Regarding scars, I have one on my foot that I got when running across the lawn one evening at dusk as our family was finishing up a move from a rental to a house we had just purchased. I didn't see the fire grate sitting on the lawn and slammed my left foot into, slicing through my left instep. Of course, all of the first aid stuff was long gone so my mother gave my father one of her fine linen table cloths and he wrapped it up before taking me to the infirmary. Like your grandmother, my mother fainted once my father was there. I now sport a 2-1/2 in scar that actually has 52 stitches because it was stitched from the inside out. Funny how we can have such similar experiences a continent and decades apart?

Regarding the What do you know now that you wish you knew then... I 'know' that I shouldn't sweat all of the small stuff, but I think that I must be a slow learner because I always seem to sweat all of the stuff, big and small. Regarding trying the 'bad' foods. I honestly don't know that I think it's so much an issue of reintroducing bad foods, as it is not finding ways to identify and manage the behaviors that undermine our ability to moderate the amount of the 'bad' foods we ingest. I have found that I am an overgrown 3 year old and if think that something is forbidden, I will darn well have it. I have also found that if I don't make anything off limits, but instead make sure that I 'take care of business' first by eating protein and complex carbs that I'm able to have my proverbial cake and eat it too without having it undermine my health and well-being. I wonder if that would work for you?

I think that digging out that prize you won just might help you gain the bigger prize. I find that if I wear a pedometer I move my tail more and if I log my intake and activity I do a better job with choices.

I think that I'd love to add the two people you'd like to have coffee or dinner with too. Both would be interesting. Maybe with Paula Deen's new outlook on healthful eating we could find a few recipes that would satisfy our eyes, stomachs and souls.

It sounds like you have an absolutely lovely mother. You are so lucky to have her and she to have you.

I'm so glad to hear that David took you for a spin around the dance floor. I don't know that it's important that we dance well, but more so that we dance with joy in our hearts. It sounds like you and David did just that.

Hmmm.... CookOut. Whenever we go back home, we alway**** the places that aren't available here. If we are ever able to move back to California to be close to our sons and their families, CookOut is one of the places to eat here that I will miss.

I think that you will make a wonderful counselor, be it bereavement or working as a hospital chaplain. Your gentle, sensitive, caring soul begs to be shared with others. I think it may make you rich in ways money cannot touch.

As a very new Nana, I have to say that I second your description of love. The only other time I ever felt such a direct and abiding love was when I held my children. Of course, there is a different, strong love I feel for Ben and have felt for my parents and other family members, but the direct, immediate connection I felt when I first saw and held my grandson is definitely what I would call love.

It sounds like your father was a very, very special man... in so many ways. You are definitely blessed with lovely, loving parents.

I've only been to Las Vegas a couple of times and while it is a nice place to visit, I agree that I don't think I'd want to live there either.

What is the story behind one of your scars?

I have two scars on my left leg. I was in an automobile accident about a decade ago and my left ankle was crushed between the brake and emergency brake. My left ankle was sheared off, so I have 3, 3 inch screws attaching the ankle to my tibia. I also have a 2 titanium plates and 12 screws holding the fibula together. I can tell when the weather is going to change before the weather forecast. Now, that it's been more than a decade, you can't even see the scars unless I specifically point them out and I am able to walk with a normal gate. I can even sport high heels which I thought I'd never wear again after the accident.

What do you "know now" that you wish you "knew then"?

There are soooo many things, but I think I really wish that I knew what my life would be like after having weight loss surgery. I think I would have done it much, much earlier and in doing so I would have realized the health and quality of life benefits so much earlier. I also have seen the enormous impact the changes in my behavior associated with my weight loss surgery have made on my daughter and I wish I had done it sooner so that it might have had a similar impact on my sons who are a decade older.

Have you ever won a prize, if so what was it?

Hmmm... I don't really ever recall winning a prize.

What subject do you wish you had paid more attention to in school?

Probably math. I've always been math challenged. I found one teacher that really helped me understand, but generally I have always had a hard time with it. Because I have such a hard time with math, it impacted my understanding of the sciences.

If you could have coffee with someone famous, who would it be?

That's a difficult question because there are a number of people I'd like to have coffee with... President Obama, President Clinton, President Lincoln, Oprah, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Diane Sawyer, Richard Gere,  ...

What is your favorite thing about your mom?

I lost my mom in March of 2010, so there are soooo many things I miss about her, but I think that my favorite thing was that we were good friends. Not many people have the privilege of being friends with their parents and it's something that I both appreciated and miss. She was a kind, compassionate woman. She let me know it's important to be kind and compassionate even if someone is not being kind, because we never know what burdens someone is carrying. She lived her life being kind and compassionate and taught me to strive to do the same in her memory.

What song do you love to dance to?

Just about anything! I love to dance!! That doesn't mean I do it well, but I really love to dance. I remember dancing on my daddy's shoes as a little girl. I love, love, love to dance. I remember when I was a teenager and they introduced what was similar to Jazzercise or Zumba. It was hands down my favorite class and it's still my favorite way to get exercise because my focus is on having fun so it's not a chore.

What was the worst punishment your parents ever enacted?

My father packed up my clothes and donated them because I didn't clean up my room when I was about 10 years old.

Who was the best boss you ever worked for?

I've had several really good bosses, but the best boss I ever had was probably my dad. My father had a Technical Publications business that he started when I was a teenager as 'slave labor'...lol, but in time I went from doing menial tasks to actually editing and then writing as we found that I had a real talent for writing. I also found that I had a strong mechanical ability as well as an understanding of software and business process. He mentored me and I found my wings. I set off on my own, but went back to working for and with him after I proved to myself that I really was competent and wasn't 'just' Daddy's girl. It was interesting to go from working for him to working with him.

What restaurant do you love even though you know you shouldn't?

Hmmm... Again, too many possibilites here. I love Mandarin Gourmet, which is a Chinese Restaurant in San Jose CA that has wonderful pot stickers, hot and sour soup, Chinese chicken salad, and honeyed walnut prawns... OMGoodness!! P.F. Chang's lettuce cups are pretty wonderful too! I love milkshakes from Cookout, but I can't have much, so it's not worth getting one. I love the Chicken Mini's from Chick-Fil-A because they remind me of my dear Mother-in-Law's sweet yeast rolls and I must admit to enjoying them on a rare occasion. Now, I have learned that moderation is the key to success. I can have anything from any of these or the myriad of other goodies.

If you did not need the money what would you do for work?

Again, so many possibilities. I would love to work as a Bariatric Patient Navigator. I also would probably want to be psychologist with a focus on bariatric issues. I'd love to work at a museum too. Finally, I really think I'd love to work as a teacher.

If you had an extra room in your house what would you use it for?

We actually do and we have a guest room, an office and a craft room. I also love having a formal living room and dinning room. I know some people think that they are a waste of space, but I really enjoy the peace and tranquility of the living room. It's filled with things that remind me of family members that have passed. I also love the formal dinning room because again, it is filled with things that I've collected and inherited over the years.

How would you explain love to somebody who had never heard of it before?

Love is a multifaceted thing. There is the love you feel for your spouse, the love you feel for your child or grandchild, the love you feel for your family... parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, the love you feel for your friend... I just met my first grandchild a few weeks ago and the deep, immediate affection and connection I felt for him could only be matched by what I have felt for my own children. To me, love is a deep affection and personal connection to someone for which I care deeply.  For me, love is an intense feeling of deep caring, compassion, kindness, and affection that goes far beyond the bounds of friendship.

What is your warmest birthday memory?

On my 5th birthday while we were stationed in Yalova, Turkey we had a birthday party with a number of the kids from the local base. My mother made me a Barbie doll cake that sat on a music box that turned and played happy birthday. We also had 8mm movies of Woody Wood Pecker.

What is a good place to travel, but you would not want to live there?

I would love to go to Israel and back to Istanbul, but I doubt that I would want to live there because they don't seem safe to me.

Hi Iris,

Sounds like a plan

Hi Iris,

its so good to see you again!

as you can see this board is not nearly is lively as it once ways, but I'm hoping it will become more so as we move forward this year. I think the getting to know thou questions is a good way to get started.

see you soon my friend.

warmly,

barb

2013:  20 Funny New Year's Resolutions

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, our family members and friends can get quite creative and even funny with what they resolve to do in the New Year.  Here a few good ones I have heard along the way...Oh, and a few of my own!

1.  I resolve to stop procrastinating about procrastinating!

2.  I will stop sending Facebook messages and emails to my loved ones when they are in the same room as I am!

3.  I will use my treadmill for something other than a place to hang my jacket.

4.  I will not sit at the kitchen table in my PJ's all day.  Instead, I will move my computer to my bedroom.

5.  I vow to never take a laxative and a sleeping pill on the same night!

Click here to read more!