Fearless February

[SnoopyC]

Good morning all...

I am familiar with all the terms, Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras. I used to love the time before lent at the Catholic School I went to because we had Mission Day. This was a day without classes, started with Mass of course, then each classroom had an activity, mothers brought in cakes, cupcakes, etc., and you brought in money and spent all day. All the money went to the missions, of course. We had a cake walk, fun jail where you could drag your teachers and friends and bail them out, and it was all pennies and nickles. It was so fun. Thanks for bringing up the memories.

Dill, I have been thinking about Lent. I found a college website that tells of the 10 things Pope Francis suggests, and it was good. Also, guideposts.org had some things too. I want to try and read the Bible a bit, mainly Gospels and Psalms, every day and find some more things to do. Then, of course the giving up. I agree that having fish is no sacrifice. Today, fasting and no meat. Eggs for breakfast, salad for lunch, small dinner, maybe veggie broth, crackers, and cheese. Or tuna. I enjoy thinking of no meat meals. I envy you your athletic place, I need to find one. Good for you and it will really assist in getting through the winter.

Cyn, you are so productive, take care and have a good trip. I would like to travel right now, just to get away, but not happening right now.

Lav, love the way you just serve healthy food all over the place and no one even knows. But you know. I feel really healthy again, eating well and at home, I have to continue this. Hope you dental appointment went well.

Pap, back to work yet? Being at home can be fun, gald you are making the most of your time off, having fun with your doggies. I know my cat loves when I am home. Games, treats, lots of love. Pets are the best.

I am so grateful to have a garage right now. It makes it so much easier to leave in the morning. Have a great day.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends

Sunny & 9 degrees - could be worse I guess, LOL

Star, the only thing I remember about Lent in Catholic school was being dragged into church more often for Stations of the Cross thing, being forced to eat things like fried eggplant because fish was never cooked at home - yuck. Life just seemed to be more miserable than usual during those weeks. I know that's not a positive thing to say but that's what it was.
Eating healthy makes all the difference & I am grateful to have the time & energy to do as much reading & research as I do. Showing the kids good examples is a real plus

Dill, great that you enjoyed your gym trip!
Is there anyone available there to give you instructions on the equipment & safety hints?
If you can get yourself into the habit of going 3 or 4X/week you will feel great!

Cyn, wishing you safe travels this week!

Papmom, I saw an article about the mayor of Boston telling people to stop jumping out of their windows into giant snow piles, ha ha! People must be getting crazy after being cooped up for a month!!! No jumping for you!!!!

I am getting myself to Curves then shopping for some birthday gifts for my granddaughter. She's having a wild & crazy party at ChuckECheese on Sunday afternoon, ha ha!!! Must remember to dig out my ear plugs!

Have a great AF Wednesday everyone1

Lav

[dill]

Hello Fearless Friends,

If this weather isn't depressing enough, looking at the long term forecast will take care of the rest. Ugh. Spring will come. Spring will come. Spring will come.

Star, I like your Lenten ideas. I too intend to take an action more so than a deprivation. I shall try to spend 20-30 minutes each day either reading the bible, saying the rosary, or meditating. I am already in deprivation mode bc I have been hitting my diet pretty hard and have cut back severely on bread and sweets. I'll continue that. I wish there was something I could do to help the people being tortured and murdered by ISIS. I'll keep them in my prayers and meditations and pray that our leaders take appropriate actions in the face of this great evil.

Lav, yes, there is staff available to help, but also all the machines have illustrations on them that help me to figure out how to use them. I was there again today walking and then using some of the equipment. I'll go more than 3 times a week thru the cold months. I really need to do more of a cardio work out. I find myself tiring very quickly. Oh, my! The dreaded ChuckECheese birthday party! I know it well. LOL!

Papmom and Cyn, hello. Safe travels Cyn. Enjoy the warm weather.

[papmom3]

good snowy evening all! Yep, snowing again but nothing significant. This weekend however...... crap.

The Mayor and Governor are ridiculous. The governor told us to think of things to do inside as if we're all little kids and now the mayor of Boston is telling people not to jump off roofs. Buzz killers LOL!!

Not being Catholic, Lent has never been a "thing" for me. Of course, church/religion has never been a thing either I'm sorry to say. I kind of feel like I've missed out all these years.

Dill=proud of you for going back to the gym a second time. Lav is right, the more you go, the better you'll feel. I haven't been to the gym for almost a month (although I ave been regularly exercising to DVDs and going to water aerobics) so I went tonite straight from work (i drove to work but walked home for lunch). It felt good. I need to make it a habit again.

Lav-it was a balmy 20 degrees today! The sun was somewhat strong on the way home at lunch so that was encouraging. More snow and cold on the way.

My hoarder friend is supposed to travel to Canada on sunday to accompany a fellow Berger Picard owner as she returns the puppy she bought 2 months ago up there. The dog has serious issues and she is heartbroken. Luckily the breeder is well respected and will take the dog back. Hopefully he can rehome it to a non competition home where it will thrive. I don't think they should go-they might make it up there and miss the weather but they won't make it home (they are going up and back the same day-crazy!!).

Today my boss took me around to meet more people. Everyone is so nice and so excited I'm on board. Even the President who I thought would intimidate me was very down to earth and welcomed me warmly. I feel so blessed to be in such a great place at the end of my career!

Star-oh you have a fireplace AND a garage!! Oh, you are blessed too!!

LM is not feeling well-hasn't eaten all day. So frustrating after a few days of really good eating. sigh. wish I could give him a kidney transplant!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

I did not set my alarm so just stopped in to say hi! I'm running a little late. It is really cold, no surprise. Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

It's a frosty 10 degree morning but the sun is out
It's supposed to be much colder tomorrow morning ~ swell.
I'll be getting the boys at dinnertime tonight - here we go again.

Papmom, we had a quick snow shower last evening, just enough to cover everything once again.
I imagine you must be sick to death dealing with snow at this point, sorry!
Good to hear that your new job is a good one. Put that on your gratitude list for sure
I hope your pup picks up today, it's hard to watch them suffer.

Dill, have fun with your gym visits. It does feel good to do something positive for yourself! Tune in a teeny bopper radio station at home & get dancing - it's a good cardio workout, ha ha!!!

Star, have a good day despite the late-ish start! We all forget/ignore the alarm once in a while!

Have a great AF day one & all!

Lav

[dill]

Brrrr.

Lav, I went to the gym and there was a sign on the door saying they weren't opening until 10:00 due to the cold weather. Aarrgh! No time to go back bc we have to go pick up our gson for the day due to school closing. I'm certain school will be closed tomorrow as well bc the weather is supposed to be even colder over night. We woke up at -5 degrees today. Brutal. He will be spending the night. Gdaughter goes to daycare and those centers never close so she will remain with her Dad. He can drop her off and get to his job.

Papmom, I saw some clips of folks jumping out of windows into snowbanks after I read your post. It was funny to watch but I can't imagine ever doing such a thing! Plus, they were doing it in shorts! Sorry little LM is feeling poorly. So hard to watch our pets suffer. But at least he knows he is loved.

Star, I somehow didn't peg you as one who even needed an alarm clock. You post so early in the morning, I just thought you were one of those early morning risers. In all the years I worked I never set an alarm and I never over-slept. Even on mornings when I was hung over, which was most of them before I joined MWO. Anyway, I hope you had a good and productive day in spite of the hectic start.

Hi Cyn, are you in the warm yet?

If we can just get through the next 24 hours, things are supposed to warm up to normal temps for this time of year on Saturday and Sunday. I can't wait! Unfortunately, it's just a short reprieve. The cold returns on Monday.

Have a great AF Thursday all.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Hey Dill, normally I never need an alarm, but this cold has made me need and want lots and lots of sleeptime. Up early today, drinking some great coffee. So cold. BRRRRRRRRRRR. But, not much snow in comparison. Work is going well, and it' Friday!

Lav, Cyn, Pap, hope things are going well.

Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends

Woke up to a balmy -1 this morning but the sun is nice, ha ha!!!

Dill, not surprised about the school opening delays - that's happening all around here as well due to the extreme cold. A few more weeks of this BS weather & we should be in good shape!

Looking for some motivation to get myself together & out of here as well. Even Curves is opening 1 hour late today, LOL

Greetings Star, Papmom & Cyn! I hope everyone is safe & warm.
Make it a great AF Friday!

Lav

[dill]

Late check-in for me. This day was busy, busy, busy. I'm glad for the peace of the evening finally desending.

Again I couldn't get to the gym today. They don't allow people under 18 to have a membership or even to come for one day, so with the grandson here, the gym was not an option. I'll try for tomorrow.

I heard a good news story today. Do you remember Cliff Cavin from the show Cheers? His real name is John Ratzenberger. He just donated a million dollars in Georgia to an effort to try to bring back high school shop class. I have long wished for shop to be returned. Home Ec. as well. Those classes are so practical and valuable for individuals, I have never understood them being removed from high school curriculum. I hope this movement catches fire.

Greetings Star, Lav, Papmom, Cyn and readers. Have a peaceful and AF weekend.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning all...

We are getting some snow today, I wish I would have gone to the store after work yesterday. Darn. Out in it today for sure. It is really pretty, and everything is close for me, so really no big deal.

Lav, I agree, a few more weeks and hopefully the cold will go away, at least this extreme cold and snow. I feel like cooking today. I'll have to look through my recipes. How about you, what's on your agenda today?

Dill, hope you get to your gym today and have a little down time.

Pap and Cyn, stay warm and have a relaxing Saturday if that is what you have planned.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Snow due to arrive here around 1 pm today - swell.
Didn't know until late last evening but I will be watching my grandsons today, swell, ha ha!!!
Star, I made a pot of vegetarian chick pea minestrone yesterday & boy it was good! I used a quart of tomato puree from last summer's tomato harvest & some fresh basil which gave the soup a real fresh flavor, yum.

Greetings Dill, Papmom & Cyn! I hope everyone is OK!
Have a great AF Saturday!

Lav

[dill]

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”
― W.C. Fields

That was me! Lol. You know, meal prep time is still sometimes sticky for me. But it's just passing thoughts that can be let go. I remember tho in the early days, what an absolute slave I was. I was so obsessed with wine it scared me to death to think of letting it go. Do any of you remember those days?

Star, the snow is beautiful but what I am really enjoying is the temperature today. We are in the 30's and it feels like a heatwave! I did go to the gym today but the college was hosting a track meet so the the track was off limits. The equipment was still available so I tried a few new pieces. I am not exactly enthusiastic about the machines except for the eliptical.

Lav, your veggie-chickpea stew sounds delish! It's funny but I had a craving this week for chick peas too. I made a chicken, chickpee and spinach curry that turned out pretty well. I didn't follow a recipe, just put things in as I went. I don't think I'd be able to replicate it tho because I didn't write anything down as I went. I basically just put together ingredients I had a hankering for.

Cyn and Papmom, greetings.

[Lavande]

I do remember those days Dill - not going there again!!!!

Here, try this:

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/chickpea-minestrone/

I warmed up a bowl for lunch today, yum.

Had the boys for close to 6 hrs, they are now home safe & sound in this outrageous weather. It's still snowing but it's warmed up to 25 degrees - woo hoo!!!!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Lav, checked out your recipe, it looks delicious and easy, too. I will definitely make that soup soon. I just need to get a a few more ingredients. Hope your babysitting went well. I read on another thread that your grandson is giving you a hard time, being naughty. Hope it went well. We were nailed with snow, but then it warmed up and was sunny and in the high twenties by afternoon. Ran errands and even shoveled a little. I feed some ducks and geese in a little pond by my house, and they were so excited. I crushed the bread and flung it, I did not want to get attacked by geese. I have been hissed at by them in the past and they can get a little crazy! I found a yoga studio within five miles of my house, I want to try it out soon, but yesterday, felt like being lazy and watched a movie, read, and rested. It was nice having no pressure.

Dill, yes I do remember drinking and cooking. I now just have to equate drinking = being sick. That is how it is for me. It is hard to start new habits, but once ingrained, it is OK. I think it is so important to find other things that are enjoyable. It seems that with heavy drinking you lose your capacity to enjoy other things to an extent. It is such a relief to be out of the habit of drinking and letting it ruin health, relationships, wasted days, self-esteem. Your recipe sounded delicious too, glad you enjoyed it.

Hello to Pap and Cyn, have a great AF Sunday. We are blessed to have found this site, recognized the joy in being AF, and following through.