Well done Pati

I'm adding more compliments and encouragement to you Pati on your successful regime.  Just as you wrote, it may be hard to reframe your success and accept your new found shape and size. Maybe your days in Penningtons are over. Maybe you start to browse and buy in these other stores that you are exploring such as Ricki's. Keep it up.
Not too much new here except that it is raining early this morning - taking the dog out it felt just plain miserable!  He scrambled back under his covers where I would love to go and stay all day haha! But life goes on and I must get myself and the car ready to be at the garage for 8 am.  Take care

shopping at Dollarama

This is always an adventure in self control.  We went in to buy some gravy mix, and then we thought of wrapping paper and cards for the birthday party, Friday.  The I wanted to feed my soul with a cruise down the stationary aisle.  In the end we spent over $24.00.  David commented that it had been a mistake to take me in there, but he was right beside me all the way.

Then, he remembered that we had been having trouble with the cellphone, so we trotted off to the other end of the mall.  It turned out that, with the change over from MTS to Bell, and the subsequent technological changes, there are significant changes occurring in the operating systems for phone like ours.  Evidently, all impacted customers have been contacted via texting, and encouraged to come in for up dated equipment.  We didn't have a text function on our phone. In the end we bought and paid for a new cell phone, and all of the features of our previous contract have been extended for another two years.  Had we taken the phone that came with a new contract, we would have lost some of the features that we really like, and would have had to pay an activation fee.  (At least that was their story, and they stuck to it)

While David was dealing with the paperwork of the new phone, I wandered into the store women's clothing next door--Ricki's.  They had my size, and overall their prices were lower than Pennington's, where I've shopped for almost 40 years.  I didn't buy anything, but the concept of me as a smaller person is just recently started creeping into my brain.  This seems to be very hard for me to adjust to, which, evidently, is often a problem for people who loose large amounts of weight.  I still think of myself as a size 24, not the size 14-16 that I presently am.

Milder

One might actually think that the snow will all melt away and Spring will be here. Oh, there is still snow around but much of it has melted. Our days are pretty full with packing up boxes and making trips to the sheds. This afternoon I slipped into the LCBO to beg for more boxes. They said take all you want from the shed at the back - so I did. Also picked up the latest Food and Drink magazine so that is what I will browse through in bed tonight.
I have been looking for a set of scarf, hat and mitts for Erin in the colour aqua or teal and having no luck at all.  I think I may have to give up but I promised Mike I would look after this request. I have even gone on line to LLBean, The Bay, Amazon etc  Would there be another site I could check out?
Thursday I take the car into the garage for the winter tires - it is time - Harry spun the car out in our driveway of all places when the snow was more abundant, and then we had trouble backing up the driveway as well.   The following week I go for my Annual Doctors appointment. I received a letter in the mail from Cancer Care Ontario reminding me that I am due for another mammogram. The cut off year is 74 so I can't beg off this thrill just yet - lets see, at every two years that makes it two or maybe three more times ....Wippee!
Last night I stayed up later in order to wash another dozen wine bottles. It is time for Harry to bottle his brew and unfortunately I haven't got all the bottle washed yet. These were the bottles we got free last year but they are dirty and the labels are still on all of them - what a pain to clean them up. I won't use GooGone either because it makes for a sticky result and I don't want that on the bottles.
So off to bed.   (I wish I had some great tales to tell just like your last few posts Pati - I so enjoy reading the blog and all the messages from you guys) Take care

Another adventure with Gail

I forgot to mention that the whole purpose of Gail and I getting together over the weekend was so that she could give me back three fused glass cabochons that I had given her in a box of them.  This had been forgotten in the fun we had.  However, I remembered yesterday and sent an e-mail.  She responded today, and we agreed that she would drop in after going  for lunch with a friend.  So she shows up at the house, bringing all three big containers of cabochons that I had giver her.  We sorted through them all ( some of them are so pretty that they just scream out to be fondled), and I picked out 5 for my other friend to consider in a a special project she is working on. Then Gail suggests that we go for coffee.  Now, I know this woman practically lives in her van, and that it's often a mess.  I sometimes use the back seat of my car as a garbage can, but, boy, could I ever take lessons from her!  She went out to clean off the passenger seat while I got my coat and shoes on.  Then it took about 5 minutes for the two of us, together, to shovel the rest of the crap off the seat.  Then I looked at the floor.  The floor on the passenger side of the van was several inches deep in loose cutlery.  That's right, I said loose cutlery--all sorts of spoons and forks, although I have to confess that I didn't notice any knives.  And when I say several inches deep I mean 3-5 inches deep.  Well, we both looked at this, and decided that I would be fine between the house and the coffee shop is my feet were on top of the pile.

Great message for my early Sunday morning

Maybe I am glad that I don't have any worries about ever being in a Costco with a million other people. But I sure enjoyed your story Pati. And you apparently were successful in purchasing what you went for. I would however, have enjoyed the people watching as you described your sit and wait time. Cathy is there a Costco store in your area - maybe Brandon? have you been?
The Legion Service yesterday moved me very much. It was different without the school children in attendance and I must say, all the more meaningful for me as a result. The Guest Speaker was a current OPP officer in the area but who had been in the Military and spoke of his time in Afghanistan. Very poignant for me - very enlightening for me to better understand some of what is see my Mike is going through and thus for me to watch and listen and support. Mike does not talk about his experiences and so I try to just observe quietly. I was touched by the Service and came away with a sense of peace, if that makes any sense?
Well, more of the same here for today I guess. Trying to tidy up and work and feel sorry for myself that the weather has turned to Winter haha!  But I plan to make a meal of liver for today.... yeah! I love liver and best of all I can have it all to myself. 
Pati hope you have a fun time at the Birthday celebrations for Jessica and Samantha - what is planned? Cathy are you going to visit Chloe for her Birthday?
Enjoy the day folks. How many days until Christmas?  Take care

Costco on a Saturday afternoon

Gail and her nephew, Blaine, picked me up abut 3:00, and we headed for Costco, which was open from 1:00 to 5:00 today.  What an absolute zoo! Blaine dropped us off, and went to park the car--somewhere. Everybody and their dog, not to mention about 4 children per parent, were there.  I managed to nab a scooter, a I knew it was gong to be along trip, it's a big store, and the line-ups at the cashier, were down the aisles.  They had no list, and had to discuss/negotiate every purchase.  I managed to stay with them most of the time.  Lost them once, but found them again fairly easily. The second time I lost them, I just went back to where I had last left them, and waited.  Eventually, they found me.  The problem was that the crowds were so heavy, and no-one sees you when you're low to the ground, so driving was a challenge, and the scooter was slow.  Paying was less of a challenge.  WE got in one line with Gail and her heavily laden cart, and me on the scooter, with the basket full.  There was a fellow trying to direct everyone to the shorter lines, but when he saw us, directed us to a Handicap line.  so we got out fairly quickly.  The goods from the scooter were transferred to another cart, while I took the scooter to the area outside where they were stored.  I waited, and eventually Gail came by with the two carts, left one with me, and took off to find the car.  Blaine went back for a hotdog.  I sat and waited--and waited--and waited.  Meanwhile the store was trying to close.  I couldn't believe the number of people who came in within 5 minutes of closing, and grabbed a cart, and headed in.  There was a poor man trying to tell everyone that the store was closing, but nobody listened.  Finally he had a big overhead door closed over the entrance, and they still kept coming, trying to get in the exit.  Finally Gail showed up and took the other cart to the car, saying she would be right back to pick me.  No sign of Blaine.  I think it was close to 30 minutes that I waited by the entrance.  Finally Gail and the car showed up outside, but when she saw only me waiting, pulled back into the parking lot and parked.  Finally Blaine sauntered out eating his hot dog. and we were off.  

Overall, this was an adventure.  Very much an episode in people watching.  But I did get the four cases of organic lentil soup with vegetables that I had wanted, and two rotisserie chickens.  We stopped for coffee on the way home, and David finally got his chicken for supper about 6:30.

Winter

Yesterday was winter at its worst.  Falling snow, blowing snow, and wind.  My friend Gail, and her nephew who lives with her, were planning to come in to Costco to do a big shopping.  They were also going to meet David and I for coffee.  All sorts of phone calls, decisions on what vehicles to use. At first David hadn't planned to join us.  Between them there were four vehicles available, and after discussion, they decided to bring his truck, but then needed to find some sort of step stool, so that I could climb into it.  Then David and I decided to take our own car, so that was fine.  All day on the radio there were weather updates. About 5:00 the man says that the weather was deteriorating by the minute, and everyone was advised to get off and stay off the highway.  So I called her and asked if we really wanted to do this.  She was somewhat wanting to proceed, but then thought about it and realized that, by the time they had shopped, and we had had our coffee it would be late, dark, and they would still have to make their way home to into the country.

Next Friday we have a birthday party for Amber's girls.  This meant gifts, and yesterday, we stopped into Sears to see if we could find the blanket that Samantha has asked for.  Fairly busy, and lots on display, but I couldn't see where the prices were cut by much.  The shelves where blankets and bed covers are usually found were bare, but we finally found something on a table that would suit.  I anticipated a lengthy wait at one of the two pay stations in the store, but we got through right away.  I have to wonder how much is actually being sold there.

Otherwise, I don't appear to be doing anything but sitting around and procrastinating over my job list.  Right now there is a detailed, time framed, studio job list, but none for the household.  That may be my task for the day--a household job list.  David has one.  He's blowing snow right now, but has planned to make a batch of shortbread later in the day.  If Gail makes it into town today, we may even go out for coffee.  Starbucks is having a sale on their fancy coffees and we don't want to miss it.

There are times when I regret not making more out of the time I have left, but at other times, I feel blessed at being able to make decisions about my time, and to actually spend a day, without guilt, puttering over nothing, or reading a book.