Morning LJ, your post wasn’t there when I started today’s missive. Hope your joints settle down.

Gloucester NSW Australia 12md
Hi everyone

Well it’s been a long time since my last post, have been lurking in the background reading all your interesting posts.
I find it difficult to answer each post, but think of you all and wonder what you are all up to very often

I restarted yoga today – it’s been 7 months so today was a fresh start. Feels so good. Our teacher is just wonderful.

In that 7 months, I’ve managed to put on 3kg, so haven’t gone totally AWOL, but it’s time to get back on the wagon and give my health a better effort on my part. The challenge will be interesting! Have to get in touch with FD all over again! 😃

This weekend, Friday to Sunday, our inclusive extended family are staying in cabins at Riverwood Downs – a large rural property with a river, just what we all need for a relaxing couple of days.

My OH continues to get better each day, just wonderful; my dear Dad, at 86, continues to be a delight and pleasure to have around, though his care does limit what we can do at times! Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Still feel relaxed after my yoga session this morning!

I’m looking forward to jumping back on this thread, when able, and taking in all the wonderful experiences of each and every one of you – I’ll continue to read often!

Enjoy whatever you are getting up to and bye for now xx

2nd post

Hi Cinque
We must have posted at the same time! I totally agree with your thoughts on this post, and how it influences each of us, and couldn’t have expressed it any better – thank you so much xx

Thanks for the support everyone. I was feeling a bit stopped up this morning so that is probably the reason I didn’t lose more. I’ve taken some Epsom salts so now I’ll hang around and let it do it’s job. I know that I’m on the right track because of how my clothes are fitting now.

Braised beef cheeks and turnip/turnip greens for dinner tonight. My family will get the potato mash to go with it.

Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to any newbies.

Hope you are all going well, and I can yet again, try to catch up a little.

I’ve been doing a little EFS (Epic Face Stuffing) and knew I needed to get back here fast. Last Friday I was 65.8kgs and this morning I was 66.ks, and if I’m going to yoyo a bit I’d prefer it was at a level a few kgs less. I’m ‘working’ on my long term project again till the end of March, and I say ‘working’ because it’s mostly procrastinating ATM.

OH is just finishing month 2 of his 6 month treatment with another month or so before he begins radiation treatment for 6-7 weeks. He’s staying well and has this week kicked off a goal after starting to read Dr Mosely’s ‘The Fast 800’, so he has dropped some kgs before radiation starts.

We are also now into wedding planning with one of our children, so that is lovely and consuming at the same time, though we are not doing huge amounts of the actual planning.

Has anyone heard from Joffy? I hope his health has improved.

Onwards and Downwards,
If you fall off the horse get back on the horse,
Merry and OH

Cinque very well said and so true. We all arrive here at different points in our life and stay for other reasons.

When I first started way back in 2015 I did not think I could do this and my life was a mess. Now I stay because it keeps me motivated and I hope that maybe I might be able to inspire others to just keep going regardless.

My goal changed several times as the weight slowly disappeared and I have since past my last goal several times. I have yo yo’d back and forth but always return to 5:2 as the only sustainable way.

I can be quite rigid in following this WOL and at other times like my recent cruise let my hair down and thoroughly enjoy what is on offer. So I think all of us in our own ways contribute so much and offer hope, friendship and shoulders to cry on when needed.

So thank you all for just being there.

Hi Merry lovely to hear from you.

Merry, good to hear from you! If 200g is your idea of yo yo’ing, I’ll follow your lead! All the best to Mr M. for the remainder of his treatment. Joffy hasn’t ever returned here since your last update on him many moons ago.

Thanks Lindsay, sounds like you’re fully back in form, well done. That 800 cal day sounds like quite a feast. Or is it just that I’m feeling hungry today? Hurray for much improved neighbours. Maybe some more of that late night skinny dipping by you and Mr L. will see the neighbours retreating earlier. Or not….

https://www.healthyeatingjo.com/single-post/2016/06/14/Curried-Lentil-Pumpkin-Patties

This is the link to the curried lentil patties I made for dinner. Of course I didn’t follow the recipe exactly as I only made about half the mixture. I used 120g drained weight lentils but still same amount of curry and about half all the other ingredients. Really yummy. Worked out at 71 calories each. Oh and very filling. I allowed fir 4 but only ate 3. One more thing I cut the breadcrumbs right down too.

I’ll comment more tomorrow. By the way OH loved them!!! Win/win 🙂

Quick one before I go out. Good to hear from you again Merry. Fingers crossed for OH’s treatment.

Hi Arel.

Afternoon everyone, Re Metamucil, it is sugar free , orange flavoured physillium. I love it ! Google the reviews and they all are glowing in praise of its benefits which are filling you up, lowering cholesterol etc. My other recommendations for fast days’ appetite suppression are : garçinia Cambodia tea and tablets, clear soup ( bouillon) made with a stock cube and boiling water ( delicious and filling ), reducta, a natural herbal tablet available at chemists,the ingredients of which were eaten by Native people from a India in times of food scarcity . My protein shakes are Define (chemist warehouse ) and last but not least, I love iced water infused with coriander, mint, lemon, lime and cucumber. All of these things help me stick to 5 liquids only fast days. I am the sort of person who needs strict rules such as no solid food on fast days as it is way too tempting. It works for me but we are all different and that is the beauty of this wol, we all have our own versions, it flexible and doesn’t eliminate any food group like the Keto and Paleo diet do. I am beyond tired today and hope that I don’t wake up at 2.30 am again ( I have no trouble falling asleep ). Fast days make me so alert and the opposite of sluggish ! As soon as I have a nfd , I can sleep for ages ! 4 weeks to go till cast removal. I am sooooo grateful I didn’t fracture leg bones, wrist bones are infinitely preferable !

Mornin’ 7.10am Sunny and warm 28 degrees in Sydney

So glad your joints are feeling better LJ, hope they stay that way. Does the weather play havoc with them? My knee definitely aches more in winter

You are doing amazingly well Neil and you will be at goal before you know it.

Hello Merry, nice to hear from you. Glad your hubby is going ok and hope he continues to improve. How exciting – a wedding!

It’s not like you to be hungry on a FD Thin, must be the week for it. Hope this bout of hot weather sees the end of it as I am royally sick of it and we haven’t had it anywhere near as bad as Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne (amongst many other places).

Thanks for the ideas about filling liquids Rosy, I’m going to try a few for sure

I realised I can’t do a FD exactly today as I need to have a reasonable amount of food with these strong antibiotics. So I’m having three small meals today – around 800 or 900 calories – which I am ok about. I should still lose but I just won’t have the fasting benefits

Ok work is getting to the manic stage and my boss is starting to put the guilt trip on me for not renewing. She is so lovely but I can see she is starting to panic. I do feel bad but I can’t renew for 1-2 months then find that all these jobs that are currently about have gone. I am the only BA and they will be a bit (ok very) lost without me but I am working like a crazy person to try and get them as far ahead as possible before I leave. It’s all I can do

Take care all and have a lovely day

PS: I want to echo Intesha: Thank you all for being here 🙂

Good morning, from grey and humid Melbourne, and also wet! My garden got a powerful watering.

Such lovely response to my last post, and you are exactly right Thin, and LJoyce, that there isn’t an end to needing 5:2 support and friendship. And I love how brand new people can bring new insights into 5:2.

Arelkade, we did cross posts. So lovely to see you here again and what a nice thing to be back at yoga. 3kg is nothing, if you get a good run you will get rid of that before you know it.
How is OH? If I remember rightly he had his heart procedure months ago. Has it taken this long to recover, or did it just do a bit, and he has a lot more to contend with?
Hello to your dear old dad.
I do hope you have the time to chat here again soon.

Merry, another post I was so happy to see. Life must be trying for you and OH, through 6 months of treatments, all power to you both. And how exciting to have a wedding coming up!

Good wishes to you, Joffy, if you happen to be reading.

Anzac, Hate to say it, but your boss should have thought ahead and worked to make you permanent. I bet you are worth the high praise you are getting. Keep confident, I hope you can enjoy the process of getting your next job, at least a little bit.
Sensible decision with food and antibiotics.
I’ll light a little candle for you as you go on your flight (that will be sure to keep to keep the plane in the air). (Well, it will keep me thinking of you, and good thoughts are very buoyant.)

Lindsay, congratulations on what a treat you are making 800 calories a day to be! And hooray, you may well have lovely neighbours on two sides this year. Enjoy the island.

LJoyce, I am with you on those cumin roasted veggies. So easy and delicious.
I hope your joints are better today.

Thin, I had a great fast day yesterday. I forgot to soak things for my miso soup, so I bought fresh mushrooms and some chicken, which made for a very yummy bowlful (with radish and a tiny zucchini).
We have some cooler days, so come on over!

Neil, hooray!
Caffeine is a diuretic, but it isn’t particularly strong, so just making sure you have plenty of water and veggies might be enough. (Would hate to see someone having to cut down on coffee, if that is your caffeine of choice).

RosyPosy, woot! we are going to have a kefir convo again: it may well become a symposium.

Cheers all. Another gentle day for me, still recovering from a big day on Wednesday. Let’s hope I get more cleaning done, and if I do I will let myself go to another opshop.

I’m going to eat (real) food. Mostly plants. Not too much.

Cheers all.

I have a quick question for those in maintenance mode. The fast800 book recommends a Mediterranean diet, lots of olive oil, fish, chicken, eggs, nuts, fruit and vegetables. It also recommends cutting out sugar, processed food and starchy things like rice, pasta, breads and things.

I have no problems with this when I’m trying to get the weight off because I love eggs, cheese, meat, fruit and veg, nuts etc, but I was wondering if the foods like pasta and bread can start creeping back in moderation once the weight comes off? I’d hate to go the rest of my life without eating another cheese scone 😉

Rosy, everything you always wanted to know about milk kefir but were afraid to ask: https://www.yemoos.com/pages/milk-kefir-step-by-step-guide

Rosy, my OH has a tub of that orange Metamucil in the pantry. It looks horrid! I shall have to investigate further with a more open mind after all the comments here!

Neil, as everyone keeps saying, we’re all different but, in my own case, cutting out bread, pasta and rice made a huge difference to my weight loss phase. It wasn’t a message that I was receptive to when I first heard it here. I’ve found that 5:2 shaped my portions and food desires without my even realising it. So, in maintenance, whilst I can occasionally have these foods, I’ve found I rarely want them and my portions have significantly decreased. I never eat pasta, limit rice to one occasional spoonful but usually have none (or cauliflower rice), never eat pizza and very occasionally have bread if the only other thing is soup. So, my answer is, yes, you can have a cheese scone 5 days a week if you really want one, but my guess is that you probably won’t.

Anzac, stick to your guns re: the best job for you! Over the decades, I found loyalty is often a one-way street wrt to employer/employee relationships. I’m bracing for another hot day.

Cinque, annoying about forgetting to soak the ingredients. On your recommendation, I now soak my mushrooms for 24 hours (when I remember) rather than the 15 minutes stated on the packaging. Good that you found a tasty substitute. Being set in my FD ways, I’m stuck on Spanish Fideos right now. The Slendier noodles make two portions so the second FD is all sorted (as long as I remember that it’s waiting in the fridge). 59.6kg and smiling today!

Have a wonderful day all.

Hi Quacka, because when you’re bigger your body needs more calories to maintain it, as you drop weight your body needs fewer calories, so if you’re eating the same amount of calories as you did when you first started dropping weight then you’re going to lose it at a slower pace.

Good afternoon SH friends.

Neil, I have mostly eliminated processed and white carb-rich foods from my everyday life – they are occasional treats and usually eaten when out. Unlike Thin, I do include some whole grain foods regularly, although not in the quantities I would once have eaten and not daily. I eat sourdough rye or wholemeal bread. I also sometimes bake my own high fibre creations which usually include wholegrain flours and legume flours. Rice (even the brown variety) contains virtually no fibre so if want cooked grains to go with something like a curry, I substitute the rice for a high fibre alternative like freekeh, kasha buckwheat, barley or spelt couscous. I don’t have pasta often, not even the wholemeal varieties because I still like it with a little sauce and a lot of pasta and that’s a really unbalanced meal. I do still eat potatoes, but like all these other items they are occasional.
It’s incredibly rare for me to eat any grains on a FD, so I’m guaranteed 2 low starch days and often a NFD will be as well.
I will add that although my intention is to treat the white starches as occasional foods only, it can creep up on you and you find yourself having them all too often. I usually need to go cold turkey for a week or so to break addiction and that usually to allows me to get them back to occasional treats again.

Quacka, I concur with what Neil and May said, and I’ll also add that every year we age we need fewer calories to maintain the same weight, so that also has an effect.

Anzac, yes it is the weather that affected my joints yesterday. It always happens when the air changes from dry to humid. I used to think the humidity was the culprit and had a heated discussion with my rheumatologist about it. He actually supervised some post-grads who were doing research into the effects that air pressure changes had on joint pain. They put patients with RA into a hyperbaric chamber and got them to rate their pain when the air pressure was changed. The bigger the change in air pressure the greater the pain. Apparently the change from dry to humid air involves a dramatic change in air pressure. I think it’s something to do with the fluid and synovial membrane around joints and air pressure pushing on this – in RA the membrane is inflamed and there is more fluid than there should be.
I agree that an extra month in a team you like is a big sacrifice for either permanent jobs or a long term contract.

Rosy, You are right about how filling the psyllium husks are. I had an unusual lunch that included a tablespoon of psyllium that I’d mixed with rolled oats, yoghurt, almond milk, blackberries and stevia and left in the fridge overnight. It was very thick and tasty and a nice filling lunch – I did also put some extra berries on top before I ate it. It reminded me a bit of a chia pudding I used to make.

Well I must go, I have to head off for babysitting duties soon.

7.20pm Thursday

Hi everyone! I hope all is going well for you all.
Thank you for all your welcoming comments – much appreciated xx

Anzac: Will be thinking of you and wish you all the best at your interview – sounds like there are many opportunities available to you: go you!

Merry: Thinking of you, and Mr M, as you both venture into the next 6 months of treatment and hoping he sees good results real soon. All will be well! Also, I’m aiming to share your horse for a while, if that’s ok!

Lindsay: Glad you are managing the 800/day and can see results already – I’m feeling good for you. Also, better neighbours equals better life – happy for you!

LJoyce: I hope your joint pain is continuing to improve, it’s a real shame there is no magic pill when we need it, just time! I also really enjoy baked vegetables with cumin, and also cardamom – it’s a flavour all on its own.

Penguin: Hi back to you!

Rosy Posy: Enjoyed your ideas for FD appetite suppression and liquids – will give them a go! Bring on the next 4 weeks and then be free of that cast.

Neil: you are having wonderful results – this WOL is really great!

Cinque: OH had his cardiac ablation last September – Before it, he thought he was going to die, now – he has a new lease on life. I’m so pleased for him! Dad gave a little chuckle when I mentioned a kind lady on 5:2 says ‘hello’ – thank you.

Quacka: Lovely to hear the scales are heading down – I’m happy for you!

Thin: I liked your point on eating for the TDEE for the weight that we wish to be – makes a lot of sense, and I imagine maintenance a lot easier – oh how I look to the day when maintenance is a reality for me!

Hi to anyone else who may be reading, and not posting. Must go and pack for my weekend away.
Enjoy whatever you are getting up to, and bye for now xx

6.40am Friday
Hi everyone, just checking in!

Getting ready for a relaxing weekend in the country, with my family. There’ll be river swimming, riding the rapids on a tyre tube, BBQ’s, munchies, medicinal alcohol, long walks, late nights sitting under the stars, lots of conversation – just love it, all just being together!

There’ll be no mobile coverage, so all enjoy your weekend and I’ll catch up soon xx

Sorry I’ve been absent for a few days. Haven’t been feeling well. But the good news is that I was at 59.0 this morning, a place I haven’t been since early Jan. We’ve also had a bit of a problem with our propane delivery. Where we live, there is no natural gas piped in so everyone has propane tanks for heat and hot water. We get automatic delivery about once a month, but the past several days have been very cold, like -2 C at night and not above 8 during the day, so the central heat is running almost constantly. OH called on Friday and the said they’d be out Monday or Tuesday. Tuesday they had a bunch of snow and a power outage where the propane company is and were shut down. We lease their tank so can’t go elsewhere without changing out tanks, etc. We kept the heat low to conserve on what we had left in case it was another day. They finally arrived and filled the tank yesterday afternoon. We had gone out and bought a few small electric space heaters for the bird room and bedroom but they’re very expensive to run and don’t really do a good job in the larger rooms. So the days were very stressful, staying up most of night on Tuesday, checking the bird’s room to make sure it wasn’t getting too hot or cold. (Space heaters with thermostats were all sold out.) Anyway, great relief that is over and the house is warm again! (I think we missed global warming this last week!)

So good to hear from you, Arel and Merry. Intesha, I’m glad you are doing some traveling. Your dad seems to be able to manage on his own for several days. After all, you’re there most of the time.
Quacka, I’m also a white knuckle flyer, even though my job involved lots of flying. Thank goodness for tranquilizers! A couple glasses of wine would work too if I didn’t have to drive anywhere when I arrived. But I needed a rental car when working. The good news is that it does get a little easier over time.

LJ, I hope your joint pain is getting better. Have you been overdoing it with exercise or projects around the house? Could you send some of that warm weather over here? I’m tired of winter now.

Cinque, I agree about loving the way we can help new people on this forum. It wasn’t very long ago that you were all helping me. (And still do!) It sounds like you had a good op shopping trip. I’m anxious to get back to our shop. It was kind of sparse as far as items I liked around the holidays, but of course items change all the time. I did find those jeans for DS a week ago. I’m waiting for March or April when people decide they don’t like their fancy diets and get rid of all the small size clothes they figure will never fit after all. (People who roll their eyes 👀 when we talk about 5:2 and say they could never handle fasting.)

Thin, I don’t count calories for my TDEE on NFD’s but I think I naturally eat less just because I’ve learned not to be afraid of hunger. Being hungry doesn’t mean I have to eat right now. And when I do eat I don’t have to eat like there will never be food again. Unless it’s something like ice cream. One never knows when global warming will melt all the ice cream in the world. Forever. 😁 I do have some really over the top days but I think other days balance that out. And all of you keep me accountable. 😊

Neil, your rate of loss sounds perfectly reasonable to me. That big first week loss was great, but probably a lot of water (which has to go too). I think I lost 4 pounds my first week. That was before I changed my scale to kg because I got tired of converting it all the time for this forum. I also had a lot less emotional attachment at first to kg because it was less familiar. Now I only think in terms of kg for weight. Kg’s are a lot smaller number than the equivalent pounds. I like that. 😊

I tried Metamucil and then Psyllium Husk powder (the active ingredient in Metamucil) and forgot why I stopped. It was quite a while back. Maybe it was because I eat a lot of beans and lentils which are already high in fiber. But I can see the value of the Psyllium Husk powder in terms of calories. Much lower than beans, so it could be a good FD fiber addition. I wonder if it affects the absorption of other supplements or medications?

Good morning, cloudy and humid 8.13am

Interview day! I’ve had so many but I still get very anxious. Luckily work is very busy so the time should fly until 1.00pm

I ended up having a very bad eating day yesterday and the scales are punishing me. I am yo-yoing to the point of ridiculousness so it’s time to get serious again. I’ve dusted off my food diary spreadsheet and will start back on that. I was doing well when I was recording everything I ate and drank.

Cali, I’m so sorry you went through the worry of trying to stay warm! And you weren’t feeling well on top of it all. Glad things are improving and you were able to get the gas you needed.

Rosy, I detest milk for the same reason. I remember once I even vomited but they still made me drink the vile, warm stuff. In my 30’s I developed lactose intolerance so most weekends I will have a smoothie with lactose free milk with banana to disguise the taste. I should have them more often as I don’t get enough calcium. I take calcium tablets but that really isn’t enough.

Arelkade, what a lovely weekend you have planned, I can think of nothing I would love to do more this weekend than swimming, BBQ’s, a few tipples and staring at the stars. Awesome

Hubby reckons his foot is still not great and doesn’t want to start Maxx’s human training on Sunday. I think he is putting it off for I don’t know what reason. I’ll gently push and see if I can get him to change his mind. When he rang just now with the daily walk report he said Maxx was really good and recalling etc but yesterday the report was the complete opposite. He needs the training no doubt about it

It’s weird being in the office on a Friday because this is generally my WFH day; but I had to come in for the interview of course. I was honest with my boss about it when she asked why I was coming in today. She didn’t look pleased but, well, too bad.

Have a great day everyone, I will try to pop in and let you know how the interview goes

P.S. Anzac, good wishes for the interview. I’ll be thinking of you at 1pm.
Such stress, it is no wonder your eating has gone all haywire. Cheers for getting some order into the chaos. You can do it!
All power to you getting OH and Maxx to the training. The first time will be the hardest. Is he worrying that he will be told he is a failure as a dog owner. Surely they will be better than that. Good luck with it.

Well it’s been a mixed morning. My son last night intervened when a bus driver was being assaulted by 2 young people. My son had gone for his nightly run and spotted a snake on the path, so stopped. When he pulled out his earplugs, he heard shouting and saw a commotion on a bus close by, and a young woman and a man punching the driver, who had blood pouring from his face. My son called out ‘hey you can’t punch people’ (a comment he said was probably more appropriate for his 4 year old son) and got on the bus and stood between them and hustled the young thugs down the steps. He hadn’t realised there was another one outside the bus, and a fourth still on the bus. I am very proud of him, though a bit rattled by what could have happened. The police will take a statement, but it seems the four were drunk and goading the other passengers (an elderly Chinese woman, an international student and another young person) so the driver tried to put the four off the bus.

The cheerier part of the morning came when I looked up from my screen, to see a kangaroo calmly feeding on the grass verge opposite our house.

Arel, great news your OH’s operation has given him a new lease of life. Enjoy your wonderful weekend.

Yikes, all that discussion of hot school milk brought back some very unpleasant memories. For me too, it’s why I rarely drink it, and have both tea and coffee black.

Neil, rum isn’t my particular poison (gin and red wine) but I can empathise, and good for you for giving it up for a while. I think it is the rituals that are hard to forego, rather than the alcohol itself. That said, hope you enjoy your medicinal alcohol Arel.

Rosy yours sounds like a great treat. Your red cast will go with anything.

Hope you wow them at the interview Anzac. (Of course you will.)

Calif that sounds pretty stressful and uncomfortable, almost losing your gas. Hard enough for humans, but when birds are involved, too close by half.

Ok I’ve hit the 15 hour since eating mark, so am going to start preparing my food. It will be close enough to 16:8. Usually I am rock solid on this, but the salt air plays havoc with my appetite.

Good day all.

Oh Thin. What a bugger! Hitting the back button doesn’t help?

Hello everyone, great to be back, for all the wrong reasons….of course!!! It’s so lovely to see so many of the same names after all this time and to hear how well you have all done with this WOL.

My husband and I have aeventually sold our business and are now foot-loose and fancy free so now no excuses, no work to hide behind, no long hours, feeling tired, spending all day and most of the evening in the kitchen with the temptation of food!!! I can’t quite beleive how many excuses I dreampt up to just not change the way I ate, but then I guess if it is all about a lifestyle change then I have that now, by the bucket load.

I am just .5 away from my first goal of 80kgs which I should hit by Monday am if not before having been on the 800 for two weeks with a bit of a break last Sat night, so going well. OH is with me too and lost almost 5kgs in the same time so he is well pleased with himself.

We head overseas in early June so hope to be at my goal weight by then to allow for some added holiday kg’s that are bound to put in appearence without even being invited!!! We will be cycling for three weeks and coastal walking for three weeks so quite an active break, goodness knows how we would fare if we spent all our holidays lying on the beach, probably beached whales lol

Looking forward to catching up with everyone, enjoy your weekends

Turnabout

Turnabout, I remember you! I even knew that you were living in NZ and that you’d been planning to sell a hospitality business when last with us. I can’t recall if you’d said it was a B&B or a caravan park but, checking your profile confirmed that I at least have the right person. Quite pleased with myself! And welcome back. I also recall that there was another poster beginning with T at the time of your posting but that’s all I remember about that. Useless trivia my mind holds onto! Where are you going for your holiday?

Ok, I will now attempt to re-construct what I wrote earlier.

Anzac, first I’d wished you all the best with your interview. A bit late now. And I’d said that, if they didn’t hire you, they’d be missing out. I also wrote that it does sounds like Mr A. seems a bit afraid of Maxx training. Dogs just love to please and Maxx will be no different, he just doesn’t know how yet. It’s great if you both go so you’re consistent with him but if there’s owner running required, only one of you will be participating in it. Enjoy! If you laughed at me writing ‘spewing’ then you’ll have had a laugh at Lindsay’s response ‘bugger’!

LJ, A&C milk is on sale at half price again, this time at Coles. Also, the shiritaki noodles you mentioned were on clearance which I took to mean they were discontinuing it. I thought you might want to stock up either way as they were also half price. I bought several packets so I’ll report back. Do you use the entire pack for a FD? It serves two but isn’t many calories.

Lindsay, we attended DD’s cap and gown ceremony last night. I’m glad we went so thanks for encouraging us. I now understand about the colour coding of the sash and tassel but don’t know if it only pertains to that uni or if it’s universal coding. DD’s tassel was yellow which signifies either a master’s or (in her case) doctorate level degree. I want that gown rental business! It was a balmy night, the ceremony soooo long, and the food stodgy. I was awake most of the night after eating that alien stuff.

If there was any doubt that Australia’s no. two export is education, it was dispelled last night. I’m not making any judgments about that but, what I don’t like is how we have become so ashamed and apologetic of our own culture and customs. There were instructions on what to do if it was against your culture or religion to shake the vice-chancellor’s hand. I’ve travelled far and wide and always been very respectful in other countries of local customs, no matter how alien or trite. I expect the same courtesy and respect in my country.

Cinque, I’d wished you fun with the little grandies, it’s probably all behind you now.

Neil, rum used to be my winter drink and G&T for summer. I never drank coke so used to kid myself that OJ would be a healthier option. Dr M. calls OJ a ‘sugar delivery system’. I drink so rarely now that I can’t even remember when I had my last G&T. OH found some home brew under the floor boards that he’d made about 16 years ago. I’m not a beer drinker but, it’s been so hot, it might just be the thing this evening.

CalifD, and the only other thing I can recall writing this morning, is to say sorry you’ve been unwell and had all those hassles with the propane delivery. I have a new Netflix recommendation for you – “The Killing”. 42 episodes. I think you might enjoy it.

Lindsay, I’ve since read your son’s frightening encounter on the bus. Very worrying on all accounts. Especially the snake part. (ha ha, just kidding). Back button didn’t work. Neither did swearing.

Rosy, good job with the weight loss. It’ll be fun when you drop that extra 500g just by getting the cast removed!

I’ve probably forgotten heaps. Have a lovely weekend all.