Thanks everybody for your birthday greetings! Especially Cinque for going the extra mile and finding a lovely bike-themed illustration. You’re a real sweetie!

My birthday has been cruisy, as when you’re retired you can suit yourself. Younger daughter arrived with lunch (nothing like a glorious steak & mushroom pie after a FD) and two special wee boys, one of whom had been doing his soon-to-be primary school in prep for starting school in Feb. I took the lad down to St Clair Beach after lunch to build some sandcastles and try not to get soaked when racing incoming waves. I called off my planned kayak on Otago Harbour as the wind came up. There’s always tomorrow . . .

Tonight we’re off to the same daughter’s place for a family birthday celebration. The scales delivered me great news this morning so I’ve decided the bottle of Asti Riccadonna I’ve been hoarding will be cracked tonight to celebrate. I’m now into my 9th week of 5:2 fasting and have lost 5.2kg, which apparently is about what’s expected. It’s certainly not as dramatic as some peoples’ losses but I’m hoping slow and steady is the way to go.

Keep shrinking everyone!

Happy Birthday Jony! What a wonderful way to spend it. I love your sign-off ‘keep shrinking’!

Neil, not logged in when you know you were, commiserations. Sometimes, when I go back a page, I find my post is still precariously sitting there ready to be copy/pasted while I satisfy the log in request. I’d have been frustrated with that woman’s comments too – especially now she’s bringing two more people into the world.

LJ, sorry yes, I’m life’s greatest cynic. What you see is what you get with me. I wasn’t always like this but I’ve become intolerant with age and experience. As a former Occupational Therapist, it was clear to me that the best way to help people is to help them to help themselves. A bit like not feeding wildlife – it becomes dependent on it. Not that people can’t be given a leg up occasionally but so many seem so self-absorbed with micro issues. It’s good that we have cinque to balance my comments!

LJ, not sure but I think some TV productions have found a way to continue filming. Some pantomimes were going ahead with lottery grants to buy the seats that had to remain vacant for distancing. That mask was a good find. I’ve found that wearing a mask keeps my face warm so I keep it on whenever we’re out. I’d prefer it if the ‘distance’ rule was better adhered to, I find a lot of people seem to disregard this when wearing a mask. It’s encouraging to think that, by Easter, life could be returning to normal. Economic fallout notwithstanding.

Just a quick pop in with flowers for Penguin. I think these are gorgeous! https://www.aladyinlondon.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG_7011.jpg
One week and it will be December and the end in sight for your treatment!

You did have a great birthday Jony!
Hello to everyone else too.
Fast day for me and Miso the cat has just had her Whiskas.
I might have done a bit too much gardening yesterday so have been resting today. But I have beans and zucchini and basil planted, hopefully not too late.

Catch you tomorrow.

Neil, sorry I just saw your post – didn’t mean to leave you out of my earlier ramblings.
I cook the barley separately (my dietitian recommended it as the best grain for resistant starch). You can just boil it in water (takes 30 mins for pearl barley or 90+mins for the coarser whole barley grain). I use both types, but at the moment I’m using the wholegrain barley.
In this instance I didn’t use boiled grains. I had made a pot of Chicken Basque – the base of which is meant to be brown rice flavoured with onions, chorizo, red capsicum, garlic, sundried tomatoes, chicken stock and orange juice. I made it with barley instead of rice and used some this (with the chunks of chorizo picked out) to go with the curry. They worked surprisingly well together actually.

Good morning,
It is Thursday the 26th of November here, Thanksgiving!
All decorated https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/570bfd2ec2ea519a20bbdf35/1572014250476-7C1GOSH8CFCS20UKPC4Z/1.PNG?content-type=image%2Fpng

We might be on the opposite side of the world and the opposite season of the year, Cali, but there is still plenty to harvest and plenty to give thanks for.

It has been a lovely harvest with the 5:2 forum, new people here this year and a lovely community continuing.

I’ve been thinking what I have harvested this year, and in the main it has been a hard harvest. I am drawing a line under setting up the YamDaisy food project that was so close to my heart. I spent months in lockdown and still couldn’t organise the back room… demoralizing 🙁 . I kept 5:2ing (less strictly at times, true) to maintain, and yet managed to let some kilos sneak back on. But reality is my friend, and teaches me best. So my other harvest is new ideas and new habits for my interest and my health.

My thanksgiving:
5:2! Thanks Dr Mosley and you lot!
My garden, my cooking, my sisters and my daughter’s family.
My safe little home.
My beautiful masks (well fitting, comfortable and gorgeous fabrics that I can match to my outfit).

And in honour of the traditional American Thanksgiving story I am planning to make my chili corn-pone pie recipe that is a cornbread crust and a filling of kidney beans, pumpkin, corn and peppers. If I manage it okay I’ll put up a pic this evening.

Special wishes to you Cali and your family who have been living in the thick of covid this year. A year of particularly hard struggle with so many things out of your control and you have kept yourself and your family safe, and remained a good friend to all of us here. Thankyou.

Happy Thanksgiving.

And now catch up 🙂

Jony, you are losing weight at twice the rate I did (and even I got there in the end!).

LJoyce, I do hope you have recovered now from that horrible wait for your test. Getting that bit dehydrated really sets me back, and it would be even worse while battling a lung infection. I hope you have managed to get yourself feeling to rights again, and that the antibiotics are doing their job.

Are you still making kefir and/or kombucha? I am going to try sweet potato fly, but It does ask for a whack of sugar to feed the fermenting microbes, so I will see how that affects me. It has made me wonder about water kefir or kombucha again.

I’m glad you found some good masks. I have seen nice cloth ones for sale too, now that the shops are reopening. In a way it is a pity SA’s lockdown didn’t last long enough for people to get into the habit of wearing them.

Neil, all power to you. A couple more days and you will be half way through.

Thin, I am so glad you and Mr Thin will have a lovely 5 days with DD. Best Christmas present.

I’m off to spend a bit of time with Miss 4. (Then a rest, and then to make chili corn-pone pie).

Best wishes. Ooh and a chance for another Thanksgiving day photo:
https://23pxcp3u31lgiybw92v8rma1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/diycandlespumpkins-600×400.jpg

Yours sincerely, Sweetie 😉

Good afternoon all and happy thanksgiving.

Cali, I hope the turkey is stuffed and ready to bake. We will all be with you in spirit though unfortunately not in person. I hope it’s a lovely day.

My veggie harvest is not quite ready for thanksgiving although most of the veggie garden hold lots of promise of bounty to come. https://imgur.com/a/gypj1Es
I can’t keep up to the rhubarb at the moment – I picked a huge amount 2 weeks ago and yet it’s overgrown with fat crimson stalks again. My zucchini patch has lots of recently fertilised babies that should be ready to start picking in a few days. I’m getting a couple of cherry tomatoes each day and the baby romas are especially good. Lastly I left a few of the broad bean plants in to dry off and produce some seed for next year – that’s the harvest that keeps on giving.
To give thanks for my harvest, all of the veggies in tonight’s dinner come from the veggie patch. I’m making a bowl of legume spaghetti (made from black beans), with tuna, chilli oil, spinach, cherry tomatoes and broad beans.

I am thankful for wonderful family, friends and neighbours. For a house that is comfortable and practical. For good health (I know that might sound weird with my well known health issues), as despite my illness I am more active than I ever thought would be possible and I really do have reasonable health most of the time. Some others with my illness are in wheelchairs so I am very lucky.
What this year has taught me is to not put off things until tomorrow as you never know what tomorrow will throw at you. Enjoy today.

Thin, How wonderful that you finally get to spend 5 days with your daughter. I think you’ve all earned a bit of family time after the year you’ve had. It’s been a year of “so close yet so far away”, not being able to visit as you had intended.
I saw a documentary on the building of the canals on SBS last night. They were describing the Bingley locks and how the working boatmen used to actually battle with each other to get there first. Of course my mind immediately started imagining you and MrT is swashbuckling pirate style battling with the other boats to make it to the locks first.

Cinque, yes I do still make kombucha – I bottled a new batch 2 days ago. It also starts with sugar (100g for about 2 litres of tea). My understanding is that all of that sugar is consumed by the scoby during the fermenting process. When I bottle mine I flavour it with fruit tea bags and a couple of teaspoons of stevia. There may still be some sugar left in it but I doubt there’s much as it’s very sour before I add the stevia.
Enjoy your grandma-granddaughter time and that lovely dinner.

We’ve had a new community covid case here overnight, but thankfully it wasn’t me. As expected, my covid test was negative but I still need to isolate until my symptoms are gone. The lung infection is still present but improved.

Have a lovely day all.

CalifD, I hope you’ve had a wonderful celebration today. Your meal sounds yummy. Was it really four years ago that we met on that other thread? I was looking up your location on the California map recently. Do you spend much time at Yosemite? It used to be my favourite national park in California. I think we’ll spend Xmas at DD’s tiny house (how things turn around!). We would love to find another pet sit like last year so we can spread out but it’s probably too risky. The hosts did invite us back again this Christmas but, unfortunately, we couldn’t commit when they needed to know.

Penguin, I’m sorry you’ve had a complication with your chemo but hope the bigger picture is going well for your recovery. All the best with the packing, move to temporary accommodation and renovations at the new place. I wonder which Tier you’ll be in next week. We’re in Tier 3 so nothing much changes except that the shops will re-open. Maybe I’ll brave it to the hairdresser.

Anzac, how exciting that you’re off to Fiji! And 20 kgs of you won’t be going along. OK, regular progress reports please.

Cinque, I’m sorry that Yam Daisy couldn’t get off the ground but you did try hard. It was good of you to put so much energy into trying to help others when you have so many struggles of your own. That’s our Cinque! I’ll stop looking out for that business plan then.

LJ, that sounds an interesting doco. I’m sorry that your trip didn’t go ahead when you had finally made it all happen. But it will be even better next year with exactly the side excursions you really wanted.

Yes, thank you to everyone here for making this such a wonderful thread. Three cheers for Dr M. for introducing us to 5:2. He’s moved on but I haven’t. It’s changed my life. Not a day passes when I’m not thankful for my health. I only have to look around to realise my good fortune. Although I know it’s not all down to good luck – good management plays a role too and, for that, I thank Dr M. for giving me the tools.

Good morning,

I was so tired last night I didn’t make the chili corn pone pie, thinking I would do it this morning, still within your thanksgiving day Cali. Going slow this morning, but I need to make it before my early afternoon meal, so the odds are good I will get it done by your midnight!

Neil I found the recipe for this chili cornpone pie in a wonderful 1980’s (I think) book of bean recipes, mostly from SW USA. The crust is basically cornbread, pressed into a pan with the back of a spoon, topped with a chili mixture (originally mince and beans, but I subbed pumpkin for the mince) and grated cheese on top.
Year later I found another recipe, very similar, but with the cornbread mixture on top. It is nice and easy to make
And even more recently I have found a recipe called tamale pie that was very like my original with a vegetarian filling I didn’t think was nearly as nice as the one I adapted.
As best I could research, pone means pie, but most of the pone recipes I have found are sweet. (I have a good one that is made from grated sweet potato and pumpkin with ginger and coconut, mixed and baked until it is all softened into a pie).
Any more info gratefully received (Cali?), and photo coming up!

Part 2,

Anzac, a lovely post. Exciting news to have booked for your Fiji trip. Next October will be here before we can blink. A lovely lot of things to be thankful for.

Hooray for being in the groove.

Yes, I need lots of energy or lots of money to do YamDaisy, and I have neither. It will be on again if I win tattslotto! Or get well. So sad I never got that business plan to you Thin.

Cali, what a feast! I imagine that you are very busy at the moment. Well, that is if your feast will be the evening meal. If you have just finished it I imagine you are all lying on couches holding your full bellies and blobbing out with an episode of McLeod’s Daughters. (I just love that Australian TV is one of the things you are thankful for.)
Looking forward to photos.

One more Thanksgiving link! https://voiceboks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/GRATEFUL-THANKFUL-BLESSED.jpg

LJoyce, ooh that rhubarb! Would it work to pop some of that in with your next batch of kombucha?
Thanks for the info about kombucha, I will play around a bit more even though I have trained my brain so well to not want sugar, I am balking at bringing it back into the house, haha. But I do want to feed up those clever fermenting bugs. (Wish I could do it with Lindsay’s honey).

I do hope your harvest meal was every bit as wonderful as it sounded.

It would have been good to get your test result back. Yay for that lung improvement, may it be better again today. And yes, hooray for all you are able to do, despite those serious health issues. Good luck and, as Thin says, good management.

Ooh Penguin, so cold there! It s heatwave in Australia. And even though Melbourne is being let off lightly I have so many seedlings to protect from today’s fierce sun.
Bad news that chemo is doing something it shouldn’t to you. You are so close to the end of the treatment I do hope it has done its work.
Good grief, what a shock that moving timeframe is, did you consider saying, sorry, no, wait til after Christmas? Ah well, I hope everything falls into place beautifully, and especially that you find the best possible removal company that takes all the work and stress off your shoulders and does its job brilliantly. Hoping that all the wishes flowing to you from the southern hemisphere will help!

Thin, yes, and we all thankyou as every one of us found your wisdom and experience and good will here when we arrived. 5:2 has been the best tool for getting healthy and to a healthy weight.

I have to run (sisters zoom time, then chili cornpone pie cooking). Catch you later.

Saturday morning in Melbourne. A dull day, which is SO nice. My seedlings are getting a reprieve.

Here is my chili cornpone pie out of the oven: https://imgur.com/a/zbNMCnj
It is so delicious, but due to a) making the filling too wet and b) making the crust too wet, it wasn’t up to my usual standard (mightily annoyed at myself, I think my brain was too wet!) and the crust didn’t brown properly on the bottom. So you don’t see a picture of a lovely wedge being cut with the golden crust, the red and orange middle and the cheesey top. Didn’t happen! However, I will make it again soon, as I now have an imperative to get it right.

Cali,(surprise) I never add sugar to cornbread, and I do add fresh corn to the chili filling however the corn is awful in the shops here at the moment, and I had a tin of creamed corn (bought two and then decided I really don’t like creamed corn) so added that and hence too wet. Luckily the flavour is fine.

Neil, you are right, that Whole30 program does seem to look after participants well. And especially ones like you who actually do what they say. I am glad there was a good fix for the energy slump.

Jony, the Thanksgiving posts were my idea for us to celebrate with our Californian member because of the hard year she has had living in the states for 2020.
I hope your San Fran family members had a good thanksgiving too.
In Australia we are very like NZ, with Christmas the main celebration of family get-togethers. Yikes, isn’t it coming up quickly!

Haha what a wonderfully post birthday, post fast day breakfast you had with that cake! So thoughtful of you to free up the fridge!

And what a stunning view you have. (I have a factory over the road with a poor ornamental cherry tree on the nature strip that gets pruned into an ugly shape to avoid the power lines.) (from the sublime to the ridiculous).

Cali, thanks for the pics, your decorations look wonderful, and your lovely Autumn garden too, ooh the lemon tree looks so laden, what pleasure to come.

It is day before fast day for me, and I am just pottering around and trying to write so many little things on my to-do list that there will be lots ticked off at the end of the day!

Best wishes all!

Hello all.

Anzac, yes it was also hot here today (and 40C yesterday). If this weather system is moving east, you’ll be pleased to know we’ve just had a little rain and it’s starting to cool. Hot, but fairly short lived. Stay cool until then.

Penguin, good luck with the frantic packing. Could you have a family working bee to get things in boxes, or do current covid restrictions prevent that?

Cali, the thanksgiving decorations are very cute. I loved your descriptions of Cooper’s antics as he waited for his turkey dinner.
I initially put the rhubarb in a large pot but it wasn’t happy. I found it a sheltered spot against the fence which helps protect it from frosty weather and also mush of the afternoon sun in summer. At the moment I’m trying to find neighbours who want some as I can’t keep up to it.

Cinque, I don’t add sugar to cornbread either – I’ve always thought it was unnecessary.
That pie looks very tasty actually – even if you think it’s to moist.

John, very glad to hear that you got the last slice of birthday cake.
I love the pictures of the view from your home – I wouldn’t want to leave either.

Neil, it’s great that you can see the changes in your body. Hopefully you will be rewarded on the scales once the month is up.

They arrived too late for thanksgiving, but I though I’d mention that I picked my first two zucchini this morning. There are more that are only a day or two away from picking size, so I’m going to have to dig out my zucchini recipe file.

I’ve taken advantage of the hot weather (and the effect it has on my appetite) to do two B2B FD800s. I am looking forward to my dinner very much.

Anzac, hope you can manage to stay cool today. 40 degrees is hot! Our high here tomorrow is supposed to be 15 with a low at night around 3 degrees. We’ve definitely traded weather now! Someone on one of the local forums had suggested that we postpone Christmas until summer, like in the Southern Hemisphere, when families could gather outdoors where the Covid risk is lower, given the high numbers and too many people ignoring suggestIons of celebrating within our own households only. Numbers are already going so high that I hate to even think where they will be In a couple weeks after all the Thanksgiving traveling and gatherings. Very frustrating.
Anzac, enjoy your weekend alone and resist the temptation to overeat. Sometimes that’s easier when we don’t have to worry about what another family member is going to eat. Be strong! It would be a great weekend to go for a swim in your pool for exercise.

Cinque, your chili corn pone pie looks beautiful! I wonder if setting it in a very low oven for a while would dry it out a little without burning it? But even though it’s a little too wet it will probably taste just fine, just messier to cut. Do your stores carry frozen cut corn? That’s the way I always buy it here, in 453 gram bags. It tastes fresh and it’s easy to portion out what’s needed and just reseal the bag. I use a plastic clothespin.

Thin, it was actually about 3.5 years ago that you invited me over to this forum. I looked back and saw that I discovered 5.2 In May of 2017. It seems longer ago than that. I remember also asking about Vegemite and you telling me it tasted like axel grease or something like that. 😁.

Cinque, ha ha. Next we’ll have the kiwis weighing in on Promite or whatever their particular brand of axle grease is called. Can’t imagine what those good qualities might be, I wouldn’t say I displayed many on here.

Anzac, you’re all backwards – with Mr A. gone, this is your opportunity NOT to feel pressured to eat! No excuses! Brilliant idea to break it in to smaller goals because 20kg sounds so daunting. Get the first 5 knocked off and you’re on your way. I’m here waiting for news of your progress.

Yes, take my advice – I’m not using it! OH talked me into a pizza last night. It was the first time I’d had one in over 6 years. I didn’t have any dairy products on it though, Neil. I can’t handle the way he eats shared food, (OH, not Neil) it’s like a feeding frenzy and I find myself trying to compete when I don’t want to. It was as if he’d scored a real coup. I do admit it was very tasty but I couldn’t believe the price. It made G’day’s butcher sound cheap. I won’t be having another one for another 6 years and hurray that today’s a FD.

We’re now in the marina and have mixed feelings about that. We came in for services last week and the manager said we may as well stay now we’re in, which was kind. He’d already given us a gate fob so we could use the facilities. It’s good not to have to worry about battery power and to have a nearby alternate toilet while ours gets repaired. The people are all very cordial and the Christmas lights on the boats reflecting on the water are making it look cheery (I never mention the C word until December so I can’t put ours up yet) but I miss our expansive view across to the castle and the glorious sunsets. I felt despondent the first night so, to cheer myself up, I booked two cheap flights to the Canary Islands. Just something to pin hopes on – but if we can’t get vaccinated in time, it’s not a lot of money to lose.

Have a wonderful day everyone. Next year is going to be fabulous.

Morena everyone

Day 15, halfway through the Whole30 programme. I have DEFINITELY lost weight. One guy at frisbee golf asked how much weight I’d dropped in the last 2 weeks because he could really see it in my face and neck. Now I REALLY want to get on the scales. My cravings have changed, I don’t really crave sweet stuff anymore, now I crave savoury stuff, I’m dying to eat some popcorn or toast, that could mean that I’m not getting enough carbs so I might have to cook up another pot of potatoes tonight with dinner. Either my body isn’t demanding that sugar hit it kept getting before going through the sugar withdrawal, or I’m getting enough natural sugars with the fresh strawberries I’ve been eating last week.

I have been going a bit stir crazy this week though because through either poor weather or being too busy I haven’t been able to get out for a ride for 5 days now and I won’t be able to get out for one tomorrow either, so I’m hanging out to go for a big ride and wear out my legs.

Thin, did your OH come from a large family? I came from a family of 6 and dinner times were “first in, best fed” so we all got into the habit of eating really fast. I wouldn’t beat yourself up too much about the pizza if it’s just a 1 off. Even the gym rats allow themselves a “cheat day” once in a while, it’s actually good for your metabolism to have a big eating day now and then.

Betsy, I hope things go more smoothly for you now you’re into a good study pattern.

Cinque, the pie does sound good. I love cornbread but tend to look for recipes that aren’t American as all theirs seem to be loaded with sugar.

Ljoyce and Anzac, 40 degrees does sound too hot, maybe we can average out our temperatures and we’d both be comfortable. It’s been pretty cool over here for this time of year, mid to late teens with the occasional day up in the 20s. We’ve also been getting strong winds which usually we only get in September and October and then they’ve settled by this time of the year.

Cali, Marmite/vegemite is definitely one of those love it or hate it foods, I tend to quite like it, it’s great on a cheese toastie.

Well have a great one everyone and hi to everyone I’ve missed and to those reading the posts but not posting.

CalifD, I’ve just read an item about, ‘The Crown’ in which its writer and producers state that it’s a work of fictional drama. This of course gives them licence to deviate from the facts without outcry. Even knowing this, I find that given that all the other attention to detail, it’s hard not to think of it as being grounded in truth. I was also relieved that there’ll only be one more series so we’ll be spared the Markle era.

Good morning,

I’m making my daughter’s birthday dinner today. A full day army manouevre since I am so slow with everything and want to get it all to their place as fresh and hot as possible. Nice simple food I have made before, so I am feeling confident (at the moment).

But taking time to drink my coffee and catch up with you.

Sunday fast day was good, my waist is half an inch smaller this week, 5:2 is wonderful.

Penguin, omg I am so sorry moving day didn’t stay 8th January. Good luck! Sending so many good wishes that it all goes easily.

Thin, good take on Anzac’s weekend.

Anzac, it was not a time to sneakily do all the disgusting things you try not to do with Mr Anzac around! Listen to your friends on the forum!

Re Christmas, my nieces are impressing me. One has the whole thing organised before December starts, because she grew up with a mum who did everything last minute and Christmas was always stressful and her mum never really enjoyed it. So my niece has tree up, decorations done, presents wrapped.
Another niece is doing a version of the advent calendar for her two young children where she has a pile of 24 books wrapped up in a wonderful tall pile. Some are new books, some are from their bookshelf, but what fun for the kids to start the day opening the book on top of the pile.

Pizza. My consumption has gone way down. I probably made it every fortnight when my daughter was growing up. And also had takeaway. Once every 6 years sounds good to me.

Welcome to the marina, but I can imagine how you miss the sunsets and castle. Fingers crossed you get your trip to the Canary Islands.

Betsy Woot! One transcript down and Woot! Woot! for a study pattern that works for you. I do hope it allows a post today.

Neil, you definitely have lost weight. And I love that it is making you feel so good. We don’t need much sugar do we? Strawberries and some root vegetables and we are good. But given the huge gulf between the amount of energy you expend and the amount I expend… I probably don’t need any strawberries and root vegetables at all. (Indulgences!).

That popcorn and bread will taste amazingly sweet when you get your first taste post Whole30!

Re cornbread, I found the recipe with the least sugar added, and then left it out. Haha. I can’t remember if the corn-pone pie recipe had any in to begin with, or not.

I have been smiling at my INDULGENCES sign on my fridge as I think it is doing the trick. Hooray.

Sending best wishes,
Lindsay I miss you, I hope you and Mr Lindsay are okay.
Hello to the lurkers,
Fast day for me tomorrow
Ciao

Good morning all, and thank you for the call-out Cinque. You have reminded me I’ve been MIA

We are on the island, escaping Brisbane’s 40 degree temps forecast for mid-week.
Hasn’t it been terrible in the southern states? Hope you’ve all coped.

I have been reading but not posting, and I won’t go back so excuse me if I forget something or someone. It’s not intentional.

Cinque, how lovely you are back in the swing with your sisters, Rose and the children. Birthdays, Christmas. Victoria is amazing. And hurrah for organisation….a quality I lack in great big bunches. Next year will be different (haha).

I have been organising Mr Lindsay’s special big birthday treat ….a night away in a heritage house in Toowoomba (a place he loves) with the DD, DS, partners and kids. It’s been quite a feat, getting somewhere nice to stay. Despite border closures and the like, tourist accommodation is packed to the rafters. Also some impressive white lie telling to explain why Rosy and Davy (DD’s springer) are going to the kennels on the morning we go away (both being clipped, OH has been told).

My weight loss has slowed, after my impressive start, but I am still plodding on. I was late getting to my birthday target (and why wouldn’t I have missed it, with such a round of meals and celebrations!) but got on the horse immediately afterwards and have now reached it and a little more. So, 7 kilos down, and hopefully a bit more before we go away Saturday week.

Neil, your program sounds like it is really doing you the world of good, and how impressive to have people notice all over again that you are slimming. I admire your control, not jumping on the scales. Well done.

Penguin, too much stress and changing deadlines can’t be good. Are you getting help with the packing and moving? I guess your family can’t help much, with the UK’s Covid lockdowns? I hope the chemo blip is sorted for you. Best wishes.

Good for you, Thin, booking a trip to the Canary Islands. Who knows when the vaccines will reach us all, but so good to have something to look forward to. Your marina sounds a good compromise for your travelling life, just for the time being.

Betsy, how frustrating your plumbing has turned out to be. But good that you are making progress with the transcripts. Plough on! Think of the sigh of relief, when you finally finish the last one. It will feel great.

Yum, fresh zucchini LJ. So nice to have food from the garden. What is the bush in the final pic? Are you keeping well?

Calif, I missed happy thanksgiving, but here’s a late message of good wishes. Your pics are very pretty – and wow, that lemon! Not long now til you have an adult back in the White House, and how good that will be. Hopefully with a combination of safer covid practices and vaccines, the US can start to recover. In the meantime, stay safe.

Anzac, small targets are the way to go. Five, then 10, and you’ll be on such a roll the next 10 will fall off. Two kilos a month is very manageable to get to October looking great. As they say, eyes on the prize.

I’ve been reading about rhubarb from many different posts – is that something I could grow in the tropics?

OK Rosy has just gone into the bedroom where OH is have a post tea and toast nap, and has nicked a pair of my trousers. She’s only cuddling up with them, but (a) I don’t want them covered in red hairs, and (b) it’s such a short step from cuddling with my clothes, to using them as a playmate.

And it’s time for breakfast ….16 hours since my very late lunch yesterday (and I’m not counting the G & T I had for dinner)

Sorry for all I’ve missed. Best wishes all.

https://imgur.com/itdkIAE
https://imgur.com/j7j0Vrx
https://imgur.com/Jt6aTi6

Kia ora, everyone! I’ve been busy lately – much busier than when I was working! I’ve joined the executive of my writing group and also started learning how to self-publish books for the world market, have been spending lots of time with my 4 grandies and started working on the base for the Xmas trampoline my wife bought for the two boys (aged 1 and 4). I’m so thrilled younger daughter finally has her own home (with her hubby). She is being mentored by her uncle and auntie, who are garden whizzes, and it’s great to see her taking an interest in plants.

I’ve also been organising a Xmas ride for our senior mountain biking group for Dec 12 and to that end I went for a ride this arvo on the planned 30km course. The pix show Macandrew Bay (artificial) beach beside Otago Peninsula, spectacular Highcliff Rd, described by Lonely Planet as one of the world’s top 10 bike rides (I had to climb 300 vert m to get to this road, near tourist magnet Larnach Castle), and rugged Karetai Track, looking back to Dunedin City. We’ll be aiming for St Clair Beach in the distance, just under the big hill (not the volcano lookalike). Our Xmas party will be on the beach, weather gods willing.

Not sure whether Neil will join us on his lovely new bike for the Xmas ride – I don’t think he’d be keen to take it down Karetai Track, as it’s pretty rough and demands a bike with full suspension. Tip for Neil – buy a really good bike lock, one thieves can’t open with bolt-cutters.

Obviously everyone else has been busy, too, with some impressive weight losses notched up. This morning my scales hovered around the fabled 100kg mark before settling for 100.4kg, so it’s just around the corner. I might have to splash out on another bottle of Asti, as I opened the other one too soon! I’m now into my 10th week of 5:2 and am sticking to the rules on my fast days – Mon and Thurs. I’m now starting to look for ways of cutting back on non-fasting days and it’s funny – I had some fried blue cod the other day (usually my favourite) and I didn’t really like the taste, so maybe my taste buds are changing? I would now rather eat blue cod baked in the oven with nothing on it apart from a little lemon juice.

Oh well, time for bed. After my hilly 30km bike ride, my legs are telling me they want to lie down. Yes, I do ride an e-bike but I’ve still got to pedal it. As yu get older, an e-bike allows one to keep riding, whereas in the past I would have defected to lawn bowls at 60, probably.

Keep up the great work, troops! – John

Morena all

Day 17 today, 2 more weeks and then I’ll be able to weigh myself and start introducing foods back in. I already know what I’m going to eat on dairy day. A nice bowl of seafood chowder and a flat white.

Jony, The ride looks good, I’m used to going the other way, going up Highcliff Road and down Castlewood Road, it’s so much fun. I’m definitely not taking my new bike, it would be shaken to pieces. But my old bike is a mountain bike with slicks on, so I can just swap out the slicks for mountain bike tyres like I did when I rode the Central Otago trails and it should be ok. I don’t really need to get a bike lock because the DCC has a safe room for staff bikes in the library car park so I just park my bike in there.

Anzac, I hear you on the busy work schedule, things have gone nuts here at work too. Things should calm down after the 15th December when they close off LIM applications, but until then we’re flat stick. I hope you have a great break, I have to wait until after Christmas for mine, but we’re taking the boys off camping down to Riverton. A lovely little town right down the bottom of the country (you can even see Stewart Island on a clear day)

Took my new bike for a burn after spending 10 minutes trying to work out how to change gears (a confusing system where the gear lever changes the gears down but you have to push the whole brake lever sideways to change back up the gears) It is FAST! I used to average 18-19 kph on my old bike with the mountain bike tyres on, then 21-22 kph when I changed to slick tyres, this morning I averaged 31 kph! I just about pooped my pants going down the big hill I was travelling so quickly and I was almost keeping up with traffic going along the flat. Really enjoying it.

Well have a great one everyone

Good evening all. I had a busy day up in the hills, with appointments and helping my aunts do some errands.

Cinque, yes my lung infection is gone (I hope), hence my absence from post for a couple of days. Once allowed out of the house I was keep to make up for lost time!
I hope you enjoy your lovely slow day. I’m sure Miso will forgive you for making her wait until tomorrow – she’ll enjoy it even more with the anticipation.

Anzac, I do remember you telling us you were lactose intolerant. I did have the same query as Cinque though – have you tried the vegan cheeses? They are so easy to buy these days but I haven’t tried them due to the high cost – especially as I am not lactose intolerant and it would just be to satisfy my curiosity.
It sounds like you have some lovely plans to look forward to.

Thin, that’s a brave purchase – the Canary Islands! I hope it all works out.

Neil & John, I saw the oddest sight on yesterday’s walk. A man was cycling towards me on what I first assumed was a penny farthing, given how high he was elevated. As he passed however, it was actually just a normal bike frame that had another frame added to the top raising the final height by more than another metre – I have no idea how you’d get onto something like that.

Lindsay, I hope you are having a lovely relaxing time on the island. Wonderful weight loss – it slows for all of us, so that is quite normal.
Excellent telling of white lies to hide MrLs birthday surprise!

Penguin, I don’t envy you the ever changing moving date (very different to here, where the settlement date is the day you have to hand over the keys and it’s part of the binding purchase contract, so no surprises). I hope all the boxes get packed in time and you are settle for christmas.

Betsy, I hope the plumbing saga has finally wrapped up for you. I’m glad you have managed to get settled into a study pattern that works for you. It’s a difficult task when you have to be self-motivating like this.
I always found studying at home more challenging than when I worked from home – when I was working I was being paid and I owed them an honest days work. Study was different as it was my choice and the consequences of not doing it would be only mine to bear.

I have had a bad couple of weeks with overeating and craving unhealthy treats. I think the pattern started with our short shut down, which was followed just a few days later with my period of home isolation while I got over the lung infection. Being stuck at home without enough distractions has me on an endless loop of walking to the fridge or pantry looking for more food. I’m sure I’ve gained a little weight, but haven’t gotten onto the scales as I don’t want to react badly to the number. I have reminded myself that if I have to cut 7,700 calories to lose a kilo the reverse is also true. So however much I may have gained, I doubt that any more than a kilo would be body fat and the added water retention is irrelevant and easily lost.
Despite knowing I would have lunch at a cafe with my aunt today, I decided it had to be a FD800. I manged to find a low cal option on the menu and have kept to the 800cal today. I’ve planned out the next week of meals and shopped for them on the way home – big on veg and fruit.

Hello to everyone else, have a good evening.

Morning all

Thin, I think most are pretty trustworthy. I never lock my car, mostly don’t lock my house, my bikes are stored in an open garage at home and I’ve never lost anything to theft, but there are always some bad eggs that ruin it for everyone. Great to see you gearing up for Christmas with the decorations. Our neighbours are competing for who has the most Christmas lights on their houses at the moment, we must look like Ebenezer Scrooge because our house in between them has absolutely nothing.

Ljoyce, great you’re over your infection and able to get out and about again. I’ve seen one of those bikes riding through the middle of Dunedin too. I have no idea how you get on one either but it looks like fun.

Cinque, good luck with your fast day today. I’m not fasting at the moment on the whole 30 they recommend not fasting when you’re restricting the food groups you’re eating. But I might throw in a sneaky fast day on the last day of my whole30 journey so I can get the best number possible on the scales. My last big temptation will be my anniversary dinner with my wife of 18 years on day 29 (14th December) I really don’t want to fall at the last hurdle so I’ll have to find a restaurant that can cook me some plain food.

I had an interesting find on my walk yesterday. I was walking through Frasers reserve and I found some pieces of old pottery half buried in the ground, It was one of those beautiful old blue and white willow pattern style pottery. Serendipitously the piece I found had the makers mark and pottery registration number on it so I could look it up online, and it turned out that it came from a beautiful old coffee pot from 1920. I’ll post the link to it this evening.

Have a great one everyone

Morning from a hot old Queensland. We are loving being on the island…low tide falls mid-afternoon, so we just oozle around doing not much at all until the heat is off then head out for a few hours at the off-leash beach. It’s quite long – it used to take me a round 40 minute walk, pre-Rosy – and with changing tides and sand, a lagoon has formed between the beach and the bush so we walk along the surf beach, around the lagoon and back. Rose swims in the still water and the surf, and chases seagulls to her heart’s content. This pic is late afternoon, looking up the lagoon, bush to the left, surf to the right.
https://imgur.com/a/dD052BL

Good news Anzac that Maxx is settling to the point where you can leave teatowels. That will be us soon. Won’t it? (she says, optimistically). In the meantime, leave the laundry door open, and this is the result. https://imgur.com/kuoyd9i

Jony, I’ve heard retirees say often that they don’t know how they found the time to go to work. Great to have the time to explore all your interests.

Your troubles finding gears reminds me of a trip to Dublin a couple of years ago. I’d picked up a hire car, got lost and stuck going the wrong way up a ‘trams only’ lane, tried a u turn and couldn’t quite make it, but just couldn’t find reverse. Stuck, with trams coming in both directions. A couple of very amused garda helped me out.

What a find, Neil. Looking forward to seeing the pic.

LJ it is so easy to let ill-health and isolation to push us out of our routines, no matter how well-established. I think you are right though ….get it off, before it becomes ‘real’ by showing up on the scales.

I gave up my low-carb routine yesterday, just for a day. I was sick to death of the high protein brunch I was having, but I also felt a little unwell. I had a poached egg and two slices of wholegrain toast….egg on half a slice, other half with promite, half with home made marmalade, and the other with my fine honey. Because of the heat, we went out for lunch yesterday, something we rarely do here. So, off to the Little Ships Club, which is on the water with a very large garden, is dog friendly and had a wonderful sea breeze. Grilled whiting wth chips and salad and a big jug of iced water. Usually with chips, I can take or leave them, but the meal needed something extra, and I chose to eat them and balance it out later. I compensated by dropping dinner, and I was down 100 grams this morning.

Anzac, one thing about 5 star restaurants is that they usually have a great range that makes it easier to make good choices. How wonderful your getaway sounds.

Cinque I am sure you will post just after I hit ‘submit’, so good morning to you and nice to have your cooking done and delivered, and a good FD under your belt.

happy day all.

Well here are the shards of pottery I found

https://www.flickr.com/photos/43493775@N06/50674963406/in/dateposted-public/

One piece seems to be from a separate item because it’s thinner and brighter in colour. This is what the registration number on the back of one of the shards pointed to

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Antique-Furnivals-Ltd-Blue-White-Old-Chelsea-Pottery-Coffee-Pot-Reg-No-647812-/313121332344

And then this evening I was walking back this way and I found this half buried in the ground

https://www.flickr.com/photos/43493775@N06/50674215398/in/dateposted-public/

It looks like an old medicine bottle, I washed it and I’ll pit it up on the mantle with the 120 year old ointment pot I found at the Chingford Park reserve a couple of years ago.

Good morning,
Yes, lovely Lindsay, my post would have popped up as soon as you pressed ‘submit’!
What a paradise you are living in. Such a delicious day you gave yourself, which is exactly right when you give yourself a day’s break from low carb.

LJoyce, what a relief to have a day without appointments. And a couple of extra hours in the morning to appreciate it 😉 😉 😉
Your blue and white (and other patterned) china is lovely!
Zucchini chips! Cool. I do wish you could push a few small fresh zucchini through the monitor in my direction, I’d take 6 and eat them with pleasure.
Isn’t it lovely having things self seeding. I have parsley, marigolds, mizuna everywhere, but oh I wish I could get coriander self seeding. One day! I’m working on Neil’s tips, but oh dear, the hot weather is pretty well here.
I hope today is a good day for you. Having that beautiful food to look forward to should make the waiting hours easier. (It works for me).

It has been interesting thinking about your 7,700 calories a kilo, and thinking of the (nearly) seven kilos I put on in 4 years. That is about an extra 1,000 calories a month I was eating. 250 a week. Those indulgences!

Guess what, Miso didn’t ask for dinner until about 7pm! I think her brain has compartments like mine, and she can have days when the Whiskas compartment is right at the front, and other times it goes to the bottom of the pile. She asked me for more this morning, but now she is somewhere outside in the sun, so I get some relief. 🙂

Neil, such a pretty coffee pot! And a very nice bottle.

I struggled through my fast day yesterday, I was overtired and that does make it hard. I did okay, but it wasn’t as fast as I like. I didn’t even make my soup. I have had a better sleep and am set for a few indulgence free days and then a lovely fasty Sunday!

Today zoom sisters is in the late afternoon so I have the day to make soup, set off my kvass, look after the garden and maybe even get to the Asian grocery for a few staples. Hope your day is also full of lovely things. Best wishes.