TTT and Renewed Crew January Journey

[mergthemagnificent]

Lindy, hooray for you!! iFind the palate change really encouraging...and will lean into them to get me through. Fresh, actual food is such a blessing...a bit harder to find this time of year, although, in Virginia its global warming at work, I went to one of my farmers market farmers hours yesterday and picked fresh kale, chard, broccoli, parsley, and butternut squash...what a treat.

Nancy, sorry about Rusty...he must have been a real gem. Nice to honor him with his photo here.

Dr. Tracy'b...welcome!!! iVe read that dirty dozen thread, and they are an awesome group....hope we can likewise inspire and support you.

And ladyshanny, so glad so see you again.

Happy new year to all!!!

[Crimsann]

Decided the new year needed a fresh look...and I'm trying to think of the best way to "introduce" myself without repeating too much for those who have already heard my story. 

 

This will be my third official W30.  My first was in June of last year.  I read about the W30 on a blog I enjoy which is entirely unrelated to healthy eating and I will admit what first caught my eye...no, more raised my eyebrows...was the image the blogger put with the post.  She was talking about how she had finally found something that really worked for her, but then the picture right below where she started to talk about Whole 30 was of a Target shopping cart piled with nothing but cases of La Croix.  Now, old hats with Whole30 will get that maybe...but as a total outsider at the time, my first thought was "well sure, an all sparkling water diet would definitely have an impact but what the heck?!?!"  I had to click through and find out more about what crazy fad diet was this chick up to! 

 

I still don't really know what made me dig in deeper after the realization that it wasn't just water 24/7, but within a few weeks I had read/listened on Audible to both books and had signed up to start June 1st.  I completed June, and went on to do July as well though with two instances of using compliant ingredients in non-compliant banana ice cream type ways so I do not count July.  I did a few reintroductions in August, but then followed some of my former July pals in doing another complete Whole30 (with an added workout challenge) in September.  For 2016 I will be doing January-February-March and June-July-August, though my intention is to do breaks during February and July where I again work on staying with entirely compliant ingredients but using them to do some additional non-compliant things.  I completely agree with the rules around things like not making "ice cream" out of frozen banana's during a Whole30 but I'm curious to explore that territory as a sort of middle zone between being on the program and being off it.  It also breaks up the 90 days into three parts rather than trying to go full steam straight through until April.  How much I will make use of that break remains to be seen, it all depends on what recipes I find to play with.  I don't have any specific items in mind, just an easing of the structure without actually reintroducing anything.

 

To be honest about where I'm coming from, I did this initially for the challenge and to push the limits of what I could do with healthy foods and to kindle more enthusiasm for cooking and eating the way I really want to rather than the way that is convenient.  I don't have any particular health challenges like some, but I have an intense work-life that leaves little time for tending to myself if I'm not committed to doing so.  The benefits I found from Whole30 aside from it really getting me back in the kitchen included; some significant weight loss, improvements in my skin (softer, clearer, glowing), better sleep (still not enough hours, but better quality), definite improvements to my temperament (almost had to turn in my redhead card), and I just really like looking at the contents of my grocery cart and feeling smug.  LOL!   

 

My biggest struggles will be with finding the time to stay properly prepared and still get proper rest.  I suspect the winter season is going to kink up my plans and I've been plotting ways to stay one step ahead of the game by writing out meals even further in advance and maybe even doing some things to freeze as the temperatures and conditions here start to slide into what I personally consider to be hostile territory.  I should warn you now, I hate winter.  I don't get SADD I get mad.  I don't think snow is pretty even in postcards.  Well, maybe a little pretty, but I find I can hate pretty things when the need arises.  As my commute is a good 45 minutes on a sunny summer evening, you can imagine what it's like trekking into my rural area on a bitter icy night in January.  Trips to the grocery for lunch if I forgot to pack or to pick up something for dinner on a Thursday night are unlikely if not actually dangerous.  On top of that, I once broke it all down and in order to get even the minimum 8 hours of sleep...I need to complete all of my daily cooking/cleaning/prepping/eating/exercise/dressing/personal grooming in two hours as I literally spend the other 14 hours either driving or at work.  I do have weekends off and that is the only thing that makes this possible!

 

So those are my goals and my challenges, my favorite part of the group approach is sharing recipe and meal ideas and keeping things lighthearted whenever possible but helping prop up anyone having a rough day.  I will definitely be trying to post a little something every day, but I am currently mentoring a new co-worker and the next few weeks in particular will mean less time than ever, ever, ever for keeping up with the social part of this. 

 

Speaking of social, though I don't expect she will be reading this just yet...I believe today was a wedding day for one of our September group if I've got the timing right!  Best wishes going out her way! 

[Dom Dumais]

Hi all.  I was invited here by QuilterInVA.     My first time doing the W30.  My wife did it back in September.  Hope you all had a good New Years.  

[NancyW]

^{I've been doing whole30s since September 2013.  What I noticed was that my fibromyalgia bone pain completely disappeared when I was eating compliant, so I really did not ever reintroduce.  Well - not formally.  My life spun out of control and I fell off the wagon completely over the past year.  And I am now living with chronic pain, again.}

 

^{My husband, two ADHD children, and I just relocated from California to Exeter, England, so this will be my first time doing a whole30 while also getting used to what is available to me foodwise in the UK.}

 

^{In addition, I turn 50 in two days.  I had planned to already be at my best when I turned 50, but life interfered and I find that I am still a work in progress.  So this whole30 is a fresh start in so many ways.}

 

^{I previously have done my whole30s with the Dirty30 but I don't see them here.  Thank you for letting me join your group.}

 

^{Today I roasted six chicken thighs and some carrots, white potatoes and onions in my somewhat different English oven.  Couldn't figure out how to turn on the oven part so it ended up broiled, instead.  But I did succeed.}

 

^{Tomorrow is unfortunately a do-over because, as it is my first week in Devon, I did take a spoonful of Devon cream to taste it.}

Welcome, drtracyb--and happy 50th! I'm 58, and have said the same thing about being at my best for 30, 40, 50, and now 60. This time, I know it will happen. Looking forward to getting to know you, and hearing about your adventures in living in a new country!

 

EXCITING NEWS: Dec 31 is my birthday and we decided to go out for breakfast. I decided to have whatever I wanted and chose pancakes with bacon. Looked lovely, I took one bite of the pancakes and thought, what is this in my mouth? Clearly something has shifted, I couldn't stand the taste, texture or anything about them. Didn't even taste like food to me. Now I never have to want that again--just not that nice to eat.  So eating this way has made a few shifts in my palate and I am thrilled. 

 

Happy birthday, misslindy!! I enjoyed the pancake story, as I have been craving them. I've had a bunch of sugary, starchy junk lately (until yesterday!), but not those. Now, I don't miss them so much!

 

I still don't really know what made me dig in deeper after the realization that it wasn't just water 24/7, but within a few weeks I had read/listened on Audible to both books and had signed up to start June 1st.  I completed June, and went on to do July as well though with two instances of using compliant ingredients in non-compliant banana ice cream type ways so I do not count July.  I did a few reintroductions in August, but then followed some of my former July pals in doing another complete Whole30 (with an added workout challenge) in September.  For 2016 I will be doing January-February-March and June-July-August, though my intention is to do breaks during February and July where I again work on staying with entirely compliant ingredients but using them to do some additional non-compliant things.  I completely agree with the rules around things like not making "ice cream" out of frozen banana's during a Whole30 but I'm curious to explore that territory as a sort of middle zone between being on the program and being off it.  It also breaks up the 90 days into three parts rather than trying to go full steam straight through until April.  How much I will make use of that break remains to be seen, it all depends on what recipes I find to play with.  I don't have any specific items in mind, just an easing of the structure without actually reintroducing anything.

I also agree about not making non-compliant food out of compliant ingredients. I was on Weight Watchers for a long time, and they had a real ruckus about turning foods from the "Core" plan (now Simply Filling) into non-Core foods. It's not just about the food, it's about what's going on in our heads when we eat that food!

 

Hi all.  I was invited here by QuilterInVA.     My first time doing the W30.  My wife did it back in September.  Hope you all had a good New Years.  

 

Welcome, Dom! Happy New Year to you!

[NancyW]

Hi all! Despite today being part of "Days 2-3: The Hangover" and feeling like I have one, I am happy to have this W30 underway. I woke up with a massive headache--no real surprise there. Some ibuprofen and coffee, and I'm ready to get the day started anyway. Three template, compliant meals yesterday, and no real hunger. Love that! I was playing around with the idea of having an apple with almond butter last night, since Meal 3 was done earlier than it should have been, but then I realized I wasn't really hungry, I was afraid that I might end up hungry. So left it alone. More kitchen stuff to do today, but my decorations are all down so I'm ahead of the game. I've been off of work since December 23 (we always close the office between the holidays, with pay--love my employer!) and am torn between being ready to go back, and really not wanting to. 

 

Good to see people ready to rock this thing! Happy Day 2 to all!

[NancyW]

Dom, just read your intro thread and discovered we were practically neighbors! I live in Milwaukee. I have relatives in the twin cities, and really love that area. 

[Dom Dumais]

Welcome, Dom! Happy New Year to you!

Thank you NancyW.  

 

Dom, just read your intro thread and discovered we were practically neighbors! I live in Milwaukee. I have relatives in the twin cities, and really love that area. 

Cool.  I did live in Wisconsin for a few years.  I lived in Hudson, but played hockey all over the Wisconsin and Minnesota.  What part of the Twin Cities do they live in?

[Prickly Hay]

Hi Everyone, 

I am a complete newbie, so am lapping up all the info here before I start next week.  

It is so long since I felt well that I have forgotten what it feels like.  I have a house full of kids that won't be joining me on my journey so I am still going to cook restricted foods for them and just use my sheer will power.  

I know I can do this and feel heartend to see so many advanced and returning members.

Bring it on! 

[hsheffield]

busy prep day:

 

first off, big sale on Tessemae products at Whole Foods. Around $2.50 off/bottle. everything except the buffalo sauce.

 

made baked eggs w/ LOTS of veggies to have as a grab and go breakfast or lunch

 

baked 3 huge sweet potatoes to again have ready for any meal. 

 

bought short ribs at Whole Foods (wow expensive) and have the Korean short ribs (rec'd in Day 1 email) going in the slow cooker.

 

btw, the Pederson sugarless bacon is really good. 

 

got a bad cold that peaked yesterday and didn't eat anything noncompliant but didn't eat 3 discrete meals. does that matter?

[jmcbn]

got a bad cold that peaked yesterday and didn't eat anything noncompliant but didn't eat 3 discrete meals. does that matter?

Hey there

 

No, you're still on track. For absolute optimum results follow all of the recommendations as well as the rules, but provided you ate nothing off plan you're good 

[Crimsann]

I think I forgot to mention before I'm also actually starting Monday, so for those of you who are joining up but not on the plan yet...right there with you, and for those of you who will be hitting Day 4 on Monday we will be bringing a fresh wave of enthusiasm to get you through that rough patch!

 

I ran into my first small snag yesterday when the salad dressing I had thought I could just buy turned out to have a non-compliant ingredient in it.  It was a TessaMae's that I hadn't tried yet so I hadn't actually looked at the ingredients before yesterday and didn't fully realize that not all of hers are compliant.  No big deal, for sure I know to check labels on everything before buying even if I've had it before, so I spotted it in plenty of time...but what I didn't have was a plan B dressing.  This led me to a second grocery run this morning, now armed with a few additional ingredients to make my own Green Goddess.  I'm going to be trying this one I found online: http://www.tweetpotatopie.com/2014/07/green-goodness-dip-dressing-paleowhole.html

 

I could have gone with something else, I still have some of the lemon dressing for example, but I'm really working on "green" being a bit of a theme this week since it's the hardest color for me to get on my plate sometimes and so of course it cracks me up to use a Green Goddess dressing on a green salad.  Otherwise today is more about slowing down and tidying up a bit, tomorrow will be the full on cooking day.  I'm not actually doing a lot of recipe making, this week in particular it's pretty basic stuff, but I will be making Nom Nom Paleo's Super-Porktastic Meatloaf (also contains spinach as part of my green theme) and prepping some vegetables for quicker meals later in the week.    

[NancyW]

Thank you NancyW.  

 

Cool.  I did live in Wisconsin for a few years.  I lived in Hudson, but played hockey all over the Wisconsin and Minnesota.  What part of the Twin Cities do they live in?

Two cousins in St. Paul, and one in White Bear Lake. 

 

Hi Everyone, 

I am a complete newbie, so am lapping up all the info here before I start next week.  

It is so long since I felt well that I have forgotten what it feels like.  I have a house full of kids that won't be joining me on my journey so I am still going to cook restricted foods for them and just use my sheer will power.  

I know I can do this and feel heartend to see so many advanced and returning members.

Bring it on! 

Glad you found us, Prickly Hay! This really is a great group, you'll love us! 

 

busy prep day:

 

first off, big sale on Tessemae products at Whole Foods. Around $2.50 off/bottle. everything except the buffalo sauce.

 

made baked eggs w/ LOTS of veggies to have as a grab and go breakfast or lunch

 

baked 3 huge sweet potatoes to again have ready for any meal. 

 

bought short ribs at Whole Foods (wow expensive) and have the Korean short ribs (rec'd in Day 1 email) going in the slow cooker.

 

btw, the Pederson sugarless bacon is really good. 

 

got a bad cold that peaked yesterday and didn't eat anything noncompliant but didn't eat 3 discrete meals. does that matter?

hsheffield, hope you're feeling better! I saw an 8 pack of Tessamae's stuff on Amazon, the Whole30 pack. I've been considering ordering it. Do you like that stuff?

 

I think I forgot to mention before I'm also actually starting Monday, so for those of you who are joining up but not on the plan yet...right there with you, and for those of you who will be hitting Day 4 on Monday we will be bringing a fresh wave of enthusiasm to get you through that rough patch!

 

I ran into my first small snag yesterday when the salad dressing I had thought I could just buy turned out to have a non-compliant ingredient in it.  It was a TessaMae's that I hadn't tried yet so I hadn't actually looked at the ingredients before yesterday and didn't fully realize that not all of hers are compliant.  No big deal, for sure I know to check labels on everything before buying even if I've had it before, so I spotted it in plenty of time...but what I didn't have was a plan B dressing.  This led me to a second grocery run this morning, now armed with a few additional ingredients to make my own Green Goddess.  I'm going to be trying this one I found online: http://www.tweetpotatopie.com/2014/07/green-goodness-dip-dressing-paleowhole.html

 

I could have gone with something else, I still have some of the lemon dressing for example, but I'm really working on "green" being a bit of a theme this week since it's the hardest color for me to get on my plate sometimes and so of course it cracks me up to use a Green Goddess dressing on a green salad.  Otherwise today is more about slowing down and tidying up a bit, tomorrow will be the full on cooking day.  I'm not actually doing a lot of recipe making, this week in particular it's pretty basic stuff, but I will be making Nom Nom Paleo's Super-Porktastic Meatloaf (also contains spinach as part of my green theme) and prepping some vegetables for quicker meals later in the week.    

I love the green theme, Crimsann! I'm going to check out the dressing recipe, although I'm a huge fan of EVOO and balsamic. 

[NancyW]

Boy, I can't believe how full my freezer is! That's a good thing, but now, every time I open it, frozen crap is falling out on my toes. I better get some steel-toed boots or I'll be crippled by cooked chicken breasts and beef & butternut squash soup, what a way to go!    Got lots done today, now it's time to park my butt and relax. See y'all tomorrow! (Can I pull that "y'all" off even though I live in Wisconsin and not down south?)

[bpaitsel]

Welcome to all the new people here!  Sounds like everyone is doing a lot of planning and prepping - I'll do some prepping tomorrow.  Nancy, being from Virginia I think I can say you can certainly pull off the y'all thing.

 

I am at the end of day 2 and doing good.  When I started yesterday I had some serious cankles as a result of major fluid retention for the last couple of weeks - which I knew was from poor food choices.  Let's just say that the problem is quickly resolving and I can actually see my ankles now!

 

I was a bit worried this a.m. about being able to stay compliant because my husband and I was going out to breakfast to a little local diner here.  I am getting better about asking questions and making special requests but I still feel a bit "needy" sometimes.  So, when I tentatively asked if I could have my eggs poached I was really surprised when the waitress said "sure."  Even though it was early she also made me a nice salad - I had brought along some homemade mayo for dressing just in case.  I had a great breakfast and no big deal.

 

Miss Lindy - keep up the good work!

[hsheffield]

 

 

hsheffield, hope you're feeling better! I saw an 8 pack of Tessamae's stuff on Amazon, the Whole30 pack. I've been considering ordering it. Do you like that stuff?

 

 

my first experience w/ Tessamae so don't know what I like yet. the Lemon Chesapeake seemed great on a salad yesterday but my tasting faculties were a little limited by my cold!!!   will update when I've tried more. fyi: not all Tessemae products were whole30 compliant.

 

 

woke up today and I could breathe at least. I could smell the Korean short ribs from the slow cooker. I thought, ok, a palm size bit of meat seems like a short rib or two...so Korean for breakfast it is. OMG-fantastic, easy recipe from NomNomPaleo. Now I see why it was listed in the day one e-mail.

[NancyW]

Day two in the books, day three just beginning! I didn't wake up with a headache today,hallelujah!! It's my last day of "off" before heading back to work. We've been closed since Dec. 24. We're closed between the holidays every year, with pay. I am a lucky woman! It gave me all that time to cook and prep. And I also stayed away from making any plans for this weekend so that I could just Whole30 my way to health. I did nibble on some raw cashews yesterday before bed. Not sure if I was truly hungry or just craving things, but it helped prevent something worse from happening. I LOVE cashews, but I only like raw cashews. Otherwise, it was a problem-free day. Hoping for another one today. Then tomorrow, KILL ALL THE THINGS day, I go back to work. My coworkers will be SO glad to see me! 

 

Today is not exactly planned out, but with all the stuff in my freezer, I don't have to worry about that. I think I'll try some sweet potato hash browns and eggs with peppers for breakfast. And maybe some cabbage too. I'd like to see how the new Cuisinart handles the sweet potato. That's what made me return the first (cheap) one I bought--how it handled (DIDN'T handle!!) shredding a sweet potato. Something out of the freezer for lunch, and salad w/ chicken for dinner. Gee, now everything IS planned!

 

I have the Nom Nom Paleo cookbook, but it's on my Kindle. I shouldn't have done that. I love my Kindle, but some books are easier to have as actual books. It's too hard to find the recipe I want to use if I can't put a little "sticky" on the page. I don't find the Kindle page markers as easy to use. Will have to look at the short rib recipe. 

 

Happy Day Three to all. Make it a good one!

[QuilterInVA]

Nancy, download the Kindle app to your computer and then you can search for the recipe you want. Many of those recipes are also on her website and I look there and print them.

 

I have a headache today (Day 3)  which I knew I'd have to go through to get rid of the sugar dragon. Energy is good. I made Kaula Pork yesterday since Pork Butt was on sale for $1.29 pound. I love this stuff. I had some for breakfast with steamed spinach and an egg and ghee.

[NancyW]

Nancy, download the Kindle app to your computer and then you can search for the recipe you want. Many of those recipes are also on her website and I look there and print them.

 

I have a headache today (Day 3)  which I knew I'd have to go through to get rid of the sugar dragon. Energy is good. I made Kaula Pork yesterday since Pork Butt was on sale for $1.29 pound. I love this stuff. I had some for breakfast with steamed spinach and an egg and ghee.

Thanks for the tip about searching Kindle on my computer, Susan! I have it, but never thought to do that. I have got to try that Kalua Pork, I've heard many good things about it!

[C_Cezeaux]

I'm back!!   Holidays were great, vacation was awesome, but I am SO ready to be back on unaltered food!! This will be my third official W30, starting tomorrow, for anyone who hasn't seen me whine on here yet, lol.  MissLindy, Happy Belated Birthday!! We just came ashore today and I was way too cheap, a-hem, thrifty to have my cell phone turned on while we were out to sea, so I missed you.

 

I did Thanksgiving holiday just fine, got through the move great, started off into Christmas holidays, which turned into a food train wreck before it was done, then started off on the cruise thinking it would be no problem to eat healthy... after talking to the spa doc, who is a big fan of W30, she told me "If you want a piece of chocolate cake, eat chocolate cake.  There are so many additives and preservatives in all the food on board that the cake is healthier than the apple."  Now, I am quite upset with the cruise line.  They somehow managed to shrink ALL of my clothing while we were gone!!   And my husband's as well.

 

So.  I was going to start on the 8th, the day after my birthday, but since we celebrated so well on vacation and I really feel the need to get back to decent food, I am starting tomorrow.  NOT looking forward to the sugar dragon battle again, but I did it to myself and it must be contended with, so here we go.  Looking forward to the journey with all the friends from the last one and the new folks joining in.

 

Luckily, I have a freezer fairly well stocked with chopped veggies and some leftover soups from last time - I will be going out tomorrow (when the ground stops moving) to restock my fresh foods as well as pick up some ingredients for new recipes I want to try. 

[mergthemagnificent]

Cynthia!!! Welcome back down glad to hear you are settled at home....and Nancy, thanks for reminding me about the headaches....need to be prepared. I will PAY for all those holiday treats.

Well, we finished the bubbly on Jan 1, so I started the next day....coming up on the end of day 2 for me....am sorta organized, but so eager for the good feeling that comes from eating right...YAY!

Btw, I did go ahead and make my traditional Christmas rolls that my grandmother used to make, and I send them to everyone in the family. Well, I think almost everyone is now more or less paleo, so yeast rolls with sweet filling...probably off the list for next year...could beer life for me!!

But it will make me a little sad too...you know, traditions....plus I like to have JUST ONE on Christmas Day.

Ok, no more talk of NO foods....waiting for green beans to be ready, then it is Vietnamese beef stew a la nom nom with beans for dinner.

Cheers, everyone!

[NancyW]

Funny how luscious an orange LaCroix tastes while doing a Whole30! Who'd have ever thought? I'm SO not ready to go back to work tomorrow, even though all of my food is ready to be tossed in my bag before I head out the door. Funny that I have to head back to work on "KILL ALL THE THINGS" day... I wonder if my coworkers know what they're in for!    Hope everyone's day was as easy as it could be. See you all tomorrow!

[Amy53]

Nancy I'm with you on working tomorrow.  At least my students don't come until Tuesday...I'll be alone working in my room most of the day so that will be best for everyone!  

 

I had a hard time not just grabbing food for the fun of it today.  I remember that this passed and I'm really looking forward to that!  

 

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

[C_Cezeaux]

Oh, ugh, headaches and "kill all the things" - funny how I like to repress memories of Week 1 timeline.   Good luck to you (and your co-workers!) at work tomorrow.  I will be busily shopping and recreating my goal sheet and reminders of habits to re-break.  Snacking, sugar, grain... bye-bye.  My whining should commence about day 3 if I remember right.

 

Merg, were your traditional rolls anything like the kolaches that the Czech grannies make?  My husband is HOOKED on those, for real! He stops at "the" place to get them everytime we drive to Austin.

[misslindy]

Hello

Day 4 for me today and believe me I should have stayed home all day yesterday. I completely forgot about the kill all things stage and it was fierce. Can't believe it.

 

So lovely to wander in here and catch up with everyone, Cynthia glad you are back and you sound brilliant. I had a lovely birthday and plan to keep on having a good time all year!

 

Nancy I can't believe you are so prepared--you are a shining light in the darkness that is for sure!

 

Merg, I can understand the letting go of traditions even if they are not useful for us any more, they are familiar and loved for the place they occupied.

 

We are away tomorrow so will have to do some juggling with food but nothing major. So easy to handle now--amazing!

[NancyW]

Nancy I'm with you on working tomorrow.  At least my students don't come until Tuesday...I'll be alone working in my room most of the day so that will be best for everyone!  

 

I had a hard time not just grabbing food for the fun of it today.  I remember that this passed and I'm really looking forward to that!  

 

I hope everyone has a great Monday!

Amy, I have one hour of peace and quiet (I came in early) before all the noise begins. It will take until 2pm for everyone to settle down and get to work. I work in Finance and we're starting month end, so between the noise, month end, and KILL ALL THE THINGS, it's gonna be a long day. My goal is to get through it compliantly, and without killing ANY of the things...

 

Oh, ugh, headaches and "kill all the things" - funny how I like to repress memories of Week 1 timeline.   Good luck to you (and your co-workers!) at work tomorrow.  I will be busily shopping and recreating my goal sheet and reminders of habits to re-break.  Snacking, sugar, grain... bye-bye.  My whining should commence about day 3 if I remember right.

 

Merg, were your traditional rolls anything like the kolaches that the Czech grannies make?  My husband is HOOKED on those, for real! He stops at "the" place to get them everytime we drive to Austin.

Yup, there's a good reason we repressed those memories!

 

Hello

Day 4 for me today and believe me I should have stayed home all day yesterday. I completely forgot about the kill all things stage and it was fierce. Can't believe it.

 

So lovely to wander in here and catch up with everyone, Cynthia glad you are back and you sound brilliant. I had a lovely birthday and plan to keep on having a good time all year!

 

Nancy I can't believe you are so prepared--you are a shining light in the darkness that is for sure!

 

Merg, I can understand the letting go of traditions even if they are not useful for us any more, they are familiar and loved for the place they occupied.

 

We are away tomorrow so will have to do some juggling with food but nothing major. So easy to handle now--amazing!

misslindy, I work for the Girl Scouts. Being prepared is in our job description!