Hi All!
Well the world of AD is coming back to rights again; Up and Gyps back in the fold….aahhhh!
CG – I agree that fruit has to be better for us than all the added sugars of processed food but I suppose moderation is still the key. I totally pigged out on green and red grapes yesterday; just couldn’t stop popping them into my mouth and this morning that pesky half kg is back again. Never mind; I’ll get rid of it again after the weekend. Well done on sorting out your wardrobe, very satisfying! 🙂
PH – I am so thrilled for you on your amazing loss; you really deserve it!! 🙂 What a wonderful start to the festive season. Your kids have all done very well for themselves and you have given them a great start in life by seeing them through university. Enjoy the Christmas tree; how lucky to get one already decorated – brilliant! The carol service at school was always one of my favourite times…there’s nothing quite like hearing children singing to tug at the heart strings <3
Gyps – your posts are always brilliant; they are like going on a magical mystery tour. We never know where you’re going to take us but it’s never boring, that’s for sure. I just love all the photos – your homestead is beautiful inside and out; you can feel the history coming off the page and you have turned it into a real wonderland for Christmas. I’m sure all the WTF gang can’t wait to test all those ‘medicinal’ potions that are maturing nicely – well done on keeping them out of the clutches of your visitors!! The photo of you and the Gawdmother is lovely and you both look very slim and hale. You complement each other in every way! Your trips sounds very exotic to me; you are a real pioneer and a true gypsy. Have a great time with your son and hope all goes well with the leprechaun and the medics. And, well done on not gaining as well; what a result!!!! Xxxxx
GG – hope your OH is feeling better soon and that you get to put your feet up too. XX
Up – don’t be disappointed with the photo…..reality is so much better and I’m sure you looked lovely. My older daughter did psychology too and an extra year to do her Master’s; so it’s sounds pretty similar to your daughter’s course. It’s very hard to get a job here though, as there is very little money in the economy for psychological services no matter how badly they are needed. Best of luck to your girl for the future 🙂
SJ – glad you had a great day at the winery etc. It’s raining hard here all morning but my lovely OH is going to drive me in to my afternoon tea so I don’t have to get the bus and walk….he’s a gem! I think we’re all the same about photos of ourselves – too critical!! We are looking and feeling better than a year ago, so let’s get on with life and enjoy ourselves!! 🙂 🙂
Ok, gang. Gotta go and beautify myself for seeing my old school pals….if I take some photos I might even let them be posted here!! 😆 Enjoy the rest of the weekend y’all!!!! Xxxxx

Well, I made it to Dublin….we had to drive through a couple of minor floods on the road but nothing too serious. We met at a very posh hotel and had a lovely meal with wine and a couple of peach schnapps, of course!! It was great seeing everyone again so soon after the reunion and I think there are a good few of us who live relatively near to one another so we will definitely meet up again soon. I don’t have any coffee dates next week so I’m hoping to do a couple of good fasts to help get ready for Christmas week.

Morning all, FIT. . glad you made it to the reunion and are dreaming sweet dreams at the moment. Your OH is a Gem..driving through floods to take you to something special.
Nice overcast day here today. Just the ticket to get in and do some outside jobs in the garden without getting too hot. Have a great day all.

Morning all. CG, Did They leave your gall bladder intact and just remove stones? makes a difference. It will settle down either way, but won’t be so finite in release of bile (for fat digestion) if the bladder is gone. It has to come via the liver, as in maybe gush or slow – and leave undigested fat in your tum, to cause a sick feeling, or too much burns and churns – hence reflux. Can be like that after trauma to G bladder, too. Needs healing time. So best way to gain control is to keep a track of your fats to see which ones cause the upsets. It’s all far more complex than we know, but I believe the density of fats makes a difference (to bile release) light fats like milk and butter are usually okay, but fat on meat and maybe cheeses might be best limited for a while. Fruit, fish and lean chicken is always a good standby. Hang in there, love, you should be able to gobble turkey for Xmas!

Hat’s off to you, Purple! taking your brother in hand and helping the kids community. Glad you got an xmas tree out of it. we all hate our fotos, but I think CG is right about our eye’s not seeing beyond the obvious loss of youth. I see ‘really’ old and wrinkled folk as beautiful in a special way,there is such grace in their character lines (Mother Theresa, for instance and my gran) why can’t we apply the same grace to ourselves? It’s our vanity, girls. But that will temper to just feeling less bogged down with age if we keep healthy, quality of life overrides the mirror when you are happy despite it! (my self revelation for the week.)

FIT. great to hear from you! thankyou for the uplifting words. I do sometimes feel I’m an odd silly old chook scratching around in the scrub with fairy lights. But people like you make the effort worth doing. God save me from a world where magic is no more! Love the time you take to give kind words to individuals. You would have been a great teacher I reckon. and still are. Keep warm. cold floods I couldn’t imagine. All the kids go out swimming in the street when it floods here! Glad you enjoyed your class reunion. Cheers to you and yours. xx

hope the rest of you rise and shine to a good day. Am trying hard to find a day to fast in peace. but off to the pub raffles now. So it won’t be today or tomorrow (another city run) Cheers all. xx gyps

I am now TOTALLY BUGGERED!!!!! OH in his debilitated state decided there was no time like NOW!!!!!!! to wash windows inside AND mind you….. out. Feeling guilty that this was happening I washed and polished the wooden floors… and ALLL the wooden furniture ,made brandy butter for next Saturdays shingdig……and the beef strog for dinner tonight. And to top it off …. I AM CLEANING OTHER PEOPLES HOMES TOMORROW!!!!! Do not mean to sound soooooo dispondent….. know what I mean? if the extra kgs do move by next Saturday …..well I will be more totally Sc8e8ed
Hope you have all had a wonderful weekend and are prepared for our FD . OH ! forgot to mention the HB are done as well.
Have to be up early as have to start at 8am. Catch you tomorrow…….YOURS IN BRINGING IT ON ….AND IN FEAR OR FAVOUR……..GO GAL XXXXXX

CG don’t worry our lunch lasted a long time as such a lovely day. Then muddled round a bit then decided on a walk and a coffee. And now too late to start anything!! Never mind….always tomorrow ..or the next day!!! 🙂 sj

Hi All!
Gyps – it’s easy to believe in magic when we have it in abundance here on this thread; the magic of friendship even though most of us have never met!! It’s real and working its spell on us all – look how we’ve all been transformed in the last months/year 🙂 🙂 So glad to hear your raffles went well; you always manage to do so much good for others and to enjoy yourself in the process!! Way to go, Gyps!! 😉 Enjoy all those goodies given with such good hearts; no doubt you will find they’ll come in handy when all your visitors arrive.
Dawg – hope you get to log in here whenever the opportunity arises but most importantly, that you get to enjoy every moment with family – precious times xxxx Best of luck with FD too.
CG – you are so right to make the most of your wonderful garden when the weather allows. You paint such a vivid picture of all those glorious flowers that I almost feel I’m there. 🙂 Sounds like Gyps has given you some good advice, so I hope you find out what triggers your upset tummy etc in good time to be able to enjoy all the treats of Christmas. Best of luck with the surgeon on Wed xxxx
SJ – wow, lunch outside under the wisteria!! While, I’m sitting here wrapped up in layers with the heating on full blast!!!!! Not fair!! 😉 No wonder the housework took a back seat….you’re dead right!! Look after your back and neck…having some twinges myself and it’s not nice!
Gosh, GG – you’re like a whirlwind!! I feel positively lazy and useless reading about all you’ve been doing. You deserve to lose loads of kg after all your endeavours! Take good care of yourself and don’t overdo things at home or at work; you’re very precious to us xxxx
Well, it’s my turn to have my sister for Sunday lunch, so I better tidy up and then go and get her up and dressed and bring her here for the afternoon. She phoned the police during the night on Thursday and told them there was an intruder in her apartment. When the policeman arrived she told him the intruder was a member of the IS islamic terrorist group!! God knows what he made of that!!! Have a great week everyone, and happy, successful fasting!! We are all going to kick some a** this week, I can feel it in my bones!! BRING IT ON, WE CAN DO THIS!!! 🙂 🙂

Hi and a magical morning, or evening wherever you happen to be. Gypsy I don’t know if your pun was intended, but I had a chuckle, at you getting pixilated after your chat about magic. Pixies on the brain? It’s a beautiful day here and OH, Pepper and I had a lovely invigorating early morning walk. He’s just helped my make up the beds for Kim and family so that’s another chore over. I do admire those of you who have done all that cleaning of cupboards, windows etc. My linen cupboard is crying out to tidied up and sorted out but I keep on finding something more interesting to do.
This is my last FD for a few weeks so I’ll make it count. Mind you we don’t really eat junk food and our daughter doesn’t allow her kids to eat rubbish so I don’t think I’ll gain too much if I chose my portions wisely. We tend to have lots of BBQs with salads so that’s not really an issue.
Cheers all and enjoy the day. CG I hope you find out what is causing the reflux. I agree with Gypsy and would try and avoid fatty foods.
Xx Dawg

CG – how exciting to see Lexie kicking up her heels and enjoying pastures new; must be a big thrill! Hope your steam cleaner does the trick!
Dawg – glad you had a lovely walk with Pepper and OH. Have a wonderful time with your family over the next few weeks and I’m sure you will make healthy food choices as well. Xxxx
PH – it does sound like you have been overdoing it so I hope your osteo helps to sort your aches and pains. Don’t worry about fasting until your tummy settles down, eat whatever makes you feel better. You are not a wet blanket at all; we all need to let off steam once in a while and we are here to listen and cheer you up if we can!! Take care xxxx

HI All having a struggle of a day but hanging in there. Had to have my HB egg at midday & now having my 4pm+ backup miso soup at not even 2pm! Might even have to make it 2 misos today & then dinner. Went for a big walk early so may have triggered my appetite who knows? Thought I’d get the walk in before it got too hot & I’ve promised myself I’m going to pick the walking back up again. My physio (who sometimes says helpful things!) said it could be a big cause of the back/neck problems starting….losing flexibility & all that.
CG luv the picture you’ve painted of Lexie in the big paddock….I can just see it!! Sounds like you’ve had a BIG day in your garden too. The grubs are getting our tomatoes not the birds.
PH were you making covers for your outdoor area was it? And sounds like you did far too much. We’re all the same aren’t we…..let us at something we love doing & we forget all about our age our limits our problems that might crop up! Hope the osteopath is good for you.
Doggie great article here to read re the festive season (in case you don’t get email alerts for these). Everyone have a read.
https://www.fastday.com/buzz/10-tips-for-festive-fasting/?utm_source=FastDay+Emails&utm_campaign=13e5561d24-Weekly_Newsletter_10_23_11_14_11_22_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_103abfb096-13e5561d24-310025349
CG I’m cleaning my venetians with a tool from a hardware store. It has 7 prongs with fluffy covers over them & so you can fit it on & clean 6 slats at once. The covers come off & get a wash once they get too dirty…& then back into it. Pretty good but a steam cleaner would be even better no doubt. Certainly better than the other methods I tried! But you’re right not great on the back so I’m doing 1 blind a day & OH is doing the high part to avoid stretching. Should be finished by Saturday!!
UT good to have you back posting regularly.
Fit you are right that her mental health will not be as good but….the alternative is that the rest of the carers get ill trying to care for your sister. Plus there is no avoiding the fact that it is a degenerative disease & even your wonderful care cannot halt that. I saw it happen with my mum but we just couldn’t do it any more.
GG all I can say is that you must have enough energy for an entire army!! Makes me tired reading what you did. X

Well finished my miso so better get back to the blind Yuk but gotta be done. And let’s see how I go with my FD from there. My aussie determination will have to see me through I reckon. Haven’t had hunger pangs like this since I first started! sj XX

Evening All, I slept like a babe last night. Today was good at my job. I took 2 panadol before I left this morning for my 4hrs. Day off tomorrow. So am going to take it easy. Wednesday I have 4 clients each requiring 2 hrs each of house cleaning.
CG -so happy young Lexie is loving her freedom in her paddock.
PH- HOPE YOU FEL BETTER SOON.We all ned sto download sometimes so never think you are a wet towel.
SJ-Hats off to you cleaning blinds… I hope none of my clients will ask that of me.
FIT-my heart goes out to you with your sr’s condition. Look after you all the time and don’t think its a cop out if you and your other sisters need more help…..ask for it. HUGS++?
Hope all of you had a pleasant FD.Enjoy your night cu tomorrow…GO GALXXXXXX

Hi All!
Well my scales practically shouted at me this morning! It said: “What do you think you are doing, having six coffee dates in one week?!!!! You should have known it wasn’t going to end well!!” I thought I was keeping things under control by doing semi-fasts most of the week, but yesterday I relaxed too much and had wine, pizza, apple tart as well as big Sunday roast and all the trimmings! So now the ‘trimmings’ are nicely settled on my hips and a**!!! Oh well, back on the horse with aussie determination and a proper strict fast today….no excuses.
CG – I hope your sunburn is not too bad; I’m extremely wary of the sun now but I do love to feel it on my skin and getting into my bones…it does make you feel alive. I’m not a gardener but I know it can be addictive so take care pal. Xxxx
SJ – I hope your sensible approach of one blind per day pays off but it is a difficult job and probably uses muscles that are not used to being used! It could be a combination of walking and cleaning that has sent your appetite into overdrive and given you the unexpected hunger pangs! Never mind, it’s only one day and you can do it – you have done it before and you can do it again!! I have every faith in you xxxx. I will have a look at your link when I’m finished posting; I’m sure it will be interesting 🙂
GG – that sounds like an awful lot of housework to do in one day….I hope they are not taking advantage of you. Do look after yourself; it’s so close to Christmas now and you don’t want to be laid up for the festive season. We have the maximum amount of help we can expect for our sister and we even pay for extra too; but it’s all the other chores, organizing, managing and being on-call all the time that is beginning to wear us down. My head says it’s time for her to go into care, but my heart is reluctant to give up on her….it feels like we’re letting our parents down too.
PH – we’re all the same, aren’t we? Here we all are, fussing over cleaning and nearly killing ourselves in the process. And you know what? It’s the shared fun, laughter, chat and memories that everyone will remember, not whether our houses were cobweb free!!
Having said all that, I’m off to start some house-cleaning myself. I have done a timetable of which chores are to be done each day from now until Christmas…..ridiculous, but there you are!!!! Have a wonderful week, everyone and let’s get a good fast or two under our belts (pardon the pun! 😉 ) before all the fun begins!!

Fit ..our posts crossed. I too have a revised list of what needs doing each day..but there is no cleaning or painting included anymore..just reading interesting recipes etc and thinking up fun things to do while I rest my aching back…As CG advises. I’m not sweating the small stuff. What the cleaner can’t do ain’t gettin done!!! I’m sure nobody will even notice.

You will have to give those scales of yours a good talking to..fancy yelling at you when they know it’s the silly season. ☕️??? hope your FD goes well and you don’t get any surprise visitors, also it is the time of year for you that it is the hardest to knock back lovely warm food whereas we are all hot and really not looking for anything but salads and something light.

Perhaps consider that your parents would be understanding of the fact that the best outcome for all of you may be to consider care and follow your head. As I said before. Difficult time for the family. Focus on Christmas ????????and when the time comes the decision will be clear….????

PH – so glad you have amended your duties to ones where you can sit and take care of yourself. You can be an armchair general; calling out the orders!!! 😉
SJ – well done on hanging tough and completing your FD despite the grumbling tummy! It’s 3pm here and I just had a black coffee so far. Trying not to listen to my own tummy and concentrating on getting my own back on that damned scales in the morning!! 😆

Thank you so much, PH – it’s so kind and thoughtful of you to keep me going. It’s now 8.30 pm and I’ve had 450 cals if my calculations are correct, so I’m feeling good and strong. I have never seen miso soup here but haven’t really looked – so that is something I will definitely follow up on, especially as we are heading real winter weather now. Hope you get a good sleep and wake up with no aches and pains xx

Mornin’ CG – very sound advice regarding Christmas and all the fuss and bother we put ourselves through. That’s why I decided to do a very relaxed and doable timetable, so that I won’t be stressed at the last minute. I really hate feeling under pressure for time when a deadline is approaching; so making sure things are done and ticked off my list is very comforting to me. I’m sounding a bit like a control freak but I know I’m going to have a lovely time with family and friends even if every last job on the list is not done. With regards to my sister, I know alot of what you say about nursing homes can be true but the choice near us is not great. We have experienced a few of them with other family members and they all fall short of what she’s getting at the moment. On the other hand, we can’t keep doing what we’re doing for much longer so you’re right that we have to life our lives too. Your advice and care is much appreciated, especially since you have professional experience. Xxxxx

It’s funny, CG. My daughter did an impersonation of me earlier, as a joke, buying too many mince pies because they are reduced each year. Haven’t bought any yet. I am a bit of a stickler for tradition and don’t eat them for all the months they are on sale. I’m the same with Hot Cross Buns. Nothing is special if we have them any old time.

My daughter has also been teasing me while we were cleaning out a cupboard that has long been neglected. To her it was buried treasure seeing the things I have stashed away since we got rid of our china cabinet years ago. She loved hearing the stories behind pieces if i knew them. Finally she said, “you know when you’re dead I’m taking this stuff straight to Antiques Road Show!”

I am actually resurrecting a “coffee set” of my mothers that I always thought was useless with those small cups. Of course with our more sophisticated coffee culture these days, I may as well use it. I have washed up a few things and only recently learned that you are supposed to do that every so often to stop things from crazing or cracking.

Now, I am going to be stuck with polishing some silver if it isn’t already too late. We haven’t got that far yet.

Fasted Ok yesterday although may have gone over 500 as I ate my usual fare but added in some left over couscous with currants etc that may have taken me over, but healthy enough anyway.

Feeling good about being back on track! Have a good day all.

Good evening team……especially FIT.
Work is coming in thick and fast ,so much for a day of R&R today.
CG- I know how you feel with useless home care….I do hope that I never fall into that catorgorie.
FIT- Never ever feel guilty about all the wonderful things that you and your sisters do for your sister. There comes a time when we all have to do what is best for the one we hold so dear to us. I crossed that plain so often with my Dad… but gave in that between my sisters and I , we could nothing more in our, power to do what Dad ultimately wanted. Darling I am with you all the way and respect the difficulty that you are facing. Rest easy she is in a world that we cannot at our stage of life cannot comprehend. Your sister is safe in HER WORLD .
PH- slow down girl …you are moving as fast as me! after tomorrow I really am going to put the breaks on.

Each of us are doing so well with our AUSSIE DETERMINATION…. Take time to reflect back this time of the year,which is for celebrating so many blessed things. Our achieviments, whether they be weight loss or new founded friendships, grieving our loss of those that will not be at our Christmas tables. The trials of life that will continue to plageue us into a new year.WE can conqure them all, because we have each other. We have become an unique , incredible, strong group. THE MAGIC WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US!!!!.
TODAY, IS THE TOMORROW YOU WORRIED ABOUT YESTERDAY…….LOVE YOU ALL….GO GAL XXXXX

CG, I feel for you. I only get a tiny bit of psoriasis in my scalp but I have seen it all over people and feel for them. My own daughter has suffered from bad eczema all her life and can shred herself in her sleep. I feel badly for her, always dry , always itchy and usually with scratch marks down her legs and arms.
Skin problems are awful and I hope there is some treatment option that will help your daughter.

My daughter and I are about to finish off the cupboard, I can’t wait till it is done. PH, the coffee set that I am talking about is Wedgewood too! Sky Blue. I also have a Susie Cooper one from my mother in law. My daughter said dhe is pleased that she lives in an era when people don’t give you things that you are too scared to use and that sit in the cupboard doing nothing. She has a point but eventually she will no doubt get her share of this stuff when I cark it.

Do you think anyone would come to a silver polishing party? 😉