunderstanding !!! :)
Glad you had a great day anyway !

Monika

Monika, thanks for the letter and photos, I will sort one out of me and send it in a couple of days.

Grandma Millie thank you for the photo. I am so pleased that you, Ellie and Beth Ellen had a great time. I do wish we all lived that bit nearer we'd have a ball!

Does anyone know how Marge is? Marge come back we miss you.

Kelly did you get your site sorted????? I'm looking forward to seeing your pics.

Jo I want all four of those kittens. I did like Velcro he looks a little cutie.
Keep up the good work, you are doing a great job.

Love n' hugs to everyone here
Kim

Has anyone tried using Stevia powder as a sweetener? Health food advocates say it's safe, all natural, won't raise blood sugar levels and doesn't cause cavities!

Well, bad news about Dez. Her Khron's disease has kicked up and now she will need major surgery. She will be going back to the hospital from the rehab home tomorrow. thanks for the concern Monika.
Mary, tomorrow is another day off..laundry day! Ha. I'm telling you all I'm going to make an appointment at a spa and spend the whole dang day..one day soon.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAY!!! I hope it's nothing but great.
Hello Paul, I'm glad to see you too. I'm glad things are well with you.
Add me to the list of those who saw I,Robot. I enjoyed it. My family and I stayed to see the credit too, and we cheered. It was funny.
Peace

I am the one who got on the Aspartame thing- be it Equal, Sweet& Low or whatever. I've had Juvenile(insulin dependent)diabetes since I was 7, for those of you who don't know allready :), and have consumed large amounts of artificial sweeteners in my past. From my own experience, research I have done, and the accounts of others I will say I believe without a doubt that if consumed at a moderate or greater amount for long periods of time it increses your chances of cancer, recurring headache, muscle tension and stiffness and reduced cognition and memory retention, among other things. I try to consume only small amounts on occasion, since sugar substitutes are a valuable tool for me, so moderation is a good way to go. I know that eventually almost anything in our modern world is going to be called a hazard, but this I really do believe is worth considering if these substitutes are a significant part of your diet.

So, I took a hiatus from posting for a while, partly because I have an entire life off-line, like any normal person should, and partly because the feel of things around here turns me off completely. Which saddens me bacause it added a pleasant, interesting and meaningful element to my days. I missed those of you I have gotten to know.
Though I am one of those people who is permanently serious, I can appreciate people who are lighthearted and can share a good CONTEXTUAL joke every now and again. If what I am about to say brings about the end of my time here, so be it, because I am not looking for people to "love me for who I am" here. I am not seeking validation, just a meaningful exchange with people I've gotten to know. In so many of your statements David, you say you want something from people. I think you are too conditional for your own good. I was neutral toward you for a long time and used the scroll button quite a bit when I see your postings, just as you suggest. However, I would really like to see an end to this situation. IT IS DISRESPECTFUL TO ALL OF US, no matter whose "fault" it is. So, if you say you are going to leave it alone, LEAVE IT ALONE. At the current time I think I am the youngest person around here at 23, and I must say it sickens me to see a grown adult behave in this way. None of this went on before your arrival, David, and to me, that says something. Please, give this a rest.

I send my best thoughts and wishes to all of you who know me. There are just so many, it's truly a lot to name them all. Hopefully when I check in again things will be more normal.
Love-
Astrid

David, when you first came on PC and bombarded this site with your weird sense of "humor", I wrote you a personal email, for I did not wish to embarrass you in public. I told you to COOL IT, right?

(I also told you we already have a resident humorist whom we all adore.)

Well, you toned things down a bit, and now you are at your worst, and I will chastise you now in public for your horrible manners and disrespect for others and for this site, which you have tainted!

I too, would be very happy if you leave quietly, so PC can once again be a site filled with love and laughter, respect and concerned friendship, that Cat and Paul envisioned at its conception!

G.M.

Dearest Astrid,

Bless you, you are wise beyond your years!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hellos and hugs to all at PC!!

Please, don't anyone leave. I suggest that if any one person is unhappy with anyone in PC-we email the moderator-Cat and let her be judge and jury. What say you, Cat?

Good People-Let's not get into posting battles. We are all human and therefore, we all have different perpectives.

Like I tell my girls-"Play nice" and "It's easier to be well behaved rather than getting into trouble".

HUGS!!
Abeth

As long as we mention the conflict, it continues. I've been waiting for everyone to move on. I would like this to be the last mention of it.

Seriously, let's just change the subject and carry on.

Christine, I too find a carbo free diet hard to adhere to 100%, but then, I've been on the South Beach eating plan for 15 months.

In spite of exercise and calorie watching, I've only lost 31 lbs.

My costume lady came over yesterday and had me try on some parts of my "Momma" costume she has started.

I told her to use elastic around the waist-band and velcro for the back, just in case the size may change in the next 7 months!

That change could either be smaller or, heaven forbid, larger!

I told her I have to look outrageous for the gang from PC!

(I am lipsynching the song Queen Latifah sings in the movie, "Chicago"..."When You're Good to Momma". I am trying to emulate her attitude, but not her movements...I could get arrested and thrown out of the community for lewd behavior.)

At 71, I am one of the "babies" in the cast of "Follies" coming up in February in Florida. (FIF)

The eldest is a man, 93, who sings a duet with his live-in lady friend.

The ages of the cast run from 58+, the median being late 70s. We're all having a wonderful time getting this show ready, especially since people from PC are coming to see it, and have a mini Paul convention at the same time! If you are interested, let me know!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

David,
Gracia, multo mille gracia. But, please stop....you're embarrassing me! Besides, you can turn a mean phrase, yourself! Frisson frondeur, farouche cannonade,indeed! Here's one for you: churlish Ashkelonian aspersions with anal retentive tendencies! Waddya think?

Abeth,
Thank you for your input. Yes, it is by far better to get along and "play" nice. But that requires a great deal of mutual tolerance, a rare beast indeed. Not everyone is the same nor do we all "play" in the same way. And, as with any group, there are always bullies. Those who, due to some sense of entitlement or privilege, think they have the right to determine not only the make-up of the group, but which games will be played. That exists here as well. I've only been posting for a couple of days, but I have been reading back through a few of the threads and I see the same pattern recurring. New people come into the "group" and, though welcomed at first, if they don't fall into line with some vague, predetermined pattern of inbred subject matter, they are quickly attacked (usually by the same people) and forced from the playground.
At some point deference becomes intolerable. At some point, someone has to stand up to the bullies and make it clear that they have no more authority here than anyone else. Just go away if you don't like it, you may say. I say, why should I? Is this not a free space, open to anyone to contribute?

Previously, someone here mentioned the concept of the "big picture". While there is a framework in general, the picture within that frame is ever-changing due to the public access aspect of this forum. People come. People go. Unfortunately, a few here think that that picture must conform to the image in their heads. Our Corner. Our Paul. The way it used to be. What arrogance! What hubris!

However, as you suggest, there is one authorized final authority here and that is Cat. She is the Webmistress and it is she with the vested, economic interest. It is her bandwidth being used up. True, this is a blog site dedicated to Paul Mercurio, and it is he who people come here to "visit". It is he who determines the thread topics to be discussed. For the rest, by virtue of the fact that this is the world-wide web, this is a wide-open "living room" with a permanent welcome sign at the door. If that is not the intention, then this should be a members only, paid subscription service.

Granted, the bounds of human decorum dictate certain norms, certain patterns of acceptable behavior. However, a free market place of ideas means that all concepts are worthy of consideration. Incorporate the ones you want, skip over the rest. Should any post (or poster) go over the top in their fervor, then gently steer the focus in another direction. Engage calmingly. Personal attacks should never be the preferred method. But, should they occur, they have every right to be defended against.

Personality conflicts do occur, however, as I have previously indicated, the best solution is to avoid further contact. Just scroll on by.

Again, Abeth, I value and appreciate your input. Thank you.

To Everyone:
As I mentioned earlier, I have been reading some of the old posts--reverse engineering, you could say. This certainly is an eclectic collective. I will make direct personal comments to any and all as time goes on. In the meantime, I hope everyone is feeling well, coping well, is getting enough support and, hopefully finding a bit of happiness along the way. Try not to let the mundane, although sometimes frustrating, aspects of daily life get you down.

More to the original topic of this thread, and in response to some questions about artificial sweeteners. You may want to give the following site a look. The Aug. 9 article entitled, "The sweet poison even the FDA didn't want to approve" is rather pertinent. Please don't consider this a SPAM. I have no personal interest in the site. It's just that Dr. WC Douglass provides a perspective which generally differs from the mainstream medical profession's (not to mention the pharmaceuticaal industry's) party line. To make informed decisions it's valuable to have info from as many sources as possible. Some of his other articles are interesting as well. Enjoy.

BTW, someone mentioned the old standby, Sweet 'n Low (saccharine) and the research indicating that it caused tumors in laboratory rats. I remember reading that for a human being to receive the same concentrations of saccharine given to those rats, they would have to drink something like 20 cans of diet soda a day, every day, for 20 years. Well, it doesn't take a statistician to figure out the probability of that happening or the realistic health risk!
That's the way it goes. Today's miracle product is tomorrow's greatest health risk. Go figure!

Paul:
How's the choreography work going? Annie Get Your Gun, wasn't it? Better watch out. That Annie Oakley is a real straight shooter with an eagle eye to boot!!!

Cat:
How ya'doin'in the bandwidth department? Do we need to organize a little fundraiser? I hear that the LA Centre Studios may be available as a location!!!

Later,
from now on, just plain Spivey

Sorry, didn't realize that my last post was soooo long. Will watch it from now on.

Cat:
Was apparently posting so hadn't seen your post. What a wise idea. I'm all for it. Thanks. You're an angel in disguise!!!

--Spivey

Ooops!!! The web site I referred to is:

www.realhealthnews.com

sorry about that

Hugs to G. Mil, hugback to Mary, luvs to sweet Diane (sending warm loving light and well wishes your way), and lady Dhi (where are ya woman?!), warm hug and a smile to Inn (for Dez) today; big smile and waves to Cat and Paul!!! Haloooo :-)

Latte luv to all the PC gang today.
So....btw: how are the "healthy choices" going thus far? (I sure hate that diet and elimination aspect) I'd rather supplement a good choice or activity or replace a bad habit with a good one..that seems to be working well.

Today it's water and granola and my fishfood...yik blech (blue/green algae) Odwalla superfood drink for antioxidant properties...it does get me eating/drinking my greens!!

moochas smoochas to everyone
Kat

Hugs to G. Mil, hugback to Mary, luvs to sweet Diane (sending warm loving light and well wishes your way), and lady Dhi (where are ya woman?!), warm hug and a smile to Inn (for Dez) today; big smile and waves to Cat and Paul!!! Haloooo :-)

Latte luv to all the PC gang today.
So....btw: how are the "healthy choices" going thus far? (I sure hate that diet and elimination aspect) I'd rather supplement a good choice or activity or replace a bad habit with a good one..that seems to be working well.

Today it's water and granola and my fishfood...yik blech (blue/green algae) Odwalla superfood drink for antioxidant properties...it does get me eating/drinking my greens!!

moochas smoochas to everyone
Kat

sorry for the double post guys.
the post button held too long and wasn't sure it loaded..eeeeeek

That's okay, our latte love, Katalina, you made it possible for us to get double hugs from you! :)

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

To all that have asked about the kittens I wanted to let you know that they are all doing fine. I am taking them to the veterinarian on Wednesday for a "check-up" just to make sure that nothing is wrong with any of them. They are all eating solid food now, althought that was a real challenge, and gaining weight. I think they must be about five weeks old now. The vet did recommend that I keep them until they are eight weeks, so I have a few more weeks of being a mother cat.

A couple of years back my husband and I raised a litter of four that were abandoned and they were only about three or four days old. All of them survivied and have thrived so these littles guys should too (fingers crossed).

My niece has had five of her chemo treatments now and had to start on the Procrit for anemia. She has 21 more to go before the surgery and radiation. Her mother is still getting chemo too, but is determined to live to see her daughter through this ordeal.

Hello to all my friends and a big hug. :)

Jo

Kelly,
I forgot to add that I hope Clay had a wonderful birthday! Happy Birthday Clay.

Astrid it was good to hear from you and I HOPE you do stick around.

Abeth it was also nice to hear from you, how are you and that bump of yours???

Kelly could you also wish Clay a Happy Birthday from me as well.

Jo I'm sorry your niece is having such a rough time and her mum too. I haven't heard from my sister so I don't know how she is getting on with her treatment, I'm sure that one day I will get to find out. It was great to chat with you, I was feeling a bit grumpy but not now!

Love to everyone here
Kim

Wow, a lot of weird back and forths recently, eh. I feel glad that I was away on a cruise to Alaska! I have to say that I feel very grateful for the stability of Grandma Mil and others. As a fairly recent newbie, you all made me feel very welcome and I appreciate that and I sure hope that wonderful sense of comraderie will be sustained. Also, it was great getting the G'day from Paul and knowing that he is happy doing what he does best. Hey Christine and Grandma Mil, I love Queen Latifah, too! And I love that Grandma Mil is 71 years young! Yikes, I have tons of work to do now; so gotta run. Ciao! Jennifer from Calif.

Checking in....

I agree with "The Mil". Need not say more.

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm just taking a break from studying for my test tomorrow. The husband went to the gym, the dog ate and is sleeping, the cats are hunting outside, the phone stopped ringing, and I'm not massaging anyone... finally peace and quiet has entered my life once again.

Tomorrow I see Grandma Millie for some catch up. Pictures will probably be taken and everyone on her e-mail list will most likely get to see me in my white therapist uniform (how exciting).

I was thinking about something today...

Life's too short to worry about what others think. Let go of fear and be who you are.

Don't ask me why I'm suddenly getting philisophical

Best wishes to Katalina, Diane, Time, Peter, Beth, Kim, Cat,

Julie GOOD LUCK for your test, all fingers are crossed for you. Enjoy the peace and quiet, it never lasts for long! Have a great time catching up with Millie. I hope there are some photos.

Jennifer good to see you back

Sally C, I have got you a Yorkshire tea towel, if you can email me with your address I can get it of in the post for you.

Love to all
Kim

Kim- I didn't mean I was leaving, just that I had taken a breather. But thanks for saying so!

Good Luck Julie!

Kelly- I hope Clay has a good one!

Mil- I, too am impressed with your chosen number! Quite racy, and really my faveorite from Chicago. Oh, just thinking of how busy my life is looking in February makes me sad! For it would be a miracle if I were to make it to the FIF! It's so nice to hear about it, though.

Jo- good luck with the babies! I used to do animal rescue and maintain a few feral colonies, myself. Such an undertaking- but so valuable.

It was so good to hear from you, Paul- which I am saying belatedly. I hope you and your family are well and that your work is going well.

Love to all of you here,
Astrid

Christine,
Always an Enigma! Never a Paradox! Thank you for your kind words. I find the English language to be a wonderful thing...so rich...so vibrant...so alive. I try to use it in as an expressive manner as possible.
Intelligent? I am not about demonstrating intelligence, but rather sharing the things which I have learned. After all, knowledge in a vacuum is useless and experience unshared is meaningless. No,I am about exchange and interaction.
Besides, I believe that intelligence is a relative concept. Take Einstein, for example. Without question a brilliant physicist. However, the man couldn't even tie his own shoelaces and frequently couldn't find his own way home. Brilliance or practicallity--what a trade-off. Balance is the key.
So now, Christine, YOU tell ME something good!!

I, too, find plain water often to be unsatisfying. Adding lemon or lime only cuts it for so long. Variety is, after all, the spice of life! I must confess that I am a hard-core Diet Coke drinker of long standing--aspertame hazards not-withstanding.

Uhhh..I forget what I was going to say! Short term memory loss alert!! Umm...oh yeah! Did you know that aspartame has actually been around for a long, long time? It took quite awhile to get approval for general use because of a short "shelf-life" problem that needed to be worked out. I read somewhere that it rather quickly degraded into a substance remarkably similar to formaldehyde!!! That's right...embalming fluid!!!! Now, what food/drink manufacturer would want to have THAT as an ingredient? And, even should some unscrupulous business do so, what consumer in their right mind would want to eat/drink it?
BTW, I made rather a huge typo regarding the saccharine research findings. The daily consumption was actually something like 200 cans per day rather than 20. An even greater improbability.
Sorry, but I don't have any advice for you regarding artificial sweeteners. I suppose it would depend on why you are giving up/cutting back on sugar as to a suitable alternative. Is it for dietary/weight loss purposes? Is it because of health or allergy reasons? Perhaps others here would have better info for you than I.
I am acquainted with a few vegan, biological food types and will see if I can find out something for you from them.

David,
Again, thank you. I am humbled. But please, no hero worship. Heroes, like idols, all too often have feet of clay. No, I am just a person doing the best he can like I hope everyone else here is.
Microcasm, macrocasm euphamism? How about just plain chasm? Persian Flaws? We can only aspire! Bism Allah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim.
And David/Prudence/Sibyl(?)--you know that I love you like...well, like my lifesaving Dr. Shol's odor-eating, air-cushion in-soles, don't you? Mais, entre nous, I feel that I just have to tell you that there are many flavorful brands of caffein-free coffee on the market!! Give them a try, d'accord?
And Jello? Shades of dehydrated, powdered, reconstituted horses hooves!!! Hi Ho Silver, indeed!!!

Latte Katalina (she of the latex gloves),
I am also a white coffee drinker and have an interesting tale for ya. Coffee, as you know, contains tannin--or tannic acid to be more precise. Seems that this is the same substance used to cure hides and make leather--hence the phrase tanning cow hide. Apparently, this tannic acid reacts with milk proteins in much the same way as it does with said cow skin. So, what this means is that, when you add milk to your coffee you are, in fact, drinking leather soup!!!! Egads!!!!! Don't know about you, but I plan to ignore this little fact 'cause I do love my lattes. So, next time in the coffee bar I'm just going to say, "Coffee with milk and three sugars, please. And how about a spit shine on my tongue while you're at it!" Kisses.

Astrid,
Good to "hear" from you and thanks for your input. I was intrigued by a couple of your statements to David. Specifically:

***"I am not looking for people to "love me for who I am" here."***
--I have to wonder why not? And, if not for yourself, than for what? Hopefully not for fulfilling someone else's expectations at the cost of your own self-worth? Ultimately, trying to be everything to everyone means that you become nothing to anyone--especially yourself.

*** "I am not seeking validation, just a meaningful exchange with people I've gotten to know."***
--You post with the hopes of being responded to. What is the quid pro quo exchange if not validation? Can you explain this to me?

Please, accept these questions in spirit in which they are intended. I am truly interested in what you are thinking, what you have to say and look forward to your response. Again, thanks.

To everyone here,
Hope all is well with you and yours.
Oops--I fear that this has turned into another novella. Mea culpa, mea culpa.

--Just plain Spivey

Spivey-
I feel my comments make sense in the context they were given. The comment about love was paraphrased from many of David's postings. There's no need to single out those remarks as something more than they were. If I were to dissect them for you, we would be opening up the big can of worms we've barely been able to put a lid on.
Your questions seemed to have a distinct bent to them about my personality and my personal life. I decline to adress them, also for this reason. If you intend to stick around as long as you say, you will in good time get a bettter sense of me, as I will you.
Welcome to the group, by the way. Your linguistic skills are admirable.

Astrid

I had to perform some unpleasant maintenance on this board today. I have two things to ask:

1. If you are thinking of saying something unkind to another poster, please refrain. There are always other ways to communicate.

2. If you think there is a problem, please contact me. Don't take policing into your own hands.

Thanks,

Cat

Astrid,
Thanks for your response. Again, let me assure you that I had no malicious intent. Granted, the passages I quoted were out of a specific context but I was curious about your words for their own sake. I was interested in your thinking. As I have stated, I'm all about sharing and interaction.
Loving yourself for yourself independent of others perceptions and expectations is an admirable thing. I did not mean to imply that you did not. I just found the particular phraseology notable.
Again, thanks for the interaction.
Oh yeah....you write pretty good, too! :-)
--Spivey

Hellos and hugs to all here PC!!

Kim-I'm doing well with the pregnancy. I felt the baby really move last night and am thrilled! Even though it's my third-I'm still excited! I go for my sonogram on 9/1 and am hoping to see if it's a boy or girl. We've finally agreed on a name: Bethany Anna or Martin Alexander. Thanks for asking about me. Hope all is well with you. Anything new on your needlepoint site?

David and Egnima-Thank you both for your compliments.

Wish I had more time to post more but work beckons......

HUGS!
Abeth

I do have something to say to Cat...and it's THANK YOU...for pulling the board together and for all the work you put into it. It's an incredible amount of work that is well worthy of being respected and appreciated by us all. I am having a heckuva time getting back into the work swing after vacation. What...get up at 6:30 a.m?!?!?! Jo, scratch the kitties under their chins for me; I'm sending prayers for your niece. Best, Jennifer in Calif.

Just wanted to stop in to say Hi to all.

Paul, thanks for popping in. Good to hear from you and to know all is well.

Cat, as Jennifer said, thank you for all your hard work on this site. It is appreciated. Please keep us posted on the book of Paul's poetry, won't you? I'm hoping there will be a nice photo of the author on the dust jacket?

Kim, I sent you an e-mail but it came back. Please click on my name to get in touch with me, please.

Jo, you are a special person to be caring for feral cats. My husband and I cared for a colony of 27 at one time, so I know how much work it is, although we really didn't consider it work.

Inn, hope your daughter is feeling better.

Abeth, glad to hear you are doing well. When is the baby due? My memory isn't too good at times.

Be well.

Astrid my mistake, I think all of this stitching is doing something weird to my brain! Good to see you on here though.

SallyC, I have contacted you. I realised I wrote my email address wrong on here. I must be having a very bad Millie Moment!!

Abeth it's great to hear your pregnancy is going so well for you and I love the names you have chosen. Maybe with all of that movement you have a mini David Beckham in there!!
There are only a few new things on my stitching site, I have finished the cottage so now I can concentrate on finishing the portrait :)) I will let everyone know when there is an update on there.

Love to all my friends here
Kim

Hello all,
Good morning/afternoon/evening/night. That should about cover it. Hope all is well with everyone.

Enigmatic Christine,
Sounds like you're a classic Type A personality. Drive is good, but be careful not to push too hard and strip your own gears!
And the word weird carries far too many negative connotations. Best to avoid it. I prefer the olden days terms such as: eccentric, bon vivant, free-thinker. Not nearly as judgmental, wot? Besides, we all have many different personalities, each one suited to particular surroundings. We also live many "lives" in one lifetime completely unrelated to the concept of reincarnation.
Rambling? Well, yes you do a bit. Has somewhat the feel of "stream of consciousness" about it. Should you attend a seance, I bet you'd engage in "free writing" also! Not that these things are bad. Some of the best ideas come to light in such a way. It's called brainstorming. However, should you have a specific point to make, perhaps a bit of focus is needed. Otherwise, the message gets lost in the meandering. That's just my opinion, though. Take it for what it's worth.
So, you're looking for a sugar substitute due to potential heath problems, then. Well, I believe it was Lyn B who was asking about Stevia powder. I'd never heard of it so did a bit of cyber sleuthing. Google alone has 264,000 entries of the subject. Rather a daunting task to try to get through all of them! I didn't even attempt it. There were two sites that I looked in on.
They are: www.stevia.net and www.stevia.com
Stevia, the plant, seems to be quite the item. Natural, cheap and apparently possible to grow at home. Seems to be accepted for use in many parts of the world. Not, however, in the US where it is only available as a nutritional supplement from health food stores, but not as a food product or food additive. Once again, corporate entities have crawled in bed with the FDA to protect their bottom lines at the cost of the best interests of the public. But, this is entirely another gargantuate subject!
Seems that Stevia is safe in every way and apparently has other healthy aspects above and beyond the nautural sweetening qualities. And, with apparently no adverse side-effects. The one thing that I read about that would be particularly pertinent to you, and others, is that Stevia tends to stimulate the pancreas to secrete more insulin. For diabetics, or people prone to the disease, this may be good or it may be a cause for concern.
Again, there is just so much info out there about Stevia that it is impossible to talk about it here. You, and Lyn B, and anyone else interested, would have to do a bit of reading on your own. Good luck.
BTW, do I see the glass as half full or half empty? I see the glass as merely a recepticle. It's the contents that count! Dulce et decorum est...

Latte Kataline,
>>>...water and granola and my fishfood...yik blech (blue/green algae) Odwalla...

I forgot to ask...do you speak whale, too?

Jennifer,
Cruising Alaska, eh? You weren't by chance on the ship that got stuck last week and had to wait for the tide to come in, were you?

Inn,
I finally pieced together that you have a daughter who is dealing with Krohn's Disease. Difficult. My thoughts are with you in this difficult time. The only thing worse than having to deal with a chronic illness yourself, is that it's a loved one (your child, at that) having to deal with it. One feels so helpless. Much strength to you and hopefully this thing gets under control soon.
And, the dubious "joys" of home ownership on top of it all. Just be glad that you're not a tortoise and have to carry your house around on you back, literally!!! Hugs to you.

Till later,
--Spivey

(Lucious Latte'... ok, so he's Italian?)

Lyn B. - the Godot thing KILLED me...sure enough, peanuts M&M's came flying out my nose. It was a new experience!

Mil - "The eldest is a man, 93, who sings a duet with his live-in lady friend." I LOVE this! My grandfather is turning 91 Saturday, and he and his WW I friend are taking a cruise to Spain..."Always wanted to dance with those ladies when I was there in the war, but...I was married then...now it's a different story!" (My grandma died several years ago and he is still SPRY as anything, living on his own, driving his ginormous Caddy to the golf course, post office, coffee shop and super market. He's a hoot.

HAd a rooster in my office yesterday! That was a new experience too! A co-worker brought him in for me to help re-create my massacred flock. He was such a good boy! He was crated the whole time, of course, but was happy to get into his new digs at home. Brutus, as per usual, had his nose in everything, but quickly departed once he realized this guy could take care of himself...its the little babies that NEED him! Oy.

Picking up mom at the airport, then driving to the Adirondacks to grandpa's for the rest of the week so you all take care! I'll be snuggling up in the 40 degree nights with the smell of pines coming through the windows with the "flappety-flap-flap-flap" of the Aspen leaves lulling me to sleep. YAY!

I promise I won't eat any...jello. (THERE, that's a promise I can keep while on vacation!)

Ciao,
Dhi

Hello ALL!

I'm on a break from class and wanted to share with all of you what a great time I had with Millie and her Elliot yesterday. It was splended as usual. Their energy and warmth always give me a real boost! And I got the scoop on their plans for Follies 05 hold on to your seats it's going to be spectacular!

Beth Allen, I got such a kick out of the picture that Millie took of you by Paul's picture that I had to copy cat the same thing. Millie will let those on her e-mail list see what I mean.

School will be comming to a close in about a month and a half for me. I'm actually starting to come to terms with the reality of becoming a therapist. It's exciting and also nerve racking at the same time. Working in the feild will be another new frontier that awaits me. I have a feeling that's where the crazy adventures will surface. I better hold on to MY seat.

... and by the way, ASTERID Granma Millie has been looking for you! Please contact her she misses you.

Take care all!

Thank you to Sally C. and Spivey but I need to clear a little something up. Dez is my friend since babyhood, though very much my sister, she is not my daughter. My daughter has her own medical problems but at this moment she is in excellent health and high spirits and on her way to the Philadelphia Zoo with her friend. I feel like I carry my home on my back..it never let's me forget it needs me. I feel a "David Poppe" episode coming on...
"Innussiq"
"yes house"
"clean me,repair me,tend to me, or I will not shelter you."
"I will try my best house."
"try harder"
EEK!!Okay I've scared myself and I have to go now.
Hi Katalina,Grandma Mil,Peter,Julie,Dhi,and all.
Peace

Oops, sorry Inn. Good wishes to your friend Dez. I'm glad your daughter is doing well and is having a good time at the Philadelphia Zoo. The zoo is quite a ride from your neck of the woods, but it's worth it. They just opened some new exhibits, have the Zoo Balloon and a new Safari geared for hands on. I'm sure she will enjoy it.

Dhi, leaves rustling at night in 40 degree temps with the smell of pines in the air? Enjoy, enjoy!!

Oooo Julie, you've peaked my interest in the "spectacular" plans for FIF.

Mil, I'd love to see your pictures of everyone. Can you e-mail me, please?

Hi and good wished to all.

Be well.

Julie- How wonderful that you are going to be done with school! Give it a decade and a few hundred thousand dollars and you can say the same to me! Yes, I'll say a special hello to Mil.

Dhi- the temperatures in Utah have really started to climb, so I'm rather envious of your trip. I hope it's great. I know I've said so before, but I'll say it again- You really crack me up!

Astrid

Hi everyone! Have been having a few very busy but enjoyable days doing a general catch-up. Oh the luxury of having the time to do that!

First of all a belated Happy Birthday to Clay!! Hope you have a wonderful time being fourteen.

Birthday wishes also to Dhi's grandfather for Saturday. Wishing him a cruise to remember!(Obviously some genes passed on there).

Inn, sorry to hear that Desiree is not well again. Healing thoughts to her.

Jo, thinking also of your niece and her mother and wishing them the best. Hope the cats are doing okay.

Astrid, how are the ballet classes going? Hope you are well.

Abeth, that is so exciting that you felt the baby move! I love the names that you have chosen.

Millie & Julie, delighted but not surprised that you had such a wonderful time together. Looking forward to FIF even more now!

Hello to Sally & Kim!

Peter, hope you're getting a chance for some time out in among all the busyness. Love to you.

Michelle, love to you too. Hope all is well with you.

Special love and healing thoughts to Diane.

Cat, I would like to add my appreciation for all the hard work. Thanks. (The poetry book is such a good idea.)

Love to Paul and to all,
Mary

Just stopped by for a min I have been working overnights and have not had a chance to come and see all of you. I hope all is well and wanted to let you know I hope to be chatting with all of you again soon. Best Wishes....Melinda

Melinda, I know your surgery is coming up soon,
(August 18th?)

I want to wish you a speedy procedure and a speedier recovery!

Ellie and I enjoyed our visit with Julie, as usual, and are so proud of the fact that she has done so well in her massage therapy courses, and will soon be graduating! I am certain she will have no problem finding a job.

Cat will be posting the pictures of Julie and us, and maybe Beth too, on Yahoo...stay tuned!

The hurricane descending on Florida should not affect us much here on the east coast. It is headed for the west coast and the Gulf coast, and hope those people batten down the hatches and keep safe! We'll probably get lots of rain and wind anyway.

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hello to all in PC,
My apologies for the rather large block of text without paragraph breaks in my last posting. For some reason, the double "carriage return" did not register in that section. Seems to have worked fine later or. Don't know why that happened.
I have noticed that, from time to time, the text on the page expands entirely off of the right side of the window. Does anyone else have this, or other problems? Or is it merely something with my computer?

Enigmatic Christine of Port City,
I haven't been able to find out anything further about sugar substitutes for you yet. Will keep the subject in mind, however.

David,
You have been especially quiet of late. Is it because you're busy producing yet another Hollywood Spectacular, Spectacular with which to bring the LA Center Studios' house down? Or, have you taken my recommendation and begun using one of those caffein-free coffees I mentioned and have finally come down enough to get some much deserved rest? Or, since you are, as I suspect, in fact the "long-lost, missing Beach Boy" you have merely relocated to the beach with Brian to catch some especially killer waves? Kowabunga--hang 10 Dude!
In any case, hope to hear from you soon my artesian font of effervescent effluviance.
And always remember, Homo sapiens non urinat in ventum!

Inn
Sorry about the misunderstanding. Now I understand why that last little piece of the picture didn't quite fit. It's good to hear that your daughter is doing well. Did she enjoy the trip to the zoo?
And, since Dez is your life-long friend/as-good-as-sister, she is most certainly also a loved-one and my previous comment still applies.
Sometimes you just have to tell that attention demanding house of yours to calm down and wait its turn. Should it continue to give you problems you might threaten it with a coat of shocking green--puisse or chartreus, perhaps. Something which would cause it to hang its shutters in shame! Then perhaps it would pipe down for a bit. Just an idea!

Kim
Heard (or rather read) mention of your sewing skills and have dropped in on that site of yours listed in previous threads. Amazing work!! Perhaps you could submit the finished portrait of Paul for the upcoming published collection of Paul's poetry. You would undoubtedly have the cover spot all stitched up (I know, bad pun)!!!

Cat,
Out of curiosity, on average just how many "hits" does this site receive per day? And, have you noticed any rise in the numbers due to the success of I, Robot and the interview of Paul on HBO? I would think there would be an increased interest now.

My greetings to everyone else here.
--Spivey

Hey Paul... How are you? I hope that you and your family are great. Well, this comment really doesn't have anything to do with "weight loss". But I am here to tell you that I saw your movie, "Strictly ballroom" last night at 2am (or you can say this morning) and I loved it. I have been acting since 8th grade, and dancing salsa ever since I could remember. Watching your movie really encouraged me to keep at it with this acting career that I long for. I enjoyed the acting, plot, differenct scenes, and of course the dancing. As I was watching the movie, I couldn't help but smile and think of how much I love to act and dance. You really did a great job doing this film. Sometime soon I would like to see all of the movies that you are in.. however, I would love you to make some more. You are a great actor and dancer... and I am pretty sure that the world wants to see more of you. If dancing/acting is your heart's desire, I believe that God will give it to you.. you just have to strive for it. From what i have learned about you from this site, you seem like you are a wonderful blessed and intelligent man! :) Get out there, make more movies, never settle for less, and I know that you will reach your point of happiness and success!
Woah! I know this is kind of long, but I just wanted to tell you that you are a very talented person and your movie inspired me. God bless you and your family.

Take care... >

WEIGHT LOSS! One of my least favorite subjects.

Years ago I found a book called "Fir for Life" The body cycle permanent weight-loss plan than proves it's not what you eat, but when and how! It's by Harvey & Marilyn Diamond.
Here is a brief explination.

Their theory is, by eating thw wrong combinations of food, your sending mixed messages to your digestive system.

Some of the chapters are:
Natural Hygiene
Natural Body Cycles
Theory of Metalbolic Imbalance
Principles of High Water Content Food
Also Protien, Dairy Products, Exercise (yuk) etc.
Part two is all menus you can live by. There is also a chapter on Life-style Guideline with a four week example of a diet.

Eat several kinds of fruit by itself for breakfast. It digests the fastest in your stomach.

You can eat vegetables and meat together, or potatoes/rice and vegetables. Don't eat a meal that has a combination of meat, potatoes and vegetables. I lost 18 lbs in 12 weeks when I was on this diet and I NEED to get back on it.

I am sure that the library has it. The price for the book is under $20.00

Take care& Love to all,
Marge

Marge, I had almost forgotten about the diet by the Diamonds.

I tried it years ago for a day, and it didn't work, but hey, that's just me!

Hanh's area is probably going to be affected by the hurricane, while we are relatively safe here, with the sun out now as I write.

Rain, lightning (ugh!)and thunder are predicted for the afternoon, so we are grateful!

Prayers are in order, chickies!

Speaking of chickies, the itinerary for FIF is ready, and you'll be hearing from me!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Good Morning, All! I'm suffering a bit of separation anxiety as I'm headed off for a weekend in Laughlin with several of the ladies from work. Even though I don't post here that often, I keep up with the comments on a daily basis, and I don't know what I'll do without a computer at hand! Guess I'll just have to put more money in the slot machines and drink another round to keep my mind off my PC withdrawals!

Grandma Mil - batten down the hatches! Hope Charley is gentle on everyone.

Abeth - tickled about the baby moving. That was the most exciting time in my pregnancies - except toward the end when there wasn't that much room for the baby to move around. Sometimes felt like he/she was going to punch right through! Lovely names.

To everyone else - best wishes for a lovely weekend. Hope you all get a chance to take a few minutes to look around you and glory in the wonder of life in the world.

Wish me luck; I could sure do with hitting a jackpot!

Vicki

GOOD LUCK, VICKI! I love the dollar slot machines...the sound of those silver dollars clinking down into the bucket is music to my ears!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hey, all Floridians, this is my first hurricane, y'all. Get ready to brace for Charley. I'm frightend but I'm leaving it in the Lord's Hands.

Sara W

Hello to all in PC.

To all of you on the Gulf Coast of Florida, and anywhere in-land along Charley's path. I hope things do not get too hazardous for you. Batten down, board up, bring in the patio furniture and fill up those swimming pools. And, of course, don't forget the pets. They're sure to be traumatized by the storm, too.

Sara W,
The best advice is to stay calm and be watchful. I do hope that you have done at least some basic precautionary preparations. The Lord does, after all, help those who help themselves.

To all,
Be safe. Be well. Keep your heads down for a possibly rough night ahead.

--Spivey

I just watched the movie I Robot and just adored it!! I noticed on the credits that the robot was designed by Paul. I had no idea that he was so talented!! Paul if you are reading this I want to tell you that you are an amazing and talented individual!!

I see that everyone here is stuggling with weight issues and I am myself. I am over the half century mark so any help on the best way to lose weight will be most welcomed indeed.

I hope to make friends with all of you here, as you sound like such a nice friendly group.

I too am in the path of this monsterous hurricane and hope that others in this situation will stay safe.

Spivey, I will try to keep my head down, but none the less I am frightened to death of storms. It is the tornadoes that terrify me.

Shivering me timbers!!

Bonnie

Bonnie, welcome to the site. I did not design the robots but I did design the way they moved. I am glad you enjoyed the movie, it was a lot of fun to work on. They are already talking about a sequel!! I hope I get to work on it!!

Paul:

Oh my goodness! What a thrill to have you respond to my post!! I will never wash my monitor again!! LOL!!

I so hope that you get to do the sequel. I just loved Sonny, and of course the ending was left hanging just begging for a sequel of course. Wink Wink!! I can't help but wonder what Sonny was thinking. Perhaps he will become President in the sequel.

Your poetry is breathtaking as well. I wish I could write with such passion as yourself. As I said, you are a talented and gifted person and I for one am already a great admirer!!

Please keep me posted of anything that you are doing such as poetry books and or movies etc. Please!! Pretty Please!

A true fan,
Bonnie

Paul, oh, Paul, how you've been missed!

"Annie Get Your Gun" is opening soon, right?

Lucky dancers, to have you as their mentor and choreographer!

You would love seeing the dancers that are in "Follies." One couple, in their late 70s, dance the mambo in one act and the tango in another! They always get a big applause from the cast at rehearsals!

Then, the 40ish exercise instructor, who is a professional dancer in her time off, will be doing a flamenco dance with a male partner.

I love the latin rhythms, even though I can hardly dance to a slow fox trot....poor Ellie!

"Follies" is generally going great, in spite of the fact that people in the cast still are taking short time outs for vacations. After all, it's summer in the U.S., (and winter in Australia, I think...)

I have begun sending the itineraries out for FIF.

Although it's still 6 1/2 months away, one must plan! May I send you one to entice you??

Love to you, Andrea and the girls.

Gran Mil

Bonnie, welcome to Paul's Corner!

Yes, never wash that monitor! Savor the moment!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Dear Paul,

I have been watching "Strictly Ballroom" on TV, and my grandaughter knowing how much I enjoy you in the movie looked you up on her laptop while visiting. My son bought me a computer to help keep me busy along with doing crafts, as I am confined to a wheel chair after a terrible automobile accident several years ago.I am still fumbling around trying to learn how to use this darn machine with my grandaughter's help.
Grandma Mil, you are an amazing person and such a positive role model for people our age. I envy you for all of your zest in living such a colorful life. You all seem like such lovely people and I hope you don't mind if I stop by and visit from time to time.

God bless
Karla

Hi Floridians! I hope everyone is okay.
Welcome Bonnie.
Hello Paul, nice to see you had the time to drop by.
Well another day off with plenty of cleaning and washing to do, oh and mowing of the lawn. I hope it rains...then I will get out of doing the outdoor chores. I will sit on the patio and watch the rain and say.."oh how sad the lawn didn't get cut today" with a big smile on my face. lol.
Peace all

Isn't it good to see Paul back :) Paul you've been missed by everyone here. I for one will be keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a sequel to I Robot and that YOU do get the work.

Welcome to Bonnie it's nice to see a new face, I was like you when Paul responded to my post, I walked around with a huge grin for days, doesn't it make you feel special.

Welcome to Karla, yes Grandma Millie is an amazing person, we all love her and Grandpa to bits.

To all my American friends where ever you are PLEASE stay safe and I hope the storm misses you all

Love to all
Kim

Hi guys,
Had been quiet while things were churning, but looks like they are back to normal and the only thing churning is Charley, which is at this moment heading towards NYC. It has been downgraded to a tropical storm, so it is not packing the same punch as when it hit the western coast of Florida. I have relatives who were in the area of impact, thank God they are alright and their house did not suffer damage.

Grandma Mil, Abeth, Sara W, Bonnie, and all the Floridians: hope and pray you are all OK! My relatives are without power and don't expect to get it back for at least a week. If Grandma Mil is without power she will be unable to go online, of course.

Paul, great to hear from you! Hope you are enjoying working on Annie Get Your Gun. It's a lot of hard, tiring work, but oh what a wonderful feeling when it all comes together and the audiences are wowed by the piece! :-)

I am expecting delivery of "Josep" at the end of the month, so I will finally be able to enjoy it with the family.

Jo, how are your kittens doing? You are a special lady. What a loving thing you do for the animals! :-)

A big hello to everyone from cloudy NYC.

Nertha

Karla, hope you continue to come to PC and meet all the lovely people that write to Paul, and to each other.

We are like a family, and you will note, caring, sharing, and loving could be our motto. We have found new friends from all parts of the world, thanks to Cat, (our webmaster), and of course, to Paul.

He is our star, but acting and dancing are not his only skills. He is also a loving husband and father, friend, a brewmaster, a poet, a cook, and a philosopher. To know him is to love him.

How wonderful that you became acquainted with Paul's Corner because your granddaughter researched the Internet!

Because you mentioned that you do crafts, you are in the right place, for some of our PC friends also do crafts, and share them on the Internet.

Kim, from England, has posted her work in cross-stitch, and her work is awesome! She is working now on a portrait of Paul in cross-stitch. She will have to let you know how to find her work on the Internet.

Nertha does amazing work on miniatures, which are also posted on the Internet.

I make my own greeting cards, for I have a wonderful printing program, plus a digital camera. Photography today is so rewarding, when one can share photos and artwork over the Internet!

Again, we hope you join us often Karla!

To all of you that worried about us Floridians, we are basically okay. The PCers, like Julie, Beth Ellen, Jean, Ellie and me, live in the southeastern part of Florida which was spared.

Last year we had no hurricanes in our area at all. The hurricane season runs from June to November, and already we've had two hurricanes hitting our state in 2 days.

We can only pray and deep our batteries dry!

I guarantee that for FIF there will be no hurricanes!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Oops, I had a Millie Moment! (MM)

We must KEEP our batteries dry, not deep...

Mil

It's Mil again...

I just heard from Hanh, and she and her husband are okay, with the hurricane just missing them in northern Florida because it veered east toward
Orlando and the Atlantic.

Peace and Love,

Mil

Hi everyone,

Marge,
How are you doing? Happy to see you are back again !!

Paul,
It was great to read your post, yes I missed you too !! I wanted to watch I Robot tonight with my brother-in-law and his girlfriend, but unfortunatly they couldn't go, so we probably are going to see it next week. Don't know if I can wait that long, otherwise I'll go to the cinema alone :))

Evelyn,
Thank you for letting me know you have arrived the US safely !!

Vicky,
Good luck on hitting the jackpot and trying to keep your mind off PC !!:)

Grandma Mil,
Thank you for telling me everything about "Follies" I am sure it's a wonderful show and am looking forward to see it !!!
Good luck on the rehearsals.

Inn,
Don't work to hard in the house !! Days off are to relax and have fun, not to work all day!!! :)) Okay, I did that too, the first week of my holidays, I only cleaned the house did the laundry etc...
How is Dez? Do you already know when she's going into surgery? I'll keep my fingers crossed and sending her healing thoughts for a complete recovery !!

Kim,
Did you already finish Paul's crossstitch?

Everyone in Florida
How are you all?
They showed on tv that the hurricanes left a lot of damage. Hopefully everyone and all of your families and friends are okay...

Welcome to Bonnie and Karla

Nertha,
Glad to see you are posting again too !!

The Olympic games:
Did anyone happen to see the Olympic games this morning/afternoon/evening/night (for me it was this evening). Well, it was the final of the relay race for ladies (swimming). Australia has won the gold medal, America the silver medal and the Netherlands won the bronze medal !!!

Hello to Mary, Katalina, Sally C, Peter, Tim, Jo, Astrid, Abeth, Kelly, Hanh, Michelle, Julie, Beth Ellen, Lyn B and all the others in PC-land !!

Love,
Monika

Hi All! Can't believe this week! Adrenaline levels going up and down...Dodged Bonnie--that day turned out to be beautiful for us in Panama City (Florida's armpit)
Mother lives just west of Tampa, so she dodged Charley,...and sister lives in Marathon Key...and they dodged Charley too! Heard it was heading up the east coast now...amazing! I see that there are two more 'canes brewing out there now.

By the way, where is Hanh located?

Impressive showing by the Aussies today--watched Thorpe (?) swim--big laff hearing the announcers talk about him and his size 17 feet!!

Hi Monika, sorry I haven't been online we've had so many storms here :(
No I haven't finished Paul's portrait yet, I am about half way through so I still have a couple of months left on it yet. I am hoping to post another picture in a couple of weeks.

Glad to hear Evelyn arrived home safely.

Follies sounds like it will be wonderful, if I win the lottery I will be there too!

Night everyone
Kim

I send a warm welcome to Bonnie & Karla!

Paul- So good to see you pop in for a hello! I wish you luck for the sequel- They'd be fools not to!

Nertha- In a post above I saw mention that you do miniatures. I want to see! Do you have pics on-line?

To all of you in Florida- I am so relieved that everyone so far is reported to be safe! I've sent so many comforting thoughts your way!

Mary- Thanks for asking how ballet is going. Just as I am getting a good hang of it and making a routine of practice, the fall semester at school is starting on the 25th. I have a class that interferes with the lessons, so I'll have to put lessons off until I find a way to fit a class in somewhere.
I'm actually very excited to go back. I don't normally take the summer off from school, but I'm glad I did because under normal circumstances I wouldn't have had time to get to know P.C. and all it's wonderful inhabitants, especially Paul. Hopefully I will still be able to keep up with the posts, but I probably won't check in as often when I've got my nose in the books. This makes me feel a bit melancholy. It's only been a few months that I've been here but I feel like I have a good sense of what everyone is like and I enjoy you all so much! I will have to enjoy my freedom while I still have it in the next week or so!

Take care everyone!
Love-
Astrid

Hi everyone again,

Grandma Mil, I wanted to thank you for the warm welcome on this wonderful and amazing site of Pauls. He is truly a beautiful spirit and has a very blessed family. I too live in Florida and am very thankful that the hurricane bypassed the entire Tampa Bay area...it was on a direct course and then all of the sudden shifted to the right. Everyone was crazy here trying to scramble all their important stuff to leave. It really puts life into perspective. Paul, I hope you have a chance to read this, but I ROBOT was incredible. The movements of the robot were to me breathtaking. We will pray for even more success for the sequal. Love to you and the family....
Shalom...Tara

Gran Mil- Thank you for your warm welcome. I am still a bit overwhelmed by Paul's post to me. I have never been that close to a celebrity so to speak! No, I still have not washed my monitor of course!

I am glad to hear that all are well on the board who lived in Charley's path. I too have relatives and friends that live there and I am glad that I found out finally that they are safe.

Astrid - Thank you for your welcome too. It sounds as if you are a dancer as well. Am I correct on that statement?

Kim- It sounds as if Paul has posted to you as well. I hope that I am as fortunate as you and hear from him again soon. I am certainly hooked hopelessly now!! I can't wait to see what Paul will do next. I can still see the I Robot movements in my dreams!! I would just love to watch Paul dance. Oh my, one can dream can't they?

Also Monika, thanks for your welcome and to you as well Karla. I am so sorry that you are not able to do as much as the rest of us due to the fact of being disabled. If I can help you in any way please let me know.

Ciao,
Bonnie

Hi guy,
Welcome to Kara and Bonnie! I'm sure you will enjoy it here because this is a great bunch. :-)

Grandma Mil,
So good to hear that you and all the other PCers are safe. My relatives are safe, but still it was a very scary experience to go through. Having been born in an island in the Caribbean hurricanes are not new to us, but because of that we have a healthy respect for them. They are powerful and unpredictable ... a dangerous combination.

Astrid,
Sorry to hear that your ballet lessons will have to be put on hold for a while due to school -- hopefully you may be able to rearrange your schedule and be able to fit in a lesson per week.

Thanks, Grandma Mil, for mentioning my miniatures. To see pictures of them just click on my name and the link will take you to my Picture Trail albums. Make sure to sign my guestbook when you drop in for a visit. :-)

Evelyn,
Glad to hear you are safely back in the USA. Hey, isn't that a Bruce Springteen song? LOL I bet Mary and Peter can answer that question. ;-)

Kim,
I'm impressed with your time table for finishing Paul's portrait. I used to do cross stitching so I know all the work and patience involved in doing a piece such as yours. Looking forward to the updated photos.

Lyn B,
I was lucky enough to have remembered to watch the Olympics tonight, so I got to see Ian Thorpe win his gold medal. He is a tall guy ... and those fins ... I mean, feet, are huge! LOL It was also very nice to see Michael Phelp??? win his gold. :-)

Monika,
Congratulations on the Netherlands winning the bronze medal today. My husband was born in Hungary, so I was glad to see that Hungary took the bronze in one of the swimming events, too. :-)

Charley is supposed to reach NYC sometime after midnight, but it's already almost 1AM and so far we have only had some rain, not heavy at all. I guess it will get heavier after we go to sleep.

Stay safe, everyone!

Nertha

Well, about 10 years ago I lost 50 pounds in three months. I ate salad only did minute abs everyday and worked out on the nordic track for 45 minutes everyday. I also made sure to take all my vitamins. I know now it was not the healthiest way to do it, but it worked. I stopped working out about 7 years ago and am starting from scratch now. This time I plan to be a lot more healthy about it.

Anna

Hello to everyone this gray, humid morning.

Glad to hear everyone in Florida is safe and has escaped Charley. I've only been through two hurricanes that did damage to us, but nothing like what I'm seeing on the news.

Hello and welcome to Bonnie, Karla and Anna. I know you will like it here. The people, and of course, Paul make you feel right at home.

Nertha, I am Hungarian and so is my son-in-law. I used to be able to speak the language when I was a kid - my Dad taught us, but there isn't much chance to use it anymore and I can feel it slipping away more and more. Same way with Polish. I could pick up words here and there but have lost most of my skills there as well.

Bonnie, if you can afford it, there is a video on Paul that showcases his work with ACE, a dance company he founded after SB. It's called LIFE'S BURNING DESIRE. I got it a long time ago and it cost me about $35 American. I think there's still a link on the homepage for it.

Astrid, don't worry about taking the summer off before school. You need a break before hitting the books again. As long as it made you happy, no worries, eh?

Inn, did you ever get your mowing done? Our garden and lawn look the best they ever have with all this rain. In fact, we've had to mow at least twice a week and I have so many tomatos and zucchinis that we can't pick them fast enough.

Hello out to Paul, glad you popped in, Mil, Mary, Kim, Lyn B, Monika, Evelyn, Peter, Tim, Cat and Kat, Dhi, and everyone else who passes by here.

Be well.

Anna, working out and eating vegetables would be considered healthy in vegetarian circles, especially if one could get some of Sally's home grown tomatoes and zucchinis!

We love tomatoes, we have them every day, but home grown?...haven't seen those since we lived near the New York and N.J. border, and bought those famous New Jersey beefsteak tomatoes (and apples) in the fall at the open markets on the N.J. farms!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hi again, yes, I’m back in the USA now (Nertha, I do know that song) and busy packing, since I’m moving on Wednesday. Nertha, thanks for the suggestion on how to get the dreamcatcher back. I did a version of your suggestion. Not sure yet as to the success of that endeavor as I decided not to unpack my suitcases until I get my new home on Wednesday, kind of would be a waste of time.

Welcome to Anna, Bonnie, Karla, Kebrina and anyone else who’s new.

Inn, best wishes to you and Dez and I hope that happier and healthier times are ahead of you. Thinking of you both.

Paul, I hope I get to see I Robot soon, I’ve only heard good things about it from friends who saw it. Thursday night a friend of mine in Germany was so excited about having seen it and totally loved it. She didn’t expect to like it at all as she claims not to like that kind of movie too much, she went because her hubby wanted to see it and then she couldn’t stop talking about it. Perhaps I’ll go see it Wednesday eveing after moving, I think I know where the movie theater is in St. Peter. Okay, I hope you get to work in and on the sequel once they start it. Best wishes to you for your current choreographic work as well.

Astrid good luck getting back into the swing of being sucked up by academia, same here, I start my new job on the 23rd, but I must admit, I’m looking forward to it. Hope you are too.

Okay, big hello and group hug to all and I’m going to go back to packing now.
Love,
Evelyn

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. I'm glad to hear Charley didn't get any of our PCers. I wish he hadn't gotten anyone.
My mowing did get done, me sweet hubby came home from the road and took care of the gardening chores. I only got a little laundry done, I thought it would be more fun to watch the Olympics..and I was right! I did see the Thorpedo! I'm not sure about those feet though. lol. As for Dez, at this moment I can't report much progress. I can only hope this all comes around soon. Thanks again for your support.
Peace

It seems like we get a new newbie(redundant, I know) every day! It's nice to have some fresh input these days, though- So, welcome again to all of you.

Bonnie- No, I'm not a dancer, I'm a klutz! LOL While off from school for the summer I have been taking some lessons, to stay active and stir the imagination.

Mil- I forgot to mention before that it was very nice to hear from you the other day. Thank you.

Take care all, and thanks to Evelyn, Sally C. and Nertha for the affirming words about school!

-Astrid

Karla, you should be able to click on my name below and that should take you to my stitching site. If you take a look don't forget to sign my guestbook.

Bonnie, I think we would all like to see Paul dance but I don't mind making do with Strictly Ballroom, that film always puts a smile on my face and each time just gets better for me. I'm sure you will enjoy writing on here and also Karla.

Nertha, WOW, so you are multi talented then. I can only cross stitch, I just don't have the patience to do the miniatures like you do. Have you put anything new on your site?

It's nice to see Evelyn back writing again. I hope the move goes well!

A big hello to Paul and family and to everyone here tonight.

Love, Kim

OOPS! Don't click on my name, just found out it doesn't work.
Nertha how did you get your site attached to your name????????
Kim

A big hello to everyone. I'm back from Laughlin; had a good time, even though those )$(&#@&! slot machines ate all my money. Went off my diet for the 3 days and pigged out at the buffets. It felt good on the taste buds, but not so hot in the tummy - not to mention all the other places it will settle. Back on my program tomorrow.

Grandma Mil and all you other Floridians - I was so worried about you while I was gone, I couldn't wait to get back to the site to check up on you. SO glad everyone is OK. What a terrible disaster that was!

Warm welcomes to Bonnie, Karla and Anna, and a big hug to everyone else. Stay well!

Vicki

Hello all,

Just wanted to check in to see how everyone in Charley's path made out. At the risk of being repetitious, just wanted to say how glad I am that all PCers are okay. My thoughts go out to all of those who weren't so lucky.

Hello also to the new names in the last couple of days: Anna, Bonnie, Kebrina and Karla. Did I miss anyone? If so, then hello to you, too.

For the rest, everybody seems to be quite busy: moving, working, studying (or preparing for return to school), house work, lawn and gardening (Inn, did you have to threaten the house yet?), sewing (Kim, given any thought to the cross stitch Poem book cover idea?), etc. etc etc.

And a short visit by Paul, as well! How lucky can we get?

Any others whom I haven't addressed directly, I'll get there eventually!!

For the rest, hope the weekend was nice and you have a good next week.

Till later,
--Spivey

Hello All!,

Well, my family was lucky this time. The hurricane missed Sarasota where my parents are by a hair. My parents didn't even get a breeze the night Charlie struck.

I have my grandmother, or Nannie as I call her in Italian, (and her cat) here for the next few days. My husband went and picked her up from Sarasota on Thursday and brought her back here to avoid the storm. She's enjoying the change of pace being in a different place for awhile(and the 15 year old cat as well. She made the bathroom sink into her bed and finds the dog facinating ). She's been cooking all the Italian foods I used to eat growing up, stuffed shells, eggplant parmagiana, fruit salad, and thank goodness friends Gene and Ted came by for dinner tonight b/c my grandmother's made enough food for 50 people over the past week-end. I even had to bring trays of food to my neighbors b/c we ran out of room in the refrigerator.

It's good to hear from some of the oldbees and welcome to all the newbees. And hello to the Queen Bee Grandma Millie!

And of course, our Big Bee Paul!

I'm Beed out!

Charlie, yikes...I kept glued to the tube worrying about East Coast family and friends. It's funny in a way because East Coast folks worry about earthquakes in California but, having lived on both coasts, I almost prefer earthquakes! I'm watching the Olympic swimmers, glad the US got a gold but admit I'm rooting for the Aussies, too, mostly because of Paul connection through this web site. Because of the time difference I'm never quite sure WHEN anything I'm watching actually happened. I am very glad that American football is BACK, even though it's just the exhibition season...although I'm sad that my beloved 49ers lost their close game to the Raiders. Back to the ORIGINAL stream started by Paul, what suggestions do any of you have for dieting when one eats out a lot. I eat out a lot because of work and while I KNOW I can make do with a salad, I am always succumbing to yummy calorie laden things. Best to all, Jennifer in California

Astrid - I too can't dance as I have two left feet. Oh to be like Paul and dance so effortly would be divine.

Vicki - Thanks for the welcome and I wish you luck on your diet. I too have been off the wagon and need to get back on. One diet I tried worked very well and I saw a post on it somewhere on this thread. It was called "Fit For Life"

Karla - Are you ok? Have not heard much from you and I hope you are doing well.

Kim- I must buy Strictly Ballroom since I have heard so much about it. My recent addiction has been I Robot and I fear that this site may keep me busy as well finding out all the goodies about Dear Paul.

Spivey - I thank you for the warm welcome too. What kind of diet would you reccommend? I am so confused as to which one to try now.

Looks like more bad weather is brewing out in the ocean...Oh Dear...not again! I hope we can go through the rest of the season unscathed.

Have a great evening or day whichever applies!

Bonnie

Grandma Mil here. I just got a message from a friend in Australia. She had heard about Hurricane Charley, and wanted to know if we were okay!

She works as the ticket administrator at the Ensemble Theatre in Syndey, and we struck up a friendship, for in her spare time she is a singer and choreographer. Tara Morice appeared in the starring role of an important stage play at the Ensemble in 2002. My friend saw her often during the run of the play, and commented on Tara's marvelous acting! Oh, to have been a fly on the wall!

Now, Hurricane "Earl" is out there churning, and hopefully, will miss Florida this time around, but then, it might threaten other areas!

Julie, you are so lucky to have your Grandma cooking up those feasts! I hope she will be able to go back to her home in safety!

Jennifer and Bonnie, I would suggest "The South Beach Diet", which I used, and am still on, losing 31 lbs. so far...the weight loss has slowed down, but I am relentless in wanting to continue!

It is the most sensible of the carbo restricted diets. It's the best for eating out, for you can have salad and protein, no limits, but use common sense when it comes to salad dressings. (You are allowed some small amounts) and fried
foods are absolutely forbidden, but grilled and roasted are allowed. The book is available all over, written by a cardiologist.

Good luck!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hellos and hugs to all here at PC!

I'm jumping on the bandwagon-glad to hear all are safe and sound from Bonnie and Charley!!

I'm doing well-I think that morning sickness has left the premises. Just in time for my vacation next week to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Now, I just need these damned hurricanes to cooperate!!

Hope everyone is doing well. Sorry to be so short but I'm at work and gearing up for vacation. I'll check in again before I leave.

Welcome to all newbies!

HUGS!
Abeth

Hi to all!

Grandma Mil - Sorry I missed Julie's visit, but I was on vacation in Orlando last week. Did all the scary rides (Tower of Terror, Hulk rollercoster, Summit Plummit waterslide at 55 mph) and was to come back on Friday. My fiance did not want to drive back because of the thunderstorms, so what did we do? Stayed in Orlando of course! What an intellegent move! I did go to Walgreens before the storm and got candles and bottled water. The poor people next door to us in the hotel did not even have a candle when the power went out so I gave them one of ours. Orlando looked pretty bad when we left on Sat. I will try to call later this week.

Julie - I can't wait til you get your license. When you do, I need some serious therapy on my upper back and shoulders. Just let me know where you are going to work!

Jo - Congrats on getting the kittens raised! There should be no problems now. Hope you have found good homes for all of them. By the way, if any are siamese or siamese mix you can contact the siamese rescue network and they will post the cats/kittens for you.

Got to go - work calls! :-(

Beth Ellen

Hello everyone! I haven't been in here in so long...i feel so bad. I keep thinking about coming in here to say hi but i've had the busiest summer ever, mostly with dance. So I wanted to drop in to say hi and hopefully I can come in here more often! Hope Paul and everyone is doing fine!

Love,Cara

Cara, good to have you back! If you were busy with dance all summer, we forgive you, we forgive you!!!

The topics lately have been intense, with hurricanes, diets, and show biz, whether film or stage, so you are in the right place at the right time!

Melinda is having her surgery on August 18th, (Wednesday). A speedy recovery, Melinda!

I just sent some pictures to Cat that we took when Julie and Beth Ellen were visiting Ellie and me.

Cat wants to post them on Yahoo, which is fine!

The girls are paying homage to my shrine to Paul, Tara, and "Strictly Ballroom".

If you all come to FIF, I will let you pay homage too! (No charge, just come!)

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Grandma Mil,

Gracious, i apprecite your wonderful welcome. Wish i had your energy and enthusiasm at my age. Could you tell me more about the Follies that youu are involved with. Are you sure you aern't 20 years old?

Kim, as soon as i get a little more familiar with my computer i will check out your stitching site.

Bonnie, thank you for your concern and welcoming. I feel like you are all people i've known my whole life with this big greeting.

Evelyn, Sally C., Spivey, and Lyn B., this is a remarkable group. I will read some of Paul's poetry and review his past topics. Paul, you are a wonderful man and everyone is so loving here.

Bless all of you
Karla

Just checking in...how's everyone 2nite?
Karla- Even though I was a diehard "Strictly Ballroom" fan from way back, it was Paul's poetry that really hooked me here--be sure to browse through some of the blog archives, you'll find several poetic entries that will really knock your socks off...
Have a nice nite--
Lyn B

Gabba Gabba Hey opens tonight! I reckon it will do well!

Glad to hear all are safe after the wind in Florida.

Thinking of you all

Hey Paul!

So are you on to your next adventure now? How's everything going? Have you completed "Annie get your gun" yet?

Kelly

Greetings to everyone in PCland. Hope you had a good start for the week.

Bonnie,
Hello to you. I don't really have any diet recommendations for you. I'm not much of a believer in any of the various "diets du jour".
I know it sounds simplistic, but the only real way to lose weight is to take in less calories than you burn up. That's only logical.

I'm not an expert, but unless you have some sort of health/metabolism problem, I think the best thing is eating pretty much whatever you want, but in moderation. Your body will usually tell you what it needs. You just have to listen to it.
Of course, some kind of physical activity or regular exercise is also needed. It doesn't need to be strenuous.

I believe it was Marge who earlier posted about Fit For Life. It seems to be more of a lifestyle than a run of the mill diet. Eating various foods in the proper combinations and times of day. Sounds vaguely Macrobiotic, which also teaches about eating foods complementary to each other as well as only foods in their proper season and from the region in which you live. I suppose that would mean that people in Florida shouldn't eat apples and people in Washington State shouldn't eat oranges!
It's also important to eat some kind of pickled foods each day. Vinegar is supposed to have quite some health/nutritional value.

I guess the only thing I can tell you is to try and find what works best for you and keeps you healthy and happy.

Karla,
Nice to "meet" you and thanks for your acknowledgment. You may be a Granny and "of an age", but it sounds like you are keeping quite active.

Even though you have suffered a serious car accident which left you with a disability, it doesn't seem to be getting you down or holding you back.

You mentioned watching Strictly Ballroom. Are you a big movie buff?

You say that you are busy with crafts. Just what type of craftwork do you do? Whatever it is, it shows that you are creative and have some artistic flair.

On top of that, you are learning how to use a computer, surf the internet and are reaching out to people. Now the whole world is at your fingertips!

I know that new technologies and "new fangled gadgets" can be confusing, but don't be intimidated by that "darn machine". It's just a tool. You don't need to know HOW it works, just how to make it do WHAT you want it to do. Just like you don't really need to know the internal workings of an automobile, just how to drive it to where you want to go. With a little help from your Granddaughter, you'll be a computer wizard in no time! Then everybody will need to watch out. Granny Karla will be zipping past on the Cyber Highway, leaving us all in her dust!!! Beep, Beep!!

What I'm trying to say here is, I think you're pretty remarkable, too. Hope to hear more from you soon.

--Spivey

Hi guys,
Well, Charley came by New York City but we didn't even notice. There was some rain, but it came after midnight, so we slept right through it. It veered away from us, so we just had a little bit of rain. Glad to hear that all the other PCers in the path of the storm are alright.

Paul, glad you popped in to say Hi. Break a leg with the opening of Annie Get Your Gun. Keep us posted on how it goes, please! :-)

Kim wrote:
"OOPS! Don't click on my name, just found out it doesn't work.
Nertha how did you get your site attached to your name????????"
===================
Kim,
You need to type in the Internet address to your photo albums in the space labeled URL: Once you do type it in once the next time you want to include the URL in your post all you need to do is type "h" and the entire address should pop up all ready for you to click on it and insert it.

As to the cross stitching, I did mainly samplers for family and friends but I had to give it up a few years back when I developed carpal tunnel in my right hand. Now I can hardly sew on a button because when it's acting up just holding the needle between my fingers hurts so bad that I just have to stop. :-(

Beth Ellen,
If you visit my photo albums make sure to check out the one labeled "Loveable Animals" ... I think you'll enjoy it. And don't forget to sign the guestbook, so I know you were there! :-)

Grandma Mil,
Thanks so much for visiting my albums and leaving such a generously encouraging message! :-)

Spivey,
Your encouraging words to Karla??? are right on target. Computers and the programs that run them are a wonderful thing because they allow us to use them, even though we have no idea how it works. It's surprising how much one learns through trial and error. LOL

Cara,
Good to have you back posting! :-)

Sally C,
So you are Magyar, how nice! :-) My husband came to this country before he was five so he, too, has forgotten quite a bit of the Hungarian he used to speak. He was born in Hungary to an American mother (of Hungarian descent) and by the time I met him he already did not speak it well enough to teach me, so neither I nor the kids speak Hungarian except for a few words we've picked up here and there.

Julie,
How nice to have your Nana visiting and preparing culinary delights for you ... love Italian food! :-)

Welcome to all the newbies and hello to all the oldies and middies. :-)

I'm yawning, so stay well and good night...I'm off to bed! :-O

Nertha

Paul, best of luck with Gabba Gabba Hey! I think I missed something! The last I heard you were choreographing "Annie Get Your Gun". (Chalk up another MM for me!)

Karla, you are so sweet. When you mentioned me as a 20 year old, I ran to the mirror, and there, staring back at me, was this 71 year old great grandma! eeeek! (Really not a bad place to be, however.)

You are an upbeat lady, and we're so happy that you are now part of the Corner!

You've already forged friendships, and I know you agree that it's a wonderfully diverse and interesting place, thanks to the people that correspond, and for that we have to thank Cat and Paul over and over for making it possible.

I have spoken about "Follies, 2005" in the archives, but instead of having you try to find those posts, I will mention it again, especially since we have newbies here! (The rest can scroll down, I won't be insulted!)

I am the producer and director of a big variety show, called "Follies, 2005" which will be ready for its opening on February 7th, 8th, and 9th, 2005 in our large Theatre in our retirement community in south Florida.

When some of the PCers heard about this, they decided they wanted to come to see "Follies" meet my husband and me, and each other! It turned into a real convention! Of course, Paul will be the focus of the convention, and if he should be able to show up....

Right now the list has 16 people from all over the U.S., and also includes Ireland and Holland! Then, add 4 more that live locally near us here in Florida!

I was able to find a lovely hotel nearby our home, the airport, and the Theatre.

I told the manager of the hotel that the name of the group should be "The Strictly Ballroom Convention", and she was very excited, and gave us special lower room rates for that weekend!

The weekend will run from Febr. 4th (Friday, optional) to Monday, Febr. 7th, where, in the morning, at 10:00 a.m., "Follies" opens to out of towners, like our PCers! The other two nights are for ticketed residents of our village.

The cast of 40 seniors are indeed special.

They sing, they dance, and they are comedic.

Ellie, my husband, has a small but mighty role as the Captain of a 20 million dollar boat..he complains:

"iIt's not a boat, it's a SHIP" whereas his companion, a pseudo European socialite type sings to him:

"I've Got You Under My Skin", while he is busy trying to look through binoculars, etc.

I myself have one solo. I lipsynch to the voice of Queen Latifah, as she sings "When You're Good To Momma" from the movie, "Chicago". It starts:

"Ask any of the chickies in my pen,
They'll tell you I'm the biggest...mother hen."

So, if you catch me calling the PCers my "chickies" you'll know the reason why!

The code word for the Convention is "FIF" which means Follies In February, or Florida In February, whatever.

If any of the "newbies" are interested, you know how to reach me!

Cat, thanks for posting the pictures of Julie, Beth Ellen, and me! Everyone please note the shrine to SB!

There are other pictures on the site I had forgotten about, it was so long ago that they were posted!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Paul, I hope that opening night was fun and a rousing success and all the other performances to come as well.

Hi everyone! thanks Grandma for sharing the pictures and Cat for posting them, you all look lovely, Julie and Beth and grandma!

Okay, off to the finish line of packing ... Love to all!

Grandma Mil, South Beach Diet...I will head over to Borders this week and take a look. Thanks for the suggestion! The cruise to Alaska really did me in, diet wise. The head chef is Italian and he created pastries that were works of art and, OF COURSE, I had to try them! I am at work right now so can't write much but just wanted to check in, say thanks to Mil and hi to all of you. Jennifer from Calif.

Hello All!

Beth Allen - I'll be getting my liscense sometime in November or December I have one more month of school left and then I have to take my schools final exam and then the boards. I'll keep everyone posted as to my progress.

Melinda good luck with the surgery and a speedy recovery!

Paul - break a leg on opening night! It was good to hear from you!

Grandma Millie - Hello to the Grand Dame Hen!

Got to go to class,

take care all!

Nertha thanks for explaining all of that to me, I am hoping I have done it correctly and it will work! Sorry to hear you can no longer do stitching but look at all of the wonderful miniatures you can do instead.

I will try and write more to you all later
Love
Kim

HOORAY!! You can click on my name now, IT WORKS :))
Thanks Nertha
Kim

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted and I've missed all of you.

Paul, I'd love to know what Ramone's songs are being used in the show. It would be great if they could use Joey's solo version of Wonderful World. I love that. I'm thinking maybe Rockaway Beach, Blitzkrieg Bop, I Wanna Be Sedated? Hey, Ho, Let's Go!

Where's Peter?

Love to all of you! Hope the move is going well, Evelyn. Keep stitching, Kim:) Astrid, I vote "no" on Jello! Miss you, Jo.

Welcome, Karla! Hi to Sally C., Monika, Abeth, Nertha, Tim, Mil, Julie, Inn, Katalina and Cat! I hope eveyone's doing well.

Dhi, I had a couple of Belgian Whites in your honor this weekend! Blue Moon, I think.

My best to Diane:) Love to Mary!

Still hanging around up here in Chicago,
Michelle

Grandma Mil

Land De Ocean, and all of those people coming to sww the Foollies. If i was in better health i would certainly be in a front row seat. I could only dream of Paul sitting beside me surrounded with all of your chickies. The word chickies reminds me of when i use to buy live baby colored chickes for Easter for my son. All of those vibrant colors and feathers reminds me of the Follies. You are so extroidinary and i would love to hear more about the Folliies and your day to day activities if it wouldn't be asking too much of you? You are just so interesting and i feel i could listen to you for hours and not get bored.

Lyn B i have been reading some of Paul's poetry and he is so marvelous.

Nertha that is such a lovely name. Could you tell me more about it's origin and meaning?

Spivey, you are such a humorous person. When i was a little girl, the family had to take a bath in the kitchen in one of those tin bathtubs that was placed by the potbelly stove. My mother use to tell me stories especially in the winter to make me laugh as the kitchen was cold. You make me laugh like she did. I use a lot of painted pasta and macarroni on my crafts. My son says i am a cottage industry. I am a little bit of a movie buff and surf the net may soon be a new pastime. I coud use some diet tips Spivey and maybe you cold give Granny Karla some you funny person.

You are all a string of pearls with Granny Mil as a golden jeweled clasp to hold you together.

Bless all of you and i noticed some of you aern't well and i will pray a rosary tonight for your speedy recovery

God bless all of the chickies and that rooster Paul

Karla

This is for the Women here on PC.

There is a drug out there called Premarin. I think it's a prescription for women going through menoppause.

There is an ingredient in this drug called PMU or (Pregnant Mare Urine). The tradigety of this is that after the mares deliver their foals, the foals are SLAUGHTERED. After the delivery, these mares are bred back as soon as possible. This is all these mares are used for. They are a means to an end for PMU. There are ranches in the US that are set up just to breed mares just for the PMU they provide.

There is a group of people who are rescuing these foals to be adopted out. What this group is tryng to do is to educate people and have all women ask their doctors to provide an alternate prescription that does not include PMU.

I would like all of you gals here to educate your girl friends about this tragic activity.

Hey Australia
Your aussie athletes are doing great in the swimming part of the Olympics. Especially another hunk from OZ,Ian Thorpe, aka, the Thorpedo. Also I think they are in the hunt in the equestrian competition.

Take care & love to all
Marge

Paul, Congratulations on Gabba Gabba Hey. Sounds great and lots of fun. LOVE The Ramones.

Karla, I like "all the chickies and that rooster Paul". Made me think of the movie Chicken Run for some strange reason.

Nertha, Yep, I am. In fact, my father loved telling anyone who would listen how we are related to one of Hungary's great composers. I've always wanted to research that but can never seem to find the time.

Cat, thanks for posting the photos of Julie, Beth Ellen and Millie. Nice to "see" you and everyone else in the photo gallery.

Big wave to Kim and Mary across the pond.

Peter, where are you? Miss you.

Hi out to Mil, Tim, Kelly, Abeth, Monika, Julie, Beth Ellen, Julie, Inn, Kat, Hanh, Michelle, Jennifer, Spivey, Dhi, Astrid, Evelyn, Melinda, Vickie and everyone else who passes this way.

Be well.

Spivey: Thank you so much for all the advice. I will take it to heart. You obviously have done your homework on the different diets. I was wondering how you stay fit as you almost seem like a guru sort of person.

I did try the fit for life diet, and yes it is a way to eat the rest of your life, but somehow I just can't eat all that fruit in the morning. Way too much acid for my tummy and as I have gotten older I have noticed I have less tolerance for such things.

I think I will take Granny Mil's advice and try the Southbeach Diet. I have heard a lot about it from everyone I work with and also my doctor reccommended it to me. Doctor's don't usually do that but she felt it was an awesome diet. So thanks Granny Mill for suggesting that one. I will let you know how I progress on it. I am going to start on it next Monday. I almost can't wait!!

Karla, you sound so incredibly self reliant. I was wondering who helped you out with a computer and are you involved in a church doing crafts or quilting? I have always wanted to learn how to quilt. But I work still and I know that it takes a lot of time that I don't have. So I will have to put that one on a back burner.

I remember when my mother used to do our clothes with one of those old ringer washers and can see a washboard in my mind too. I was very little then, but I can still remember it being in basement. We had no dryer and she used to hang the clothes up on a line in the basement to dry. Your post reminded me of those days.

Granny Mil- Please post more on the follies. Your last post was so interesting and as a newbie it made a lot of the previous posts make sense to me. Did you say that some pictures were posted somewhere? I would love to see them.

Hello to Paul if you are out there.

Best wishes to all!

Bonnie

Michelle, you picked all the songs correctly!! Others include Mammas Boy, I want to be your boyfriend, someone to believe in, somebody put something in my drink etc...I believe in miracles....

The show went great last night by the way! officially it opens tonight and then I am finished and it will be time to turn my attention to Annie get your Gun. But first home to the kids and wife for some cuddles!

Congrats Paul- Wow, feast or famine, huh?
Bet your brain's in a whirl with all this going on!! I hope we get a chance to see these productions someday!
Wishing you continued success and good fortune!

Hi, Paul and all the Pc'ers,
I'm glad the Gabba Gabba Hey pre-show went well, Paul.
My son and I LOVED I, Robot, and I have to tell you I wasn't sure I would, since the initial previews seemed so un-Asimov. That didn't seem so strange when I found it was based on a story he didn't write, though they blended in his ideas well. Those robots were poetry in motion, and just amazing, beautifully done,sir!
I have one quibble with the story that I'd love to mention to someone who might be interested. So let me know if anyone is curious.
I know we will probably have a new post soon, and I might just have to say this all again, but I think I can manange that. ;)

hugs and smiles to all,
deltalady aka Sally

Hello PCers,
So, does everyone have Olympic Fever?

Sally,
Chicken Run--funny film, great animation. So, do you think we all should make a run for it before we end up in somebody's deep-frozen pot pie?

Bonnie,
Thanks, but I'm no guru. I'm just me, and if I don't happen to fit into whatever the "norm" happens to be this week well then, too bad.
Good luck on the South Beach Diet. If it works for you, keeps you healthy and makes you feel good about yourself, then its done its job.

Nertha,
Yes, trial and error can lead to the most enlightening and unexpected results. If you stop to think about it, what with the constant software patches being released, one would conclude that trial and error is the standard operating procedure for all of those computer geeks at Microsoft!!

Having said that, many life-changing discoveries are the result of happenstance. Just think, if Flemming hadn't been fooling around with bread mold, we might never have had that wonder drug, penecillin.
Or, if Marie Curie hadn't inadvertently left that chunk of Radium on top of a photograhic plate in the desk drawer, there might not be that useful diagnostic tool, X-rays!!
So, one never knows where things may lead with a bit of trial and error. Hopefully, the errors don't have tragic consequences!

Checked out you miniatures website. Amazing! What detail! If I might ask, does the carpal tunnel syndrome make working in such small-scale difficult?

Granny Karla,
I'm glad if I could make you laugh. They say that it's the best medicine!

Here's an idea for you. Have you thought about writing down those stories your Mother told to make you laugh? You've got a computer now, so you could type them up in no time. Maybe publish them on your own website. After all, you're Cyber-Surfer Granny now!!!

Better yet, why not write them out by hand, maybe on recycled printer paper so the pages would look "aged". You could use burlap fabric as the cover and bind it all together with hemp cord. On each one you could make one-of-a-kind designs out of the colored, dried pastas you like to work with.
Very rustic. Very Arts and Crafts. People love anything homespun and nostalgic.

You could call it, "Memories of Mother" or perhaps "Laughing in the Bathtub By The Pot Belly Stove", something like that.

Then, you could sell them at Crafts Fairs in your area. A new product from your cottage industry.
You would need to be sure that the pasta designs are glued on good and don't pull off easily, though. You know how kids are--they pop almost anything in their mouths if they think they can eat it! Don't want any choking mishaps!

If you don't want it to be a commercial venture, then just make a few for friends and family. At least your children and grandchildren would have a genuine family heirloom and your Mother would live on through her humor. What do you think?

Paul,
Another Kamikazee Flyby! Glad the last show is a success. I'm sure the next one will be, too.
Mais, que sera, sera!

Till the next time,
--Spivey

Hey, I survived my first hurricane. During the storm, I had a blast playing cards with my dad by candlelight. It was strangely calm in the eye of the hurricane. Dad let the dogs out. Suddenly the winds picked up again and dad was telling the dogs to get inside. It wasn't too bad as I thought. I now have a story to tell my children someday.

Paul, thanks for thinking of us in central Florida. For the first 23 hours we had no power. Now it's back up.

How many people in PC had their first hurricane?

Sara W

Paul-
Cogratulations! I'm so happy everything went well and it's so good to see you popping in. I'm so looking forward to a new thread! Hint, hint.

Yeah- Where is Peter?!

Man, I love the Olympics. I have always been in such awe of athletes. It's something so far removed from what my mind and body do, and the dedication they have is so amazing. It was so fun having the 2002 Winter games here, and watching the Athens games on TV brings back a lot of good memories.

Sara W.- I'm so glad you are well and your power is back up again. Take care.

-Astrid

Ok, So I feel a little stupid about this but I can't figure out how to find these pictures Cat put up that Grandma Mil keeps talking about. Will someone please point me in the right direction?
Thanks-
Astrid

Astrid--

If you click the link in the email I sent (did you get it?), it will take you to the photo album. The new pictures are at the very end of the album, so you have to click the Next link.

Aw, shucks, Karla, (I grew up in Nebraska) I thank you for your sweet remarks!

I, too, wish you could attend FIF! I am thinking of writing a "Strictly on Stage" paragraph on my posts here, after each rehearsal, to keep you updated on what's going on.

For instance: Today we had only 12 people at rehearsals.(The other 20 are on vacation.)

I asked Ellie, my husband, to fill in for a guy who, while lipsyncing and dancing, is surrounded by a bevy of senior beauties, who bat their eyelashes at him and look up at him adoringly while he "sings" to each of them.

Ellie was a bit shy, but before I knew it, he was moving his hips to the music, and someone called out "woo, woo", and he was starting to love it! The song ended, and he got a big applause.

I praised his performance..(if he continues to want to do this, I'm in big trouble...stay tuned!)

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Paul I'm pleased to hear that the show went well. Enjoy catching up with all of those missed cuddles and home brew!

Grandma Millie as I can't make it to the Follies I would really like for you to write on here and let us know what is happening with rehearsals etc.
You will have to keep a close eye on Grandpa Ellie especially with all of these female admirers now :) Haven't you thought about doing a duet??

The weather here has been awful, there has been so much heavy rain. Some parts of the country have been severely flooded and another part today had a landslide. The power of nature can be quite frightening.

Well my friends enjoy your day/night or what ever time of the day you are at.

Love
Kim

Hi PCers,
Hope your week has been good so far. Here in NYC we had a few days of a bit cooler weather but summer is back and I am not such a happy camper. My body cannot handle humidity very well, so I really feel for the poor people in Florida who are still without electricity in this terrible heat/humid weather they are having!

Kim,
You're very welcome, I'm glad that now we can click on your name to visit your web site and keep up with your wonderful needlework! Paul's portrait is really coming along ... the detail in the hair (and the rest of the portrait) is amazing ... the hair looks as if it will move any second, blown by a breeze! Thanks so much for sharing your art with us. :-)

Kim, where in England are you located? Saw on the news terrible flooding in the Cornwall area, a dreadful disaster! Hope you and your family have not been affected by the waters and that the weather improves.

Spivey,
LOL You are absolutely right, sometimes I wonder if a chimpanzee could write software programs that are as "good" as Microsoft's. LOL

"...many life-changing discoveries are the result of happenstance. Just think, if Flemming hadn't been fooling around with bread mold, we might never have had that wonder drug, penecillin."
===========================
True, we owe a lot to Mr. Fleming's forgetfulness ... or was it just sloppy clean-up in his lab? LOL Same goes for Marie Curie's carelessness/forgetfulness. They say that a tidy desk is a sign of a boring mind, so I imagine that they both didn't keep very tidy desks and labs. At least, I like to think so, since I am so messy when I'm working on my miniatures. :-)

I really like the idea you gave to Granny Karla to create the albums with the stories her mother told her. I hope she puts it into practice and, perhaps, shares photos with us of the results. :-)

To answer your question about the carpal tunnel syndrome.. yes, when it's acting up it makes it difficult to work on my miniatures because between the excrutiating nerve pain and the numbness all I can do is keep the hand in a brace, take some Ibuprophen, and pray for relief. Thankfully, the flare-ups don't occur so frequently, so there is enough time in between to allow me some artistic time, and the pain I may feel while working (especially when squeezing a punch or the Miter Master I use to cut woodstrips) is bearable.

Thanks, Astrid and Spivey,for visiting my web site and for your kind comments about my work! Astrid, your guestbook entry brightened up my day. :-)

Cat,
Thanks so much for the info on the show Paul coreographed. I thought he was away doing Annie Get Your Gun. I am showing my age here, but I don't think I have ever heard the music of The Ramones, so I have no idea what type of show it is ... other than it has rock music???

Well, this is too long ... sorry about that.

Stay well!
Nertha

Kim, those floods in the UK were shown all over the TV here in the U.S. So glad your area was spared. Hurricanes in the U.S., floods in the UK..rather scary!

Ellie and I have done "duets" together in past "Follies." In 2003, he "played" a plastic guitar from Toys R Us, while I lipsynched Patsy Clines's "Crazy" and "Heartaches." Most people were fooled!

His wish for a duet in the future is to fake playing his clarinet (he used to play it) while I wear a blonde wig and lipsynch to Peggy Lee's "Get Out of Here and Get Me Some Money Too". (That one should be familiar to some of our PCers.) I'll have to think about it for a second.

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Lots of hugs and hellos to my friends here at PC!!

Touching on the diet portion of this thread-the baby dictates what and how much I eat!! Lately, it's ravioli-the kind in the can!! I do not recommend this diet for anyone! I'm hoping the baby will find something else soon to get fixated on!!

I leave for the Outer Banks Saturday. Soooo-I'll miss you all next week.

HUGS and more HUGS,
Abeth

Abeth, have a wonderful vacation with your family!

Ravioli in a can? Sounds absolutely fabulous, especially for those (like me) who have been eating lo carb for months!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Melinda was scheduled to have her gall bladder surgery yesterday, August 18th!

Melinda, we're thinking of you! Hope all went well, and you're now recuperating!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hi Paul,

First I wanted to say that I enjoyed watching you in Joseph. As I'm getting near the 40s my metabolism has slowed down but I still weight training, cross-train and once a week I do aerobic training. I try to follow the six meals a day and drink a lot of water. I do not eat after 6 pm. I get up very early in the morning say 3:00 am or 4:00 am before I start work. It is not always easy; your body has to adjust to this type of discipline. I also follow the Eat-for Life Plan with Bill Phillips (awesome recipes). I have my own gym at home e.g. barbells, plates, free weights up to 45 pounds, a Tower to do pull-ups, sit-ups and chin-ups, step, stability ball to work your abs, indoor bike, etc. I have a huge collection of workout DVDs from Beachbody P90X with Tony Horton (these DVDs are for advanced exerciser only), Cathe (advanced) and the list goes on. Even though in the scale it shows a higher number, I wear clothes that range from 6 to 8 (muscle weighs more than fat). I had great results working out and clean eating...

Wishing you all the best,

Montserrat Tallec

Grandma Mil

Thank you for the wonderful picture collages of Paul and company. Reminds me of an oldfashion vaudeville pop out vallentine. It is music to my ears that you will be giving me a daily update of your activities, especially the Follies. You seem to have a streak of a wild sense of humor and are certaily a one woman show. You truly are the jeweled golden clasp that holds all of these wonderful pearls together with Paup being the thread that ties it all together. May i add that Cat is the beautiful box that keeps this beautiful necklace safe.

Paul it is wonderful to see you drop in, even if it is short.

Bonnie, what a blessing that you had a washer with a wringer. I always envied those people as for many years i had only a wash board with those double sinks. The refridgerator with the block of ice, and what a luxury a gass stove was. I miss my home canning especially the homemade pickles and katsup. Your words are so encouraging.

Spivey, last but not least, i am inspired to make those books that you described for my family. I might even add some rhinestones to really make them special. Your ideas are so creative and inspiring. You really cheer me up and seem to be a gifted person. I am going to work on my diet as i feel motivated by you as well as everyone one else on this site. I can see that there is so much more in life, even in my twilight years. Every day is a miracle. I feel a new hook rug coming on for my kitchen!

Bless all of you
Granny Karla

Dearest "Granny" Karla,

I'm glad you're here with me to help keep all these young whipper-snappers in line...(or is it online??)

You are a jewel yourself, akin to a diamond, sparkling and beautiful, and indestructable in spirit, and highly valued!

I, over the years on PC, have stated that I would like to adopt anyone that needs an extra grandma, and I will make a suggestion that you and I divy up the list...guaranteed not to give us extra gray hairs, because these "kids" are all very special!

I'm glad you liked the collages of Paul and Tara in SB. Actually, some are also posted on PC
under "Fan Work" right after "Guestbook" after "Archives." Cat posted them early on, for which I am grateful.

I remember the home canning of food. My parents did that also during the war years, (World War 2) even though sugar was rationed.

In the summer, in Nebraska, they canned peaches, pears, tomatoes, and cucumbers, which, when used with spices and vinegar, became sour pickles! I was a kid, and thought it was hard work, which it was, but later, in the winter, we had the food to enjoy!

Will keep you posted on "Follies", for we rehearse again on Saturday.

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hello!

Finally I have a few moments of peace so I decided to check in.

Not much going on in my part of the corner. I took a test today and passed so that means tonight I can rest and do something else than study anatomy until tommorrow when the studying for the next test starts all over again. I have four more test, a final exam, my state board and I'm done.

I was able to do an exchange with a skin care student (yes the school has a skin care program as well as the massage therapy). I got a super facial treatment and next week I massage her in the public clinic. I decided that if mother nature is going to force me to turn 30 in a few weeks than I need to do some maintinence (skin care, dentist, gym is there suppose to be some fun in this?) Or I can do what a good friend of mine does, read a good book and eat nachos while watching Star Treck on the week-and and oh use those gift certificates to Bally's Health Club as coasters for the coffee table.

In the weeks before my birthay its been like the quiet before the storm . As though my whole life is going to change on that day. I guess its going to be a new part of the journey, maybe it will be year of big changes and assessing where I'm at, where I'm going, am I happy in my life, am I satisfied with what I have

...just pass me the nachos please.

The one thing I thing I have learned at the end of my twenties is this...putting myself first in my endevours, my feelings, and in my happiness. I deserve it, we all deserve it, and there is nothing selfish about it. We'll have more to contribute this way.

...ok nacho time.

take care all,

Greetings to all PCers. Hang in there, the weekend is almost here. Man, has this week has gone by fast!!!

Bonnie,
Did you start on the South Beach Diet like you planned? If so, this is what, day 4 or 5? How's it going? Feel like it's a diet you can live with and gives you the results you're looking for? Keep us updated, okay?

Nertha,
I also read something about one of Flemmings discoveries having to do with mucus inadvertently falling from his nose into a petri dish. Nasal drip anti-bacteriology research? Not something I want to even think about!!! LOL

You said, "They say that a tidy desk is a sign of a boring mind, so I imagine that they [Flemming and Curie] both didn't keep very tidy desks and labs. At least, I like to think so, since I am so messy when I'm working on my miniatures."
--Well then, not only are you in good company and extremely talented and artistic, but no doubt you possess a rapier-like wit and scintillating intellect!!! I know that if the condition of my desk/workspace is any indication then I most certainly am a genius!!!

Sorry to hear that the carpal tunnel is a hinderance at times. Have you thought about, or are you planning to have, surgery to alleviate the problem?

BTW Nertha, I love your name!!! Makes me think of a sultery nightclub singer. I can imagine you up on stage in some low-lit, smoke-filled after-hours-joint doin' justice to some hot jazz/blues number! Watch out boys, Nertha's in town an' she ain't takin' no pris'nrs!!! LOL

And please, don't apologize about the length of your posts. If'n ya's got sumpthin'ta say, than go right ahead and say it!! Any ADD suffers can...well, they can take a nap between paragraphs!!! LOL

Granny Karla,
Rhinestones, too?!! What flair! What panache! I just know the family is going to cherish your handiwork. And Granny, still hooking at your age?? You go girl!!! Ha! Ha! Just kidding! ;-)

Montseratt,
If you stop in again, I'd like to ask you about your workout regimen. Thanks.

Till later,
Spivey

Spivey,

Thank you so much for asking about me. I am on day four now and have lost five pounds...hurray... I feel so great too. Lot's of energy too. What a miracle diet. I have Granny Mil to thank for that.

You have so many interesting things to say. Such an intellegent person you seem to be. Do you think that eating too much protein is a bad thing? I wonder how much is too much or how many carbs are too many. It is all so confusing to me.

Karla - My you are an amazing old soul!! Such ancient talents are disappearing rapidly from our culture. I am so interested in the rug hooping and also that photo album you are talking about. Some day you will have to share some of those old secrets with me.

Paul, if you are out there hello and believe it or not I have watched I Robot three times...All my friends insisted that I go and of course who was I to say no...Of course your name was mentioned several times...LOL

Granny Mil - thanks for the advice on the diet. I love this South Beach diet. All the recipes are great and as I work and eat out that has been working for me too. Please do share more of your stories about your FIF and your husband's antics. They do make me laugh so!!

Warm thoughts to you all,
Bonnie

Nertha it was nice of you to ask but thankfully I live no where near the floodings. The floods are the very bottom of the UK and I'm situated in the middle. The only bad weather I've had is very heavy rain that keeps coming through my roof, so it isn't only raining outside but inside to!

Julie congrats on passing your test, and goodluck with the others. I hope you have a great dare I say it, 30th. There's nothing wrong with 30, I'm 34 but I still only feel in my 20's, I wish!! Happy Birthday to you.

WOW so we now have 2 Grandma's, Millie and Karla. I lost one of mine many years ago and the one I have left, well let's just say she doesn't feel like a grandma to me. So I feel very lucky to have two adopted ones here.

Melinda I hope you are back on your feet again very soon.

Abeth have a great holiday, see you back here soon. I hope that bump of yours is well. How is the pregnancy going?

Love to all
Kim

Hello everyone,
My surgery went ok there was a small complication with one of my stones. It decided to go on holiday in other areas of my body...lol. I was sent home today but am still very sore and tired. I thankfully only got the four little cuts and bandaids on them but still painful as it is i am glad that the entire ordeal is finally over with. Anyway I have to go. Wishing you all the best and will talk to you soon..Melinda

Gran Mil,
I will email you pics of the boys in a couple of days i have to find the energy to get them from upstairs...lots of love to you! Melinda

Hi guys,

First of all, welcome to Monserratt and all the Newbies to Paul's Corner! :-)

Melinda,
I was thrilled to hear that you had an even more productive day yesterday and got rid of your gallstones! So glad you were able to have the less intrusive procedure because recovery is so much faster. :-) Take it easy, take care of yourself, and keep us posted of your progress.

Sally wrote:
"Nertha, Yep, I am. In fact, my father loved telling anyone who would listen how we are related to one of Hungary's great composers. I've always wanted to research that but can never seem to find the time."
=========================
Sally,
I think it would be wonderful if you could do the research and find out if you are related to that great composer. Which one is it? Litz? :-)

Dhi,
Sorry, I think I confused you with Beth Ellen as being the one with the loving baby sitting dog ... If you visit my albums, make sure to view the one labeled LOVEABLE ANIMALS. I think you will enjoy it very much. :-)

Sara W. wrote:
"Hey, I survived my first hurricane. During the storm, I had a blast playing cards with my dad by candlelight. It was strangely calm in the eye of the hurricane."
================
Sara,
So glad you survived your first hurricane without being harmed! Back in 1930 a hurricane hit the island of Hispaniola and devastated the capital city. My grandparents and my mom (who was a baby at the time) survived the experience. The stories they told included mention of the fact that when the eye (and its calmness) went over the city many people thought it was over and went out ... and then the wind hit from the opposite direction. A lot of the deaths and serious injuries were inflicted at that time by flying tin roofs and such.

Karla wrote:
"Nertha that is such a lovely name. Could you tell me more about it's origin and meaning?"
===========================
Karla ... and Spivey,
Thanks for your compliments on my name, I'm so glad you like it! My name has no real meaning and its origin was in my grandma's head. She made up the name when my mom was born because the name of the patron saint of that day (Nestor) does not have a female version. My grandma played around with it and ended up with Nertha, adding the "h" just because she liked how it looked, since in Spanish the "h" is silent (except after "c" as in "cha cha cha").

Spivey,
You made me laugh so hard with your description of me as a sultry jazz singer. LOL I love to sing and I love the old standards, but from there to me being sultry .... LOL ... salty, perhaps, from sweating out the humidity in NYC! LOL Besides, a smoke-filled room would kill me, since I suffer from asthma and smoke aggravates it. LOL Thanks for the laugh, it did me good to laugh out loud! LOL

Grandma Mil,
Your rehearsals sound like tons of fun. I think that a new star is being born in Ellie, so both of you will be in show business together!

"There's no business like show business
Like no business I know..."

On that note, I say "Hasta la vista, Millie's Chickies!" :-)

Nertha

Almost forgot to thank:

Monika and Marge,
For visiting my albums and leaving such encouraging comments in my guestbook. I am so glad you like my work, that makes it so much more fun for me! :-)

Peter,Tim, and Mary,
Where are you guys? We miss you! :-)

Jo,
Hope you, hubby and kitties are all doing well. Pop in when you can and let us know how things are going. :-)

Good night everyone!

Nertha

Nertha- Glad I was able to brighten your day! Your work did the same for me! I, too, get visuals in my mind of you in a dark nightclub in a blue velvet dress . . . I would have never said so, but since Spivey did so, I figured it was safe!

Cat- You know, if I got the e-mail from you, I think I deleted it because I'm paranoid about things I don't recognize! Crazy I know, but....
MIL!- thanks for sending me the pics yourself! It was so fun to place faces with names! I dig the shrine!

Love to all-
Astrid

Melinda, so glad the surgery is over! There's plenty of time to send those other pics of your boys when you're up to it. Grannie suggests that you take things easy (as much as you can, with 4 children) and have the kids wait on YOU if possible!

Bonnie, that's a TERRIFIC weight loss! I am impressed and thrilled that you and The South Beach Diet are compatible!

Nertha, thanks for the serenade...actually, the curtain-raising opening number of "Follies" is a two women jazz dance to the opening music from the movie, "Chicago"...("one, two, three, four"...) and then a chorus sings shortened snippets from famous show tunes, including this last one from "There's No Business Like Show Business":

There's no people like show people
They smile when they are low,
Yesterday they told you
You would not go far,
That night you opened
And there you are,
Next day on your dressing room
They hung a star,
Let's go on with the show,
LET'S GO ON WITH THE SHOW!

Paul will be hearing this lots, for it's from "Annie Get Your Gun" by Irving Berlin.

Julie, your complexion is so perfect, so beautiful, you have my permission to eat a Nacho once in awhile, and save one for me! (What the heck is a Nacho..is it like a Milky Way? Do I say LOL now???)

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Grandma Mill- I just can't thank you enough!! The total...drum roll...!!, now get this is 6 pounds!! Hurray Granny Mil!! This is the first diet that has worked for me and I have been trying the all. I have a thyroid disease and have had a hard time losing weight until this came along and I took your advice. Bows on bended knee to Granny Mil, as a loyal chickie now!! LOL

I so want to see those photos you were talking about but I still don't know where exactly to find them. Maybe I'm still just not computer savy yet, but rather challenged in that area.!!

How long have you and Ellie been married and have you always been doing something such as the Follies? That sounds like a lot of hard work but so much fun. Is it true that before you go on stage that the term "Break a Leg" is actually good luck? I would feel funny saying that to someone!! LOL

Well, gotta go. Must get out and take a walk, have 15 pounds to go yet!!

Hugs all around the board!!

Bonnie

Bonnie, my new chickie, you are amazing, with that wonderful weight loss even with the thyroid problem!

I know you will meet your goal, because you are so determined!

Most dieters know that the first days are sooo crucial, when there has to be progress, or one gets frustrated, and that's when diets fail.

Keep it up, stay out of restaurants for a while, and exercise, maybe a walk, or a bike ride or go to a gym.

There were loving messages of 70th birthday wishes for me, AND 50th wedding annversary wishes for Ellie and me on PC in 2003.

Paul raised a glass of Coopers to me on my birthday, and offered to dance with me, but I had to decline, unfortunately.

I don't dance well, and I could have stepped on those wonderful feet of his and put him out of action!

(We have raised 3 daughters, and have 12 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. Our eldest daughter and her husband have lived in Israel for 29 years, and have a family of 9 children and 4 grandchildren. Our other two daughters and their families live in New Jersey and Connecticut.)

I've always had a love of film and theatre since I was a kid, and used this interest in my teaching career, and now in retirement.

This will be my fifth "Follies" that I have produced and directed since 1997, all different in scope and theme.

I think that "Follies 2005" will be the best yet, and I'm glad, for my chickies are coming from all over, and I want the best for them!

"Break a leg" is an old showbiz saying, meaning
"good luck"!

At my age, I had better stick to "good luck"!

Keep up the good work, Bonnie!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Bonnie, my new chickie, in honor of your weight loss, I am hereby forwarding the pictures of Julie, Beth Ellen, and me as a non-food reward!

Although Cat has them posted on Yahoo, some people have not been able to get them.

I will be happy to forward them to others, with or without a weight loss!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Oh Granny Mil!!!

I feel another deep bow coming on!! The pictures were awesome! I feel so blessed to have been able to see them. You do radiate such a passion for the theather arts. Oh, to be so talented as yourself and at your age what you have accomplished is unfathomable for me to comprehend!! I'll bet Ellie has a run for his money when you are at your best in theater, as he probably has to ward off all the would be suitors LOL.!!!

I did receive the photos and thank you for emailing them to me. It really made my day!! I hope that it was not too much trouble for you to do that for me. I can't wait to lose more weight and see what reward I will get next! I can feel a few walks are in order here to get that stubbon weight off.

Please tell me more of you and Ellie!! Your new little chickie needs more eye candy!! LOL..

Hugs around the board again.

Bonnie

Hi all! I've just come back from a wonderful family holiday. We were staying in a house attached to a lighthouse (when we were all young, my Dad used to work on the lighthouses around the coast). It was SO peaceful there, especially at night. I was mesmerised by the light shining out across the black sea.

Peter, the walls of the house were filled with telegrams, cards and letters from lighthouses all over the world and would you believe the first I looked at was from a man and his wife who live on an island called Vis off the coast of Crotia! Actually, this place would be a good place to transport to you if I could. Guaranteed relaxation. How goes it with you anyway? Hope you are well.

Hi Nertha! You've a treat in store when you get Joseph. Paul is wonderful in it. (PS Born in the USA by Bruce Springstein!)

Inn, I hope some time off has come your way by now. Healing thoughts to Desiree.

Evelyn, hope the move is going really well. Good luck on Monday!!

Abeth, enjoy your vacation. It's great to hear you're feeling good in the mornings again!

Hi Cara and welcome back!

Paul, great to hear that the show went so well. Enjoy the cuddles!

Miranda, glad to hear the surgery is behind you now. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

Astrid, sorry about the ballet classes. Hope you can find some way round it. Good luck with your studies by the way. Hope all is well with you.

Hi to Monika, Kim & Sally. Hope you are all in good form.

Special hello and love to Millie & Michelle.

Tim, wishing you continued success with your studies.

Whit, wherever you are, I hope you are well.

Diane, wishing you the best as always.

Lovely to see all the new faces. Welcome to each of you.

Hi to Kat, Lyn, Vicki, Marge, Cat, Julie, Sally D, Janice & Lori (miss you both) and everyone else calling into the Corner tonight.

Love to each of you,
Mary

Melinda, apologies for writing your name incorrectly! (The good wishes were sincere.) My only excuse is brain-lag from driving for five hours before I wrote my post. And that strange place should read as Croatia! (No slagging and threats of the purle suit from DU please.) OMG - in two weeks, I'll be correcting spellings in copies! Mea culpa.

Take care all,
Mary

Bonnie,
Good to hear that the South Beach Diet is working so well for you. Don’t get discouraged should the rate of weight loss begin to slow down, because that's normal. Just keep at it and be patient, but determined.

As I said, I’m not a diet expert so I don’t have a lot of tips for you. Maybe some of the others here have some good advice from first-hand experience.

Since you asked: Protein is vital for good health. Among other things, it helps the body “repair’’ itself. From what I understand, too much protein over long periods of time can be harmful to the kidneys, however.

Carbs are also necessary. They are the fuel that the body needs to “run”. If you "tank" up on too much fuel, the body simply stores it up for later use—as fat. Eating low, or no carbs makes the body burn up the stored fat to keep running. However, strictly stored fat metabolism has certain hazards as well of which you need to be aware.

How much protein and carbs is too much? How much is too little? It’s mostly a question of your own metabolism and lifestyle. But, don’t take my advice on such matters. It’s much safer, and smarter, to talk with your doctor about these things. Ask LOTS of questions!! I do hope that you are consulting a doctor while making such a drastic change in diet and activity? If not then PLEASE DO!!!

Nertha,
Glad I could make you laugh. But Nertha dear, don't you know that sultry, just as beauty, is in the eye of the beholder? And salty? Don't tell me that you like to sing sea chanties? Fifteen men on a dead man's chest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...

Since NYC has a smoking ban in cafes/bars/restaurants/clubs, etc., you can't use asthma as an excuse any longer. So....jump up there on that stage and start beltin' em out, our Caribbean Goddess of Song!

And,in keeping with Astrid's vision (why wouldn't you mention it for goodness sake?!), this one's for you:

She wore blue velvet,
Bluer than velvet was the night,
Softer than satin was the light
From the star,

She wore blue velvet,
...well, you know the rest.

BTW, thank heavens your Grandmother had the creative foresight to add an "h" to your lovely name. Otherwise, when written, it might have looked like the name for some quaint, furry little creature; a member of the Sciuridae family, genus Belomys (Hairy-Footed Flying Squirrel), perhaps!! Duck everybody, the nerta is coming, the nerta is coming!! (Hmm...I wonder if the plural of nerta is nertae, or nertii? Will have to look into that!). LOL!!

Melinda,
Glad to hear that your surgery went well. BTW, I think a postcard from your wayward little gallstone was delivered to me by mistake. Shall I read it to you? Is says:

“Dear Momma Mel,
Greetings from the beautiful Islet of Langerhans. What an extraordinary view I have across the amazing Plains of Peritoneum! Am planning a little camping trip on the Isthmus of Appendix for next week. After that, perhaps a bit of hiking/climbing on Mount Hepatica.
Who knows where I’ll end up, actually? This little excursion was, as you know, totally unplanned.
Hope my little impromptu expedition is not proving too troublesome for you! Will write more later.
Yours, Rocky

Why Melinda. Isn’t it wonderful that your little Rocky thought enough to send you a postcard? How thoughtful of him!!! You grew him up well. LOL!!!

Mary,
Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen? Do I detect a small trace of radicalism in you? I like that in a person!!! :-)

Dear Granny Karla,
How are you today? How is the Cyber Exploring going? And, the hooking? Hope to hear from you soon!

To All,
Hope you have a good weekend.

--Spivey

Granny Mil, I must thank you for all the wonderful photos you sent my way. I am going to print them out too. I love doing photograpy, a hobby of mine and I can't wait to put them up on my walls. Thanks again!! JUMPS UP AND DOWN!!

Did Paul actually go to Florida for your birthday? If he did wow, what a treat. I am sorry that I missed all the festivities.

Spivey - my goodness you know a lot about the facts of health!! Reminds me of the show "Facts of Life". I can still remember Blaire prooning all the time. When do you have the time to do all this research? You are better than Dr. Phil was on Oprah. I don't even need to watch him anymore...LOL..

Karla- I have not seen you on lately. I hope that you aren't up to your elbows in macaroni and hooking rugs!! I sure don't want to see you get crafted out..!lol

Have a great evening all!!

Bonnie

Is there trouble on the line? Just checking!

Gran Mil

Hi! I'm here just for a third time ^_^
I want to say that when I had a time in winter 03/04 I was training with tainer some kind of aerobics, but I hadn't any effect in my body...One day my trainer presented me "pillates" and you know it worked, I started to feel so much better in health and spiritualy...
But now I'm studiying and don't have time, it's a pity for me.
Do anyone uses here pillates?

Hi Alex! Welcome!
Pilates is GREAT! It's like active yoga-And it is gentle on your joints.
Studying is more important, though, so keep up the good work!
Lyn B.

Oh, no, Bonnie, Paul didn't come to Florida, he toasted my birthday with a message on PC!

He said he was raising a glass (or a mug) of Coopers in my honor, that marvelous man! Dancing with me would have been a little more difficult!

I promised Karla to write about the antics of the cast (and me) during the rehearsals of "Follies". Here is the first installment:

"Strictly On Stage"

A beautiful woman, age 70, named "Jackie" is one of the show's movement and choreographers. (Sounds like something out of "I, Robot".)

She's from England, and moves like a showgirl and dancer, like she was in her past.

She was trying to show a rather awkward woman how to move more gracefully in an all white gown, with a small white umbrella in her hand.

When she was finished, Jackie came up to me and whispered, "Dahling, she will never make it!" I whispered back, "Jackie, we have 6 months...be patient!"

Then, there's Joanie, a diminutive elderly lady, who comes to rehearsals always on time, and seemingly enjoying every moment.

Joanie has one speaking line in the show. She is to say, on cue, "Hey, what about the price of gas?"

She uses a microphone, but with no flair, for the mike never seems to get to her mouth. She finds it hard to coordinate her movements to get the mike near her face, and ends up swinging it, almost hitting the person next to her! She will probably get a BIG laugh...I hope!

Mary, it's so good having you back on PC, and to learn you had such a marvelous trip. We missed you!

Bonnie, I am so happy that you will be hanging my "Strictly Ballroom" posters on the wall to enjoy, bless you! I couldn't have made them without my digital camera.

I read that 35mm camera film will be obsolete soon. It will go the way of the VCR, but with the digital cameras we are able to share over the Internet!

Alex B., you've come to the right place! You've come a long way, and we hope you will like it here as we all do!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Hello All!

A quick shout out to Grandma Millie her Stud Elliot, Mary, Kelly, Bonnie (nice to meet you), Beth Allen, Timmer, Peter, and the one I always forget and should start giving my best regards to...Cat.

oh and Paul of course.

Well, Sunday night. I decided to try another Key Lime recipe, Key Lime Cookies. They turned out very tasty and I'll spread the lot of them with my neighbors since I made at least 50 of them (that batter goes a long way). In the between time studying for my next test and trying to get some rest, at least a little bit of rest after a long week of tests, my grandmother and her cat Lucia. They left for Sarasota yesterday and as much as I love my Nannie (as we say in Italian) I'm enjoying the peace and quiet once again. Especially since in the middle of the week the cat thought it would be a great idea to start using the bathtub as a litter box instead of using the $15 litter pan I bought especially for the occassion (my cats are outdoor and indoor and I've never needed to buy one). So you can imagine my ordeal cleaning with bleach and buring lavender oil in the bathroom after each of her accidents. Actually accident wouldn't be the term to use since she seemed to be very diliberate about it. It was a neat freaks nightmare.

What a great topic for the fan blog.

Well moving right along, by Sunday of next week I'll be turning another year. Not just any year but a year that's been creeping up on me all year. It's not the number that bothers me but wondering if this will finally be the year of success. Either in my massage practice, a great trip, getting that Jacuzzi, or maybe if I'm really lucky have my film produced (I'm already thinking of my next project so I'm pretty excited about that I'll hopefully wrap up my previous work waiting for my license in November). Maybe it will be more like this, I'm suppose to choose one and if one of the above come through, I'll be happy.Why do I have a feeling that's not the way it goes.

Well, I'll just rent Strictly Ballroom for the following birthday if nothing else comes through. Or if it's rented out season three of Sex and the City.

Can't complain.

Take Care All,

Julie,

Please, please, please share that key lime cookie recipe!! I have been looking for a good one forever!!

Love to all,
Work calls!

Beth Ellen

Hey, Julie and Beth Ellen, come on over and we'll bake key lime cookies together!

We'll freeze a batch in my freezer for the FIF gang!

(Actually, they probably wouldn't last until February if left with Stud Muffin and me. We would find them too tempting! I haven't had a real cookie or a real baked anything in over a year!)

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Granny Mil- You had me jealous there for a while thinking that Paul went to Florida to toast you on your Birthday! LOL To be so fortunate right?
But a toast on the board is welcomed anytime of course.

I love that you are posting the antics of FIF! They sound like a humorous bunch. I can only imagine the dress rehersals and the actual event when it takes place. Oh to be a fly on the wall!!

I am still doing fine with the diet and have lost a total of 7 pounds now.!! I am starting to notice a big change in my clothes and my face is not so puffy. I can't thank you enough for steering me towards this book. South Beach Diet is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Karla- Hope you are well. I am starting to wonder what has happened to you. I miss your stories. Please get on PC soon ok?

Spivey- Have you been watching the heavens lately for the big event? I think we are nearing the time for it aren't we? I love to watch for those kinds of events. Especially if they are once in a lifetime events.

Paul, I hope that you are keeping busy. I am still trying to rent Strictly Ballroom but the copies were all rented out!! I will watch it soon as they get them back in.

Have a great day all!

Bonnie

Bonnie, 7 pounds off already? Wunderbar!!

(That's Wunderbar, not Wonderbread.) Forget about that sliced bread...not allowed!!

10 lbs. off a youngster like you means one size smaller, and that is a reward!

Yes, we haven't heard from Karla lately. Karla, hope you'll come back soon!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Grandma Mil

It is so exciting that you are posting daily updates on the Follies. I so look forward to reading about your daily activities. I think we should be calling you Diva Grandma Mil. Last week i had a checkup in the hospital for a few days and looks like i have a lot of catch-up to do. If only i was in better health i would love to share your chickies with you. Your family in Israel , i hope they are in a safe area. Please post more on the Follies as i really look forward to reading about it daily. It is sad that the mind stays young and the body grows old. You seem so youthful and alive. Paul is so blessed to have you.

Nertha i appreciate your sharing the origin of your name. You are lucky to have such a beautiful and original handle.

Bonnie, i hope all is well with you. It is so kind of you to have concern for a perfect stranger. I am a little envious of your dieting weight loss. The other morning i was wearing a grey house dress and when i wheeled over to the dressing mirror i felt like i was looking at a beached whale. I need to try that South Beach diet i guess, but i have a weakness for homemade pies and i use lard in the pie dough. Lard makes the best pie crust you know.

Spivey, you are always so informative and funny to read. I will try to make those books for my family that you described. Maybe you could do a comedy act in Grandma Mil's Follies? Youwould make a great Master of Ceremonies

Bless all
Karla

Here you go Bonnie!

Key Lime Cookies

1/2 Cup of Butter
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Egg plus 1 Egg Yolk
1 1/2 Cup of Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Key Lime Juice
1 1/2 Tsp. Grated Lime Peel
1/2 Cup Conf. Sugar

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, egg and egg yolk; mix until creamy. Add four , Baking powder, salt, lime juice and lime peel; blend thoroughly. Spray baking sheet with non-stick vegetable coating.

Form dough into 1/2" balls.

Place on baking sheet;bake at 350F until lightly browned, 8-10 min. Remove from baking sheet while warm, sift conf. sugar over cookies.

Makes 3 Doz

Take care all,

I mean Beth Allen, sorry.

I'm also going to be posting on the Recipe Corner so I hope to see you all there!

Hi everyone,
I survived moving, everything went well, didn't break anything, still working on unpacking and assembling new furniture, survived two days of work as well, too much information at once, but doing okay. Waiting for the phone and internet to be connected at home, 4 more days ... have too much to do, but I can do it!!! Getting plenty of exercise carrying book boxes, etc. and running up and down the stairs over three floors in my new gorgeous, spacious home (how am I going to fill the third floor???, yeah I know, earth shattering problem, NOT!) and have lost weight as well without even trying. Okay, enough of that, I will copy the posts and perhaps find time to read some of them tonight.

Peter, where are you and the Purle Rabbits? Haven't seen a single rabbit round here, Freyja and I are disappointed, sort of.

Missing you all and hoping to check in more regularly soon.

Love to each and everyone of you and wishing you only the very best.

Dear Karla,

I appreciate all your comments. You are a dear, and yes, we all missed you, and hope your hospital exams went well.

I was thinking about your remarks about "a beached whale" which was EXACTLY how I used to describe myself, before my 30 lb. weight loss! Uncanny, right?

Karla, with your permission, I wish to send you my copy of "The South Beach Diet." I know the rules backwards and forward, and I don't need it.

Examine it, try it, and join Bonnie and me (and anyone else) in our own special diet club!

We will beat out all the competition, like Weight Watchers, Atkins, etc., and use the buddy system for encouragement.

Bonnie has done so well in starting out, and that's very encouraging!

Maybe one day we'll have Julie bake us a batch of her Key Lime Cookies so we can treat ourselves once in awhile, but that time should be in the distant future right now!

I will contact you for particulars.

Thank you for asking about our children in Israel. They live in Jersualem for years, and their neighborhood is safe, so far. They stay off regular buses, and out of crowded areas in the heart of the city.

We have not been able to visit them for 5 years, but we exchange phone calls, emails, and pictures.

A "Follies" rehearsal is due tomorrow...will keep you informed!

Peace and Love,

Mil

Hello everyone and thank you for the warm wishes...

I have been quite busy at work time goes by fast. Lets see my daily regime consist of 6 small meals a day. I eat every 2 hours (small portions) and drink a lot of water. I still take my caffeine in the morning (strong tea), tried to quit and boy did I feel horrible, so I decided forget I will keep drinking my tea...I stay away from pre-made meals, eat leafy vegetables such as broccoli, swiss chards, brussels spouts (I know it is not the best taste), spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. I also eat tofu burgers and soya burgers, add low-fat salsa on top of the burgers with lettuce and you got a nice sandwich. I also make stews and add low-sodium broth...I used Chef Prud'homme spices and well as Mrs. Dash (we now carry it in Canada, finally). I also eat turkey, chicken, flank steak, Buffalo meat (it is very low fat), extra lean ground beef and ground turkey (these are the low fat meats), eggs (Omega cartons). I make omelettes in the morning, one egg yolk and 5 egg whites with added veggies. I buy when I have enough money Ezekiel bread, very low calorie and Balance margarine (you will have to go to a health food store) and brown bread...Since I'm allergic to real milk I drink Soya milk which has no lactose.

I bring my food to home sometimes I will get a chicken salad usually on payday...I do not drink any soft drinks and that includes wine...I am planning on getting an indoor bike, got couple of spinning DVDs. The body gets used to the same routine so I always try to shock my body. I also have a heavy bag at home and do kickboxing, which I love.

Exercise and eating healthy will help the individual to reach his or her goals...

P.S. Looking forward to meeting each and everyone...and there is only one "t" at the end of my name Montserrat not Montserratt (lol)...

Hi Folks, Just want to share a DVD rental system I discovered recently that has all of Paul's movies. It's called Netflix (www.netflix.com) and it's a DVD subscription service in the U.S. through which you can rent a bunch of movies at a time and return them whenever you want. You can build up a queue and when you return one DVD they send you the next one in your queue. They come in self mailer envelopes with postage included, making it very easy. No late fees. Plus you can write reviews of the movies you rent. It's about $20/month to have any three movies out at once and that means when you send one back, you get another one from the queue sent to you to a max of three out at a time. There are other subscription levels that allow you to have more movies out at a time. The selection is incredible -- lots of classic films, all the new ones, etc. Okay, folks, back to work for me now. Best, Jennifer in California

I'll second what Jennifer said! Netflix is really cool! My neighbor uses it and will lend things to us here and there, and just yesterday I found out they had a lot of Paul's stuff. It's definitely worth getting, no matter what genre you like.

Blockbuster just launched a similar service. You also get free store rentals for using the online service. Get your less popular titles online and your new releases in the store.
This shameless plug brought you by your friendly neighborhood Blockbuster Employee.
Hello all. Peter your rabbits are all over my yard. They feel safe within my fences. Welcome to Montserrat. Hi Evelyn,Mary,Grandma Mil,Astrid,Spivey,Bonnie,Beth Ellen and the rest of the Corner.
Peace

Hi Inn, now I know why I can't spot any of Peter's rabbits, since you are keeping them fenced in in your yard! :-( How are you doing?

Hi All, I loved Inn's "shameless plug"! Here's a question for you all...I've been trying to find a copy of "Joseph" on DVD or VHS so I can see it again. I loved that series and, alas, even my Netflix doesn't carry it. Inn, do you know if Blockbuster has it? Jennifer in California

Jennifer - Have you tried eBay? That's where I got my copy. Vicki

I think they have his movies at overstock.com...I got my copy at a christian bookstore.

Quick fly-by(a la Katalina) to say hello and send love and best wishes to the PC family. I'm making the most of my last week off before I go back to work next week. Hope everyone is doing well.

Evelyn, wishing you the best of times in your new home. Good luck with the new job!

Peter, you are missed. Hope things are good for you.

Paul, best to you as always.

Special love to Diane.

Take care all,
Mary

"Here's a question for you all...I've been trying to find a copy of "Joseph" on DVD or VHS so I can see it again. I loved that series and, alas, even my Netflix doesn't carry it. Inn, do you know if Blockbuster has it? Jennifer in California"
========================
Jennifer,
Overstock.com has Joseph on VHS ... I have not been able to find it on DVD. They will be getting the shipment at the end of August but you can pre-order, as I did. They also have Strictly Ballroom. Best part is shipping is $2.95 for anything you order (be it really small or furniture).

Nertha

Hi guys,
Have been a bit quiet the last couple of days because I have been working on a micro mini present for a dear friend, and at the same time I was trying to put a little order in my chaotic apartment ... failed mission, but at least I started on it. LOL

And then ragweed season struck! Watery eyes, scratchy throat, drippy nose, respiratory difficulties ... you name it, I got it! LOL

Yesterday was our 29th wedding anniversary and I was hoping for a quiet day, since my allergies had been bugging me for two days and I woke up with a bad headache ... not such luck. My mom and youngest son were preparing a little surprise dinner for us so there was a flurry of activity going on, so no quiet spot could be found in a small apartment!

Thankfully, I felt a tiny bit better in the afternoon and by that time I was actually looking forward to our little dinner party (just hubby, Jonathan, my mom, our friend, Eleanor, and myself).

The deliciously healthy dinner my mom prepared sure helped to perk me up, too.... yummy salmon, asparagus, green beans, salad, avocado, whole wheat home made rolls, brown rice (I passed on the rice and gorged on the veggies and salmon), sparkling cider ... GRANDMA MIL, COVER YOUR EARS/EYES ... and a sinfully delish cheese cake our friend, Eleanor, brought! LOL

It was a good thing I enjoyed the dinner party because today I went back to feeling miserable and the memory of the good time we had has helped me bear the effects of the allergies in a little better mood.

Boy, it's a good thing I started to tell you about this after I had lunch because otherwise I would be really hungry now! LOL

Will have to read the posts later, when my eyes are not so tired and watery.

Have a great day, everyone!
Nertha

Belated congratulations to you and your husband on your 29th anniversary, Nertha! Many, many more together in good health!

Okay, you splurged, enjoying all those goodies your Mother and friend prepared.

That was yesterday, and today is another day, so guess it's back to the basics...uh, oh, Nertha, I don't think you are part of the dieting club, anyway, so go ahead, and eat something outrageous for Bonnie and me, (when you're feeling better, of course!)

Glad to learn Mary is back after a lovely vacation, Evelyn is getting settled in her new apartment and job, and now, let's find Peter!

Peace and Love,

Gran Mil

Thank you...thank you...Vicki, Lyn, Nertha....I'm going to order my copy of Joseph right now!!!! Best, Jennifer in California

Spivey wrote:
>
==================
LOL You have no idea how funny that is because actually, I like to sing sea chanties! LOL My hubby used to own a sailboat in his youth and loves them, so he introduced me to them. LOL

"Renzo was no sailor (Renzo me boys Renzo)
He was a New York tailor (Renzo me boys Renzo)"

We have a blast singing sea chanties in the car when we have singalongs. Although my favorite sea song is "Heart of Oak" -- they used it as the anthem for the Star Trek Next Generation series. I remember Patrick Stewart singing along with his crew, "Heart of oak are our ships; heart of oak are our men; we always are ready; steady, boys, steady; we'll fight and we'll conquer again and again!" LOL Is that salty enough for you? LOL

>
==================================
You're right about the bans ... so I guess I could survive in a club ... but I think the most I can see me visiting is a karaoke club. LOL

Bluer than velvet was the night,
Softer than satin was the light
From the stars,>>
==================
Spivey, I love that song, and I love Bobby Vinton's voice. Thanks for the memories of my teen years! :-)

BTW, thank heavens your Grandmother had the creative foresight to add an "h" to your lovely name. Otherwise, when written, it might have looked like the name for some quaint, furry little creature; a member of the Sciuridae family, genus Belomys (Hairy-Footed Flying Squirrel), perhaps!! (Hmm...I wonder if the plural of nerta is nertae, or nertii? Will have to look into that!). LOL!!
==============================
LOL Now that is what I call FUNNY!!! LOL I never thought of my name that way, but you are right, without the "h" it can become something totally weird! LOL Thanks for the laugh, I really needed it, especially in this heat. Even the air conditioner seems to be tired of working extra hard these last few days!!!

Jennifer,
Looks like we'll be watching Joseph around the same time. It will be fun to share our thoughts once we have viewed it. I haven't gotten mine yet, it probably will ship within a day or two. I
m getting anxious. :-)

A big hug to everyone at PC!

Nertha