Hi everyone. Have been having a conversation on Facebook with Gayle and Gyps. It seems like the school holidays are not a problem in Palm Cove and it is better to book from mid week to mid week. So have come up with the suggestion of dates from Wednesday 20th September till Tuesday 26th September. Booking out on the 27th. How do those dates suit everyone?

As for the accommodation. CG and GG would like to stay in a resort in Palm Cove and so am thinking that the house in Clifton Beach would be a bit far away. Another alternative is to find a resort that would be suitable and everyone book their own accommodation at the same resort. Or caravan park nearby depending on finances? What does everyone think of that.?

Hi all!
Very late posting as my sister and a friend who sing in the choir with us were trying to practise some difficult pieces before the official practice tonight. My OH said it was like a Victorian ladies’ morning around the piano and Jane Austen would be very proud of us! Hold on til I get my corset, gals!
Since OH and I will be spending a lot just to get to Oz, cheap and cheerful accommodation will suit us fine, whether that’s sharing a house or apartment or whatever. If it’s self catering, he’s a dab hand in the kitchen so no worries there! As long as there are no upsets on the home front, July or September won’t make a difference to us either.
Ok, I have to start doing the tax returns for my OH….eek, just hate it! 😁😡👺

Hey there Jade!
I’ll look into Facebook again, I think I tried to join before and made a pig’s ear of it! No surprise there, then! 😉 I hope your meeting at school is more entertaining than my afternoon doing the books for the tax man…..oh god, there’s a few hours of my life that I’ll never get back! What a pain! Oh well, if it keeps us out of jail, then I suppose it’s worth it. Hang on, though, didn’t they used to send convicts to Australia……hmmm, a free trip to Oz for 2017??? 🤔😉👍😃

Hi Jade and Fit. im still posting to the Thread as well as Facebook at this stage. Getting quite frustrated with the move across as the moment, so giving it time to work out but assume that it will all come to be a lot easier when we get some consistency with how to manage conversations. ! I’m with you Jade..just don’t trust Facebook enough to put anything on there of a personal nature I would not like the world to see.

I have decided just to have a break from organising the actual date until everyone has had a chance to answer. Only hearing from you both, CG and GG and Gyps at this stage as SJ, UP and others have not been in the conversations and had indicated they were interested in coming. Staying at the resort for a week is not an option for me as it is far to expensive but there may be more affordable appartments on the strip that would be more manageable budget wise. I will make a call to The Discover Australia people and a travel agent I know to find out more information, share it with the group and then everyone have some choice.

So far so good with the 5.2 effort. Had a good NFD yesterday but did not eat up to my TDEE so will have to improve on that. Today is another fast day so hoping to have a second good one for the week. My focus on 5.2 is still no 1 for me and am determined to give it my best shot in the month ahead.

Fit. Those dreaded tax returns.💸💸💸 When we purchased our Lotto/business in the 80’s we needed an accountant! then when we purchased our acreage and were primary producers etc we needed a good accountant. Mesa move I ever made. Even with all my business experience I hated trying to keep up with all possible available deductions etc. Congratulations on you being able to manage your husbands tax return…🤗🤗🤗🤗 you sure are a legend.

Jade, you are doing a great job in the TLC department and let’s face it it is the most important job in our lives..💕💜💕💞😘😘

Back still not behaving itself so think I will have to give the pool a miss today. Did have a nice gentle hour there yesterday though so don’t feel too Quilty.

A big hi to everyone else. SJ hope your leg is improving and things are still going well with your beautiful family. 💕💕👨‍👩‍👧‍👧👨‍👩‍👧‍👧Are you still able to go on your Canadian part of your holiday?

UP. Your holiday must be almost,over now. It certainly sounds like it was a success.

By for now all 💜💜💜💜

PH, we have an accountant for all the important stuff – the tax returns are not really a big deal just boring and anything to do with figures or finance sends me to sleep 😵 Maybe instead of a full week at Palm Cove, four or five days might be more feasible. Just another suggestion. Obviously, if a week is doable further away, then we’ll go along with that. I don’t know enough about the location to be able to comment but the whole area looks amazing.
Jade, I hope you’re getting some TLC back in return but just in case, here’s a big hug right back at ya! {💚}

Hi everyone,

After talking to Gyps, the Executive convenor, , to whom I am Executive Assistant. This is the idea we feel would work best for the 2017 WTF reunion.

CLAIMING THE DATE,!!!!

Dates….commencing Wednesday 27th September 2017. A BIG BIRTHDAY BASH FOR GYPS On Thursday 28th September., for 5? Or 7? Or whatever suite the individual. 🎉🎉🍾🍹🍷🍸🍾🎉🎉

Location .. the Beautiful Palm Cove in North Queensland. 🌴🌴🌴🌞🌞🌞🌴🌴🌴🍤🍤🎣🎣🏊🏻🏊🏻🏊🏻🚣🚣🌺🌾🌴🌴🌴

Accommodation 🏣🏘⛺️🏩🏝🏖🎆🎇🌠
Everyone to do their own booking of accommodation. That way each person will be able to decide on price, etc. CG and GG are looking into theirs at the moment and when they decide we can have a look at what they have decided share that with everyone on the thread or Facebook ..wherever people are posting.

Love to all 💜💜💜

PH, sorry to hear that the flu jab is such a nuisance for you every time. At least you know it won’t last long and it has to be better than getting the actual flu!
Jade, glad to hear your D is getting out and about. Her friends will be a great distraction. I hope you get a bit of time for yourself while she is being well looked after. We’re having rain and sun every alternative hour here! I’m on the third variation of my outfit today! Still plucking up the courage to take the leap into fb. I sure do feel like I’m missing out on the party! 💕💞

Hi all, Jade, what an inspiration you are….mowing lawns, doing your best to but. a few dents in BF,s mower, cleaning up yards, loading the pick-up. Tossing limbs over locked fence!! Wow!! An official legend🤗🤗🤗 and did you say you had a fast day at the same time…..double legend🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗And then having the strength to,cook dinner!! You are spot on with the smashed potatoes!! So glad your loving them.

I decided I’d had enough of laying around so got myself up this morning, had a shower and took medication plus some Endone and took myself off to bridge. Played terrible!! But enjoyed it. Then off to the hairdresser for monthly haircut…then off to Spotlight to spend some money….💸💸💸always makes me feel better…home having a short rest and then planning to,get up to the sewing room and see if I can get my old machine set up to do some fixing…tried 3 pairs of jeans on before I found one that did not fall off….so some running in has to happen soon. I still don’t have my old faithful machine back…..big bummer!!,

My memory really must be shot cause I completely forgot that last night was the. I thought meeting of the hall committee….treasurer missing…no financial report.😱😱😱. Now have to get on the phone and call the rest of the committee and fess up that I just completely forgot….oh well. Will set the scene if I do it again I guess!!

Fit. I’m not posting on Facebook at this stage. Still doing this thread regularly for the support of you two beautiful people. I am having my second Faat day today for the week and so will weigh myself tomorrow morning. I’d better have lost some this week!! As I have been very good😇😇😇😇
Except for the exercise. I have missed a few due to feeling unwell but will try and make the pool tomorrow again. How are you going with your plan? We can do this you know and need to keep supporting each other. 🤗🤗😍😍🍏🍎🍊🍉🍌..have had an alcohol free three days so far with tonight another one..feeling almost saintly!!😇😇😇. Anyway bye for now. My rest is over…time to get moving. Know what you mean about changing outfits. I have had three on today myself, change of season does that to us. 💜💜💜💜💜

Hi Fit. Alas did not get to the sewing but did get so,e knitting done. Am almost finished knitting a little hoodie for little Ruth so decided to get on with that. Only got the hood to go..am so enjoying it. However MUST get to the sewing tomorrow. I’m off to the pool in the morning at 8am then straight home and then need to get into it. Keeping my fingers crossed for the weigh in. Just had my Jarrah chocolate to finish the day so hopefully will get straight off to sleep, 💤😴💤😴💤

Snacking is so hard to curb when you are in the house all day. One of the reasons I went out this morning and stayed out till around 3pm. Nothing close to snack on. You know we can do this.👍👍👍…when we put our minds to it…it is just that there are too many things that require our mind sometimes!!,!🙏🙏🙏Good luck with your weigh in…talk to you tomorrow. 💜💜💞💞

Hi Jade and Fit. Well hopped on the scales and had a very slight loss. Now 96.2 but there is quite a lot of nourishment in transit…so thinking it could be around 96 if all was functioning how it should be. Have to get into the senokot…not been drinking enough water I guess …and not doing enough movement. However better down than up so am even more determined now….😖😖 to do better next week. Time is flying by till my Canadian family is home so think I’ll have to realistically set my goal at 95 and holding …….which means that I will,have lost 25kgs since they last saw me….not a bad effort.

Jade can just picture you driving along in your pick-up enjoying the fact that you were shocking the rest of the motoring public🚕..(no emoji for the pick-up or even the iconic Aussie ute….what are the developers thinking!!) and about the memory…I don’t feel so bad now knowing that you forgot a trial!! 😀😀😀. I even forgot to phone up yesterday to apologise…well there is always today or tomorrow. No sense rushing these things. You sound energetic with your gardening exploits…hope your lovely D is feeling a bit better 💕💕💕.

Fit. Hope you have better luck on the scales than me but if not then there is always next week…..bring it on!!!, Get you gone you snacking demon…..😡😡😡😡

Well time is getting on and have to get into the swimmers and get to the pool. Thanks to you two wonderful people for the continued support. Please tell me if you don’t feel like posting on the thread anymore as I would hate to think you are posting just for me. I can always join another thread for the 5.2 support.

Bye for now 💜💜💕💕💕

Well, Jade and PH, we really are the three musketeers!
My FD went tits up for all the best reasons! My third sister, whom I don’t get to see very much lately because of her stressful job, arrived for an unexpected visit. We went for lunch with my sister who lives two doors away from me and another friend. Then we went to the cinema. If you haven’t seen Florence Foster Jenkins with Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, you should go and see it….it’s brilliantly funny and the three main actors are just superb! After that, my older d also arrived for a flying visit out of the blue and had dinner with us. And then….my brother and SIL invited us over because my SIL’s sister is going to use our house in France for a few days and we met her to hand over the keys, give directions etc…..so naturally we had to get into the mood with some wine! 👍😃🍷🍷 What an unexpectedly, fabulous day!
Jade, I’m going to be inspired by you and get back on the no carb, or at least good carb, trail! As for snacking, it’s my big downfall (I have lots of smaller ones too!) Hoping for a distraction free fd tomorrow and weigh in on Saturday instead.
PH, a loss is a loss…..well done. Your family from Canada will be amazed and impressed at your 25kg loss, that is just brilliant! Best of luck with the measuring, I’m sure there will be good changes there too. Enjoy the pool and the crafts! 👍💪

Ha, the tits up FD, sounds awesome! Fit, you were bombarded by invitations, like a game of asteroids! No one could resist all of that fun – hope you enjoyed every second. That movie sounds great, I’m still a sucker for Hugh Grant, ah…Love Actually was a silly thing but I’m a hopeless romantic.

PH I’m happy to chime in here, there, anywhere I can find you. I’ve gotten more support here than I’ve given, but I look forward to keeping it up as long as anyone wants to. Congrats to you on your big success with 5:2, your Canadian family will be astounded and quite pleased for you I know – go you 🙂

Hey there CG! Yes yes yes, the contraband, a/k/a I FOUND SOME CADBURY’S IN MY DESK, which I just did, and given that I survived this week it seemed only fitting to indulge – and not just with my eyes! HA. We all are running around so much these days! I’m looking forward to a day when fasting is the hardest thing on the agenda. But things are much better, there is an actual halo of resilience blinding me today, good progress. Thank you all for the encouragement. And…so much for any FDs this week! That’s OK, I’m just glad I still have my sanity. It’s Friday so time to clear off my desk and get myself to happy hour!!! [picture red wine emojis] Here’s to the sisterhood and big hugs to you all, jade xxxx

Oh dear Fit…how frustrated you must feel about your sister. 😡😡😡😡I guess that is the difference between hospital and nursing home care. You would think that they would at least change her sox. Does she get dressed every day eventually and sit out of bed? And showered eventually? I’m guessing both you and your sister are very upset but try to remember that it is out of your control at the moment and even though she may not be getting the best care she is in a place where they can monitor changes to her medication etc. remember the serenity prayer? Can’t remember it myself exactly but it goes something like this…

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference.

I have this on my fridge as a reminder to let go when I get frustrated about OH,s depression. Works wonders. So if you think there is something you can do about her personal care..do it and if not then just know she is being looked after medically and the personal care will not effect her health..and if it does they can fix it…and get on with having some time for yourself while all of this is happening….💕💕💕
On that high horse of mine again but I do feel for you💞😡💞😡😍😍

Love the bits about the FD,s going tits up. I ofenn have days of planned activity going tits up and a friend of mines favourite saying when she needs a wine is…how about a drink…I’m as dry as a wooden tit.

Jade I think you really deserved to have a great breakout on Friday night…after all that is what Friday nite is for isn’t it??..you did enough exercise, both physically and mentally , during the week to work off a couple of Friday nights! 🍷🍷🍫🍫
I also had a breakout last night watching our two,favourite teams play rugby league. A great game and we so did enjoy it and a few scotches🍹🍹🍹 and some chocolate covered goji berries….the best kind. 🍫🍫🍫
Off to our daughters today for our weekly working bee at her place …I’m doing the morning with them and then going to bridge and leaving OH and her to do the heavy stuff for the afternoon.

CG. Nice to hear from you. Our contract for the Internet was due for renewal and have spent the last 2 weeks researching everything about the NBN. So confusing and so eventually found a wonderful young man at JB HiFi who explained everything perfectly and as they are also agents for Telstra he was able to get me sorted with them for just $20 a month more than other quotes I have had and with enough download to cover all of my needs and then some. And a great mobile plan at half the price of the one I have and much more data and calls….so all good…all signed up at $50 a month less than I was paying, more data and calls and everything in place now for the NBN to,come and install. Hope it all works out as he said. I find the young sales people at JB HiFi so wonderfully helpful in the Coffs Harbour store. So patient with me and happy to,answer all of my questions about everything..and boy do I ask a lot of questions.. So had a very successful day.

Well time to get out of bed, tidy up a bit , do my time on the treadmill and off to Daughters for a great day.

Love to all 💜💜💜💜💜

I am still about but have had a shocker of a month. This is the worst month emotionally for me so I have had a slight gain. When I am away from the house I have no internet connection my mobile phone is not a smart phone. My children also have trouble getting reception here so they use my internet when here. I saw my new little grandson for a couple of days started off here and then we ended up back in Melbourne (4 hrs away). Rushed home for a Mothers Day High tea. (Purchased in advance) Wore an old dress and felt really special. It took about a week to get the sugar out of my system again.
The following week my Hearkid grandson was back in hospital with high temperature. (No spleen.) Parents were going to contact us through Facebbok. That afternoon lost the internet. Rang helpline said I needed new modem. Got that still no go. Rang helpline again still said it was modem. Rang again and told not their problem. Gave up for the night. The following day rang back and the person told me the whole area was out for a couple of days. Old modem is still working okay but the new one is NBN compatable area going over sometime this year.
I was at my sons (2hrs away) to pick up some plants that needed to go into the garden quickly to match the others. We had a mini cook up while I was there. Daughter wants me back next week but she has had the flu. Trying to get back to my normal routine with all the distractions of late.

Wow, what’s up with the Internet over there these days?? PH good for you for latching onto a good plan – GL your experience sounds like the one I have anytime I call customer service for anything. 🔫 They know they can wear most people down just by being ineffective.

Oh Fit, how frustrating and inhumane, that kind of sloppy care – I do hope it gets sorted. Sounds like they are willing to let a problem get worse, basically treating everyone as though they have the same mental/physical ability and then seeing how that goes. No surprise THAT doesn’t go well. But I’m hoping it’s simply a bad “getting to know you” approach and not that they don’t care at all. CG’s question should be asked of everyone there – how would you like it if it was your loved one…. Hugs and hope to you 💚X
PH you don’t sit still for long, do you! How funny that we all seem to have had a little worldwide chocolate fest yesterday. I can just see you cheering the team on with a bar in each hand! 🍫🏐🍫😸 I just wish I’d had more of the Cadbury so that I didn’t have to fall back on Hershey’s. Whew that was a thrill ride for my blood sugar by the end of it.

CG so sorry your family time had to be postponed. Sounds like something you wouldn’t want to catch though 🤒 and lol the man flu, my OH comes down with anything that’s around😂. Plans have certainly gone awry around here, haven’t they – but the serenity prayer is one of my favorites, PH – nothing we can do to change what’s going on, so my recipe for wisdom is to have a big glass of lemonade 🍋🍋 with those lemons, perhaps with a shot of vodka thrown in 🍸- My mom would also say “this too shall pass” and she always said it with a wink that made me believe it 😉♥️✨

Well like an old bloodhound, I’m sniffing you all out wherever I find you – here, fb, or email – need a good Australian shepherd to help out🐶 and ha ha, I have one right here at my feet! I’m grateful that life has slowed down here, the biggest excitement so far today has been retrieving my car from the shop in a nearby town after a brake job💰- I seem to be leaking money lately – must pray for serenity again😍 maybe take the pups out to the garden and be grateful the brakes didn’t fail on the highway. 👍 Love to all – jade xxxxx
ps: Gyps let the elf out of the pantry would you?? I’ll catch up with you in the other venues😍

Hey Jade, we crossed! My blood sugar probably went off the scale yesterday ⚡️💥❗️⚠️ I’m feeling a bit strange today (no comments please!) so I think it’s a combination of a sugar hangover and fasting….bleh! I hope your daughter is continuing her positive frame of mind. How lovely was that shop assistant, it restores one’s faith in humanity. Enjoy the rest of the weekend 🍷💚💕😃

Aw thanks Jade! Big hugs right back at ya! Hopefully I’ll finish my fd without caving in to all those food pitfalls! Isn’t it strange the different triggers and weaknesses we all have? Stay strong 💪 I absolutely love your emoji for SFB …..just guffawed out loud when I saw it! Your use of humour to get through life shitstorms is fabulous! Go smell those roses for all you’re worth! 💚💕💞👍😃

Well that backfired! I tried to post fabulous photos of a double rainbow here but somehow the same photo that I posted before appeared and I don’t know how. I tried to edit immediately and delete it, but it still came through! 😡 Grrr, how stupid am I? On second thoughts, don’t answer that!

Hi all. I am not even going to try to read what I have missed, it would take forever! But from the few I have read above, I do hope that everyone’s problems get sorted. Fit, does the worry ever end?

Well, I feel right now that I should fast every day for the next couple of weeks but I know I never could. I have put on a little over the trip. Not as much as I expected but strangely my loose dog walking dress seems to have become decidedly un loose so perhaps it is all around the dreaded middle. 🙁

My daughter is home for the weekend so no point in me starting until tomorrow. Looking forward to being back in touch with you all for a little while at least.

Now there’s some good stuff, Fit – let the inconsequential things go…..out with the tide. I’ve sensed a sort of ocean’s ebb and flow lately, and it’s good to remember that life is like that. Same re your storms and rainbows⛈🌈🔆 sometimes we just have to wait for it.

I’ve never heard of a house cooling, but it’s a lovely idea to gather to support the beginning of a new phase in life. Sisterhood hugs to her {{}} and I hope things are looking better for her.🌈 Oh and HA thanks for the explanation about the picture you posted, I did wonder, as you said it was what you were looking at, so I pictured you drooling over a pair of new shoes!.👠👠😋 Not like I’ve never done that😍

Up it’s great to see you again, you must have had some great adventures on your trip. I’ve heard tell of people who actually lost weight on vacation, but I think it’s an urban myth, certainly has never been my experience. Gaining less than expected is always a victory. Enjoy the hugs and time with your daughter💕🍷!

CG and PH, you won’t be shocked that we have similar problems in the US. Th service providers make great promises, but they know how to parcel out the actual data so that “unlimited” data is actually quite limited because it bleeps in and out and often takes forever to load. A far sight better than it used to be, though, I guess, so we accept it. It’s why the orange man scares me, as he’s convincing too many that business sense is the world’s salvation. In other words, profit and power, which aren’t bad in themselves, but they aren’t good either. They are means to make money and impose your ideas on others, and easily corruptible if all you care about is winning, and . . . blah blah rant rant.

PH thank you for that compliment – I think we all look pretty darn fine for a bunch of gals on a weightloss thread! Oops, I tell OH it’s a health thread, and I guess that’s really what it is. Mental health, for me! Actually I’m not kidding, I’ve loved the support and encouragement here on every subject imaginable. Oh and yeah the health thing has been a plus, also 😉 Especially taming my insatiable sweet tooth⛰(yes, big as a mountain).

Ah, so we forced ourselves to go out last night, with dear friends but just feeling spent, so it was an effort at first. Ended up doing the silly laughing that makes everyone think the table of old folks has lost their minds. Such fun to get the giggles together like that♥️😆🍷 And how grand that we have another sunny day on tap, because the forecast M-F is for rain, and we have our own house to cool, or at least transform.✨ Today is the day we originally were to leave on our trip, so it’s ironic that the weather here is so similar – coolest May we’ve had in a while. Fit, I’m still rubbing my shoes together, it will happen I just know it. 💚☘ I’m going to jump on the horse beside everyone else tomorrow, oh that poor nag – but I need all the good health I can get for this week💪👢🏇😐 Tally ho! jade xx