Here is how I dressed to pass out candy (on the left).  Take off 50 pounds and 40 years and you have me as I dressed in junior high and high school (lol picture on the right).  Tee shirt came from a Rare Earth concert.

Got a new furnace and A/C unit last week.  Now I need to figure out how to program the thermostat!  I'm freezing!  LOL

Here is one that #TheTheologiansCafe seems to have missed.

THIS is a PLUS SIZED Model!  She's 6'2" tall and wears a size 12.

Maybe it's because she actually has boobs that she's plus sized.  Link

Roger and I are having a Halloween party.  These are our costumes:

He is the Dark Mad Hatter and I am Malice in Wonderland (No that is not us in the pictures!)

I just got back from my endocrinologist's office.  My diabetes is well under control.  In fact, he wants to lower my nighttime insulin by 5 more units.  I've gone from 113 long-lasting and about 60 short-acting units a day down to just 30 long-lasting units.  I attribute this to my Victoza and Actos medication combination as well as my lowered appetite.

My cholesterol has improved a little but could be better.

My thyroid, on the other hand....

He's upped my levothyroxine from 75 mcg to 100 mcg a day.  I had an ultrasound and they found three nodules, one large enough to require a biopsy.  I don't know if I'm scared or not.  I'm thinking if it does show something, it can be treated pretty easily.  I have a friend with lupus who had her thyroid removed completely several years ago and she's doing fine.  Anyone who has had thyroid issues have any words of wisdom to share?

I didn't shop at Fashion Bug (owned by Charming Shops) much, but sometimes I liked to go there - their prices were low and they usually had a large selection.  Especially in plus sizes.  And they were the very first store where I had a charge account (I think it was in 1982 or 1983 when I got my account there.)  In May they were sold to the company that owns Dress Barn.  They are going to close all the Fashion Bug stores, but keep open Lane Bryant and Catherine's (which were also owned by Charming Shops.)

So yesterday I decided to go check it out.  I found five sweaters, two pair of pants, a purse and a pair of boots all for around $200.  I also found out that just before they were sold, they had all ordered all of their Fall and Winter merchandise.  And the store near me is going to be closing in January.  So every Tuesday, between now and the end of November, they will be putting out new merchandise and marking it down 30-60% immediately.  I think I'm going to have to pay them a visit on Tuesday evenings from now til the end of November

The best part?  I didn't have to shop in the plus sizes!

Tomorrow would have been my brother Rick's 60th birthday. (He passed away at 41)

In May, my sister Melanie would have turned 54. (She passed away at 51)

In May, my mom and dad would have celebrated their 63rd anniversary.  (They managed almost 48 years before my dad passed away.)

In June, my mom would have turned 82. (She passed away at 73)

In January, my dad would have turned 83. (He passed away at 68)

That is half my family.

I have left my brother Larry (who will be 62 in January), my brother Rod (who will be 46 in November) and my sister Debbie (who turned 52 in June.)

Imagine family photos like this:

Our family, the last time we were all together in 1992.

Our family, today.

The purpose of this entry is to remind anyone who happens to read it (including ME!) to appreciate your family.  You never know when one of them may be taken from you.

Yesterday we sang in a small town where they were having their end of summer market and craft show. We sang our repertoire of about 12 songs over and over again, moving to different parts of the market.  We were going to do "Good Night Sweetheart" as our finale, but when we sang it, we still had a few minutes left of our gig, so we closed with the National Anthem.  We were pretty well received.

While there, I found this great little resale shop called Le Boutique Upscale Resale.  During our first set, I was pretty cold so during our first break I went to the resale shop looking for a light jacket or sweater that would go along with our 'costume' of black pants, white top, teal scarf.  Several of the girls (who were veterans with the chorus) showed up wearing black or white jackets, so I figured black or white would be good.  I found a knee length black wool sweater, very lightweight but VERY WARM for $25 (probably had a retail value of $100 new).  I got tons of compliments on it. (Of course, the hanger never does it justice.)

When we were finished, I decided to go back to the resale shop and see what else they had.  I found a black leather jacket with some kind of fur collar for $45 - it is "car coat" length and really soft leather.  Without the fur collar, I would guess it had a retail value of about $200 new.  This jacket looks like it has never been worn.

I love finding treasures like this!

Feast or famine, I swear.

I just got back from three days of training (me being trained, this time) in Alexandria, VA, where I got to meet up with my niece, whom I haven't seen in a couple years, and an old friend from an online group that I've been a part of for over 14 years now.  Got home Wednesday night, slept most of yesterday (I just can't sleep when I travel) and then have a bunch of stuff to do starting today.

For two summers in a row, I've had a 'mini-gathering' of people from my high school class that are still in the area (although some have traveled up to 300 miles to come).  Evidently, word got out that I was good at assembling these things, and next thing I know, I'm in charge of a reunion that includes all the classes in my high school from 1970 through 1979.  We're calling it "The Reunion of The Decade".  I knew there was no way I could plan this all on my own, so I recruited a few volunteers to help me. Tonight we are meeting at the Eagles club in my hometown to make preliminary plans.  One of the members of the group was on the reunion committee for my class, and I'm hoping she will show up (she answered with 'maybe').

Tomorrow night is the 50th birthday celebration of a musician friend of ours.  His wife is giving him a 'surprise' party, but I'm pretty sure he knows all about it because he sent me a private message that said "If Mary throws me a party, I hope you guys come!"

Sunday, our chorus is going to be singing in a small town's Fall Market - it's like a farmers market, art and craft show and carnival all in one.  We'll be just walking around and singing (a Capella) on street corners from 10am until 1pm. 

I had hoped to have an "end of summer" barbecue or something but it looks like it's not going to happen.  So I guess instead I'll start planning for a Halloween costume party.  Didn't have one last year and people have been asking me if I'm going to throw one this year.

My senior capstone project for my business degree was to build a (fictitious) party planning company (including business plans, projections, all the other stuff that goes along with it) called PartEASE (link is to the brochure we created).  I didn't think of the idea, someone else in my cohort group did, but it seems to be something I have fallen into.  Maybe that is what I should do when I go into semi-retirement LOL

I can't believe how out of shape I have gotten over the past year!  I did my walk for Diabetes today.  This is the same walk I did effortlessly for Pancreatic Cancer last year (both were held at the Detroit Zoo).  Before we were finished I was limping because my right hip hurt like hell.

But it was all for a good cause, and my team managed to raise exactly $750 of my $1000 goal.  I'm happy with that   Now I'm going to take a couple of Aleve and rest up.  Have to travel for work tomorrow through Wed.