March 2010 LDL convention in Texas!

[Sneaky Snoopy]

I like to celebrate longer than just a day.  24 hours is too short.  Live for the happy moments and make them last for weeks.   

[Bethann]

Yes, I love that, Snoopy and Gwennaford! Celebrate for weeks ....   
Four years ago we celebrated our 25th ....all year long!  Starting the year out with a trip with our kids to Disney World and Florida! (We had promised them this for over 10 years! It's never too late!  ) We went to Minneapolis for 4 days together in the Spring and in the summer had a wonderful weekend celebrating with family, special supper and cake  , barbecues, houseboat ride and outside adventure!
I've told my honey that for now on we will celebrate for the rest of our lives! 

[Ginny M.]

Just want to stick in my 2 cents.  All I can say is . . . what can I say that has not already been said by those who were in SA.  I can't say "Thank you" enough to Julie & Family and Mary.  I can't say enough about how great it was to meet all of you and you all will forever hold a special place in my heart.  SA was a wonderful town and I can't wait to show it to me DH when someday we will pass that way again. 

RT and Neets:  I'm sorry you couldn't make it and hope you are mending well.  I will call next November/December when I am back in Ft. Myers area for the winter.

By the way, the trip back to Tampa was not as "exciting" (   ) as the trip to SA (or should I say "nerve wracking?"  ).  It did, however, take me 2 days sleeping to catch up on almost no sleep for 4 days.  I have been cooking like crazy the last several days to "stock up" on my LDL foods so I can get "Out of the Station" and "Back on the Train".  Countdown to Ft. Myers/Key West 2011:  19 MONTHS!    This time, NO PLANES!!!!!

to you all,
Ginny

[Joyful Friend]

Ginny, You have a wonderful attitude.  Even with the plane trouble, you were cheerful.  Where do you go in Michigan?  Is your hair natural curly? It's lovely.  JF

[hcd13]

Hi Everyone,
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, ROGER, LITTLE MARY AND JULIE!!! AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO MADE THE 3 DAY CONVENTION A TOTAL SUCCESS!!!  YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB. Julie, you and your family are amazing.  When I walked into your home, I felt love, peace and happiness.  Like I had been there often.  And a calm, in all that was happening.  What can I say that hasn't already been said by everyone else.  Thank you just isn't enough.  I will cherish the memories forever.  I feel so blessed to have had the chance to experience everything.  We had such a fantabulous time in SA with everyone.  I was thrilled to to be able to put faces with names of everyone. Now I just have to remember who went with what name.  LOL!!!  I'm glad David and Alvin had a great time together.  At least they didn't have to hang out with us women all the time.   Trish and Ginny, girlfriends we had a blast together.  Especially at "Howlin at the Moon".  Fantastic dualing pianos.  Donna, Alvin and Dawn, Boudro's was great and we are glad we could share it with you.

I took lots and lots of pictures.  It will take me some time to get them "web ready" cuz the files are so big, but when I do, I will let you all know where they are.  Mine aren't as professional and great as Brandon's are, but I think you'll like them.  They are my "Gotcha" pictures.  I like taking natural pictures.  Not very many are "posed".

David and I got home on Thursday evening just in time to go bowling.  We were gone 2 full weeks and drove thru 10 states!!!  OVER 5,000 MILES!!!!  Don't want to do that again anytime soon. 
BUT...My wish came true!  He decided since we were "half way across the United States anyway", what was a few hundred more miles and we went to see my kids, grand kids and sister in
Tuscaloosa, Alabama for Easter!!!  I haven't seen them in 2 years!  I had new a grandson that I hadn't held in my arms yet.  He was 4 months old already.

Being able to see my family I owe all to LDL!  If there hadn't been a conference, we would have never taken the time or made the trip.  So Thank you again for that.  I must say, I am pretty proud of myself.  I did weigh myself before we left and when we got back.  I had only gained 3 1/2 lbs.  I was expecting more because we sat in the car so much.  My legs were pretty puffed up, but I drank lots of h20.  My legs are down and so is the weight.    Slipped up a bit, but getting right back on the LDL SKINNYTRAIN!

I could go on longer, but I don't want anyone's eyes to fall out.  LOL

Can't wait for next year in Key West.  I was there one time and only in the middle of the night, so I didn't see much. LOL

Love to all,
Pamela

[Joyful Friend]

Pam, I am glad you had such a fantastic trip.  It was so good meeting you and yours.  Glad you had a detour with family.  My grandson asked me if we went howlen at  the moon while there.    Country Girl and I also had a blast, and we're looking forward to Key West.  I've been so busy since I came home.  Next week, I'm giving two LDL get aquainted groups at our church for the community, then I have a writer's workshop to do at Jessie Stuart Foundation in Ashland, Ky.  A friend in a  small town close by  asked me to talk to her church ladies about LDL.  At the funeral home, last night, the young man who works for us, asked me if I got paid for saying LDL, because everyone who comes in, asks me what in the world I have been doing.    When I tell them that I have not been hungry, and I'm eating healthy, and I tell them to go on line to read other success stories, and to order the book.  Every time, I work, I give the plug over and over again.  No wonder our little town has been the biggest take to LDL books.  I lost three lbs in SA, but we ate like we were raveneous lions on all the good Mexican foods--Had my first  fixed fresh advocado--love them. Country Girl gave me hers.  We ate LDL friendly foods, but plenty of them.  I have found that if you ask for something, they try to do it.  We used cornthins for our salsas instead of the chips. Your jewlery was beautiful--what a talent.  I love your picture on this board.  Just think when we arrive at the train station  in Key West with Roger as  the engineer, and Little Mary first in charge, we all should be out of the caboose, and  all will get off at Skinneytown. to you and yours.  Joyful Friend

[redkat]

Pam,

How wonderful that you were able to visit your children/grandchildren.  I was so hoping that you would get to go.  Tara and I enjoyed sharing the caverns with you and David.  I have such wonderful memories of my time in SA with you and all of the new LDL friends I met while there.  (Mary and Brandon, we really tried to get to the caverns for 10:00, but took a wrong turn and got there just about the time your group was going into the caverns....then had to wait for FOUR school groups before our turn came!!!).

Pam, I am looking forward to seeing your pictures.  I haven't yet caught up from the trip, then Easter right behind it.  Work has been a little busier since I've been back.  I haven't even been on the boards much.  Hope I'll catch up this week. 

I too am looking forward to Key West next year.  Tara may have a conflict with work and may not be able to make it in November, so I'll have to decide if I'm up to going alone.  But we have lots of time to work that out.  Maybe I can get one of my sisters to go with me.

[crickadoodle]

Oh, Pam, that is all so wonderful how everything worked out for you!  I wish I'd have gotten to talk to you more.  I realize now that I didn't really get to spend time with many people, with all that was going on with Mom, but I'm so glad we got to go anyway.  We weren't really able to go upstairs -- I just went up to look around -- nice view there.  Maybe we'll get to go to Key West and maybe my sister will be able to stay with my mom, although Mom enjoyed the trip to SA.  I'd hate to keep her from going too.  We'll see. 

By then, we won't have so many problems with her ostomy.  We have been going to the hospital to see the ostomy nurse and she is helping us.  They are going to make a specialized wafer for her ostomy -- and that should do the trick.  We have still been having lots of problems with it.  Poor Mom was crying today, she is so tired of all that.  We really are close to getting it resolved and I just tried to encourage her about that.  I understand her frustration. 

[LINDA RN]

So your Mom continues to stay out of the fog? You had mentioned before that sadness was an emotion she had not been able to express.

[crickadoodle]

Linda, she's not doing as well as she was.  She has had surgery again, though, so I think it'll just take a while for the anesthesia to get out of her system.  I think she is better than before the CoQH.  I also saw an article, but didn't read it really yet, that said something about the "gut" having something to do with dementia. I think it was referring to having the right flora in the stomach/intestines.  I was forgetting to give her the probiotics I'd been giving, so that got me back on track with those.  I'm sure many things can affect wellness -- the food we eat, exercise, the right environment in our digestive tract, supplements, etc. 

[Bethann]

My Mother's memory is not as good since her major surgery a year ago March. This has been sad and difficult for her as she needs her memory more then ever because 2 years ago she has lost the rest of her sight. A blind person really depends a lot on their memory of course...
How long does it take for the anaesthetic to get out of the system?

[Ginny M.]

Pam, I really had a great time running with you and David and Trish.  I'm charging you with finding the "Howlin' at the Moon" equivalent in Key West.  On one hand I didn't want the night to end, on the other hand I did need to pack, on one hand it would have been nice to find it a couple of days earlier, but again on the other hand, I REALLY would not have gotten any sleep for 3 days!      SOOOOO, find us a place in Key West (and NO, I do not plan to do the Duvall Crawl  !!!)


Ginny

[LovinLDL]

Hey Y'all,

I just wanted to give an update on the clothes swap.  I found very thankful folks for almost all the clothes....just a few things that I will probably take to Hospice.  I found a nice skirt (blue plaid) and dress (white with yellow and blue flowers) that I love and my mom found a swim suit (black two piece) and a couple of shirts.  It was a nice something for her during a very difficult time.

What a fun idea!  Next year I will try to have my closet cleaned out before going to FL and pass some things along too. I do have a fun story about the swap.  When my dh came in (he had worked the Tue. morning of the get-together) there were ladies in his bedroom/bathroom swapping clothes...I can't remember what he asked me about that and he was fine with it after I explained but the look on his face was priceless

Blessings and Thanks,
Julie

[crickadoodle]

Oh, I'm so glad to hear of it.  I know there were quite a few pieces of clothes I'd brought that no one took. 

OK, Bethann, I have no idea how long it takes for anesthesia to get out of one's system, but I'm hoping it just does get out of my mom's -- and your mom's too!    I'm giving my mom CoQH that I buy online.  I found that helped her, before her surgery.  I also read something recently that makes me think giving probiotics might help too.  I need to read it more thoroughly, but I have the probiotics to give her, I was just forgetting.  Maybe the combination of the two were what was making her do better. 

Now, Ginny, what exactly was "Howling at the Moon" all about.  I think you said something about pianos ??  Sounds like you had a great time.  Share a little more about it for those of us who missed it.

[hcd13]

Ok everyone,
I talked Trish and Ginny into going with us to a nightclub called "Howlin at the Moon" in San Antonio.  There was a band there and they were playing dualing grand pianos that I wanted to hear.  Also, all the muscians changed places and played different instruments.    They were very good and I for one, enjoyed it totally.  I am glad Ginny and Trish had a good time.  I come from a musical family and am fasinated with anyone who can play piano.  I always wanted to learn and never did.  I roller skated in compatition for 9 years instead.

Talk to you soon,
Pamela

[crickadoodle]

Music is wonderful, isn't it?  My husband is a gifted guitarist, and it is amazing how this is carried on from generation to generation.  His grandpa played violin (or fiddle, as they called it) then his son played guitar and my husband plays guitar and his son (who showed no interest in music for the longest time) starts picking up the guitar and he impresses my husband!  That is saying a lot.  My husband also builds electric guitars as his business.  Always amazes me how gifted some people are.

Pam -- Well, I guess you'll need to head up the roller skating tournament for the next convention!    I'll be howling at something if I try to enter that one.    That can be a dangerous idea -- in other words, my middle name is not "Grace."