Monday

Welcome back, Colleen! I remember you - your user name was a lot like LIVERIGHTNOW (Kris) and I always had to look twice to see which one of you had posted. I still miss Kris... but I'm glad you're here again.

Welcome back! Yes, I remember you. I recognized your name somewhere today - maybe on a blog list? Anyway, I'm glad you're back. And I've got just about exactly 100 pounds to lose, too.

Welcome back to LC! Post often--it keeps up all involved and committed.

Hi all,

I'm Starting Low carb tomorrow. It's been a long time since I ate this way. Some people my remember me. It's been awhile since I've been on Sparks. I have 100 pounds to lose. Time to get started again.

Diane, I have five rat terriers--showed in agility for 10 years with the older girlies, but can no longer run and twist and turn. Now am showing the youngest in competitive obedience--we are both very inexperienced. I had two Dobes in my forties. Wonderful dogs! Just got to be too big for me. The rats have the same kind of devotion and brain power the Dobes had, but in a much smaller package.

I've fostered too and there were a couple I would of kept, but my girls are breedist and don't tolerate pit bulls. Pits are what we mostly get to foster here.

Just made an appointment to soak for an hour at the hot springs--that should ease my poor aching muscles!

Diane, it's Leone who's showing a dog. (It's confusing, isn't it, all these screen names and trying to put real names to them?)

I don't have a dog at the moment. Haven't for years, in fact. Haven't had a place to keep one. Now I do, or will once the handyman finishes the fence and the gate. I'll probably just foster, though, rather than get a dog of my own. Unless I one just captures my heart and I become a Foster Failure...

Leone, I'm glad that you're taking away a positive, even if you're somewhat disappointed. Knowing what to focus on next is half the battle. That's always been my challenge with Kyle, not knowing what to even do to help him!

Speaking of which, he's still having a great time working at the Renaissance Festival. He really needed a positive work experience to get him fired up. His next work experience is probably going to be a bit of drudgery, but as long as he sees it pointing him in the direction he wants to go, he'll deal with it.

DH is working on finishing up a new shed for our newish lawn tractor. The pieces have been sitting on the lawn for a couple of months now. He needed me to help clean up some of the pieces that were already picking up some mold.

I ended up spending a couple of hours outside, cleaning the porch, scrubbing some porch chairs I'm taking to Max next week, repotting a plant, etc. Wow, did that tire me out! I haven't spent much time in the heat all summer, and now I remember why! God bless A.C.!

Thank you, Mary Anne. I appreciate your offer and per our telephone chat, I will call you tomorrow morning as to whether I can get an appointment with the new doc. You are an angel for offering to help. God Bless,

Leslie, thank you for your prayers. I am profoundly grateful for prayers sent my way.

Love, Roberta

Happy Labor day to all! I'm just being lazy today, my work week starts in earnest tomorrow!
Maw what kind of dog are you showing? I used to breed and show Dobies, now I just rescue! Have a great day!! Diane

Finished the last day of the dog show. Better showing than yesterday, but still no qualifying ribbon. Sigh. At least I now know what to work on. Next weekend we will attend an agility trial for lots of noise and handling by new people and do some work in that environment. I probably won't show again until the spring so I have time to get that focus in situations with lots of distractions.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and Enjoy today!

Maw, you're a ball of fire! I finished cleaning up my kitchen this morning from the mess of making two big batches of soup for my mom's freezer. I took it to her yesterday and then had to run away from the drama and negativity. I know she doesn't understand what she's doing and can't change it but it suffocates me sometimes.

Today is for me. I am going to workout and then do ankle exercises, but I'm also watching some training/information videos for developing my business, and then I'm going to work on my branding. I could pay an expert to do it for me, but I've had my logo for a long time and I think I can work through a lot of the options myself before I give up and hand it off. Most of my ideas are too intangible to verbalize with someone else at this point anyway.

Roberta, I'm thinking about you today and sending healing energy your way... (((hugs)))

How's your neck, Roberta? Honest, just give me a call if you want me to come up. I have nothing on my calendar for today or Tuesday, and the little I have for the rest of the week is easily changed. I'll email you with my new phone number.

I feel like I've accomplished a day's work already! In the first hour and a half - by 9:00 this morning - I had fried up the second half of the ten pound chub of ground beef I got a few days ago. About 5 and a half pounds today, and all cooked in one pound batches because that's how big my skillet is. I made a batch of Beef Zucchini Pie (not great, but definitely acceptable). I grated two pounds of cheddar cheese. I did the dishes from the last few days, including all the mess from the Sausage Squash Casserole I made yesterday. And I cleaned up my mess from today. All that in just an hour and a half!

If I get around to it, I'll make up some more Sausage Squash Casseroles and maybe another batch of Beef Zucchini Pie. Or maybe a batch of something else. I'll have to check my recipes. I have two or three huge zucchinis to use up and two big crookneck squashes. I may just make them up into Basic Zucchini Mixture, which is cooked and then drained zucchini. After cooking and draining it, you freeze it and use it later in casseroles or breads or stuff. It takes up a lot less room in the freezer that way. But they'll keep. That's one advantage of the big ones. They keep well.

It is an absolutely beautiful day today. I should get out and do something in the yard. Maybe work on my compost pile. Maybe spray weeds. Maybe dig dandelions. Maybe just sit on my patio and read. But something outside. I was very lazy yesterday. I don't think I set foot even once outside yesterday. But it was a delightful day being lazy!