Hello all from a soggy cold Sydney

That’s frustrating Neil I do hope you get some mojo working hard soon. I’m feeling frustrated too as I am being ever so mindful and careful but the results are sooooo slow

So very glad you don’t need surgery Betsy and I’m glad at least one friend is making you healthy meals. Physio should really help you get that hand back working

I don’t recall ‘Always Greener’ either Cali; it does ring a bell but 20 years is a long time ago :). Maxx will always be cheeky I think but yes, deep down he just wants to please us but his yearning for playtime and attention sometimes outwits the ‘good boy’. Either way we love him so much.

I’ll try to send some of this rain your way LJ. It rained all night long and has only just stopped now at lunch time. More on the way though so we aren’t done yet. Well done on the great eating out choice and good luck with the impending ones

We are working with a team in London now so my days are even longer. But the stress is a bit lower as we kicked some goals last week and are now able to have some catch-up time. What a difference it makes. I’m getting more exercise and able to focus on good food choices. I have a big catch up with friends I haven’t seen for years in July so I really want to kick plenty of these covid kilos between now and then.

Can anyone truly believe it is already May? I cant!

Take care

Thank you all for your kind words. All will be well eventually.

CalifD, on both our trips around Oz in a campervan, we cooked mainly on a Dutch oven outdoors. The hot coals from the fire were placed on its lid. We were eventually able to cook just about anything in it including damper (Aussie campfire bread) and even pineapple upside down cake! But mostly, big hearty one pot stews.

CalifD, I’ve not heard of that show but was never a big fan of Aussie productions. I did look at ‘Stowaway’ but it’s sci-fi. We’re currently watching ‘Peaky Blinders’. I couldn’t get into it when I tried before but I like it now. NZ’s Sam Neill does a convincing N. Ireland accent.

Betsy, keep the exercises going – motivated by being able to fend for yourself in the kitchen! It’s kind of those friends to try to help but highlights how most people eat I suppose.

Anzac, we had a lot of rain over the past two days too. It’s fine for us as we live on the boat and have only to find a beautiful place to wait it out. The poor hire boaters have continued to cruise past throughout the rain, wind and hail, with their huge umbrellas, tarps and wet weather gear. They have to make their cruising deadlines sometimes over a long weekend and typically spend long days under way as part of completing a ‘cruising ring’. The sun’s out this morning and we’ll be heading south a little.

Cinque, are you OK? Hi LJ, Neil et al.

Morning all. Well my community services card showed up yesterday so I finally managed to sign up to the gym again (My wife left her job due to health reasons so we’re down to one income, the community services card gets the gym membership down to half price) I think that’s what’s been missing. I had a good 40 minute session this morning before work to get back into it, 30 minutes on the bike and 10 minutes on the treadmill and I’m feeling great. I was 97.8 kilos on their scales but that was fully clothed so probably about the same as my scales at home.

I’ll start have a morning session before work each day and see how I get on.

Have a great day everyone

Hi all. MIA and quite ill with a chest infection over the past two weeks. Did I mention I love my doctor? He was away last week (which is why I didn’t see him), but my OH had an appointment yesterday and mentioned I’d been ill, so immediately my GP phoned, listened to my cough, sent me for a Covid test and more importantly, a full respiratory panel, and sent OH home with antibiotics and ventolin for me.

Cinque, you have had your hands full …I am sorry you aren’t coping as well with your illness as you have in the past. You do seem to manage a lot, though.

Thin, I am really sorry to read of your mother’s death. Even though you were estranged, it can’t have been easy news to hear, and particularly so now you have to deal with the funeral and estate arrangements.

Betsy, what a nasty accident. First Anzac’s burn, and now this. So easy, these things that do us damage. I’m glad y0u have good friends to help.

I’ve been thinking about your difficulties managing this WOL while you are researching. So easy to reach a block, and then wander to the fridge through sheer restlessness. My tip (if you want one – ignore if not) is to do something mechanical, which some research I read suggests frees up the mind to think about the writing challenges. Ironing was my default when that happened. My kids said they always knew when I’d had a roadblock, because the ironing basket was empty.

Neil, hope your wife’s condition isn’t too serious. Good you have your gym membership back.

I am in week 14 of the fast 800, having transitioned after week 12, as you suggested LJ, to add more calories (but only up to 1200) five days a week. So far I have lost 11.5 kilos, with only 3.9 to reach my goal and desired BMI (I may reassess, once I get to my target …to see if that last stubborn tummy bulge can be shifted for once and for all). I am off this week to buy a new small sewing machine, to try to adjust my clothes, most of which now swim on me.

Thin I loved Peaky Blinders – yes to Sam Neil, and I thought too that Helen McCrory was excellent in it. Do you remember her in North Square? Another program I loved. And sad, for her to die recently and only in her fifties.

Anyone watching the new Australian production Wakefield?? Unusual, and excellent, so far.

OK I’m coming back to the discussion about people commenting on weight. I wrote this last week but didn’t finish my post, but here it is.

Cinque, you are so so charitable. I agree some people don’t mention weight because it is such a taboo subject, but others are just mean spirited. I have a relative who falls into this category. I love her dearly, and ditto, but she does have a mean streak. She’s never felt she has had to hold back in the past (once, when I was all dressed to go out and looking good I thought, she commented, with a frown and her head to one side, “I don’t think I’ve every seen anyone with a stranger shape than you.” Her latest, when we were chatting about cleaning cupboards and I was saying that I had sorted my clothes into two piles – one to be resized locally, and one to go to Vietnam when next we could travel. “Why”, she said. “Have you lost weight?” Mmmmm, I can’t be convinced this thin woman who obsesses over every calorie hadn’t honestly noticed.

Thin I laughed when I read your comments about this, and I have to agree unfortunately.

And LJ, yes, there are many people who don’t think we will keep our weight off. How your family could ignore 50 kilos though leaves me just shaking my head.

I was sorry to read you’ve been so unwell …and that finally you are feeling better. Long may it continue.

Cali, so good to see the situation in the US is picking up. Does life feel more normal now, for you?

I won’t go back a page, or I’ll lose my post and that will be that.

Hello to all posters and readers. Hope you are well and happy.

Hello all.

Lindsay, so sorry to hear that you are now battling a lung infection, I hope you are better soon. What a wonderful GP though. I don’t know what I’d without mine either.
I hate ironing, but during my many years of university study I usually had an empty ironing basket also. It wasn’t always a mental block, just avoidance tactics.

Betsy, I also freeze meals in full size portions, mostly because that’s what my containers hold and I don’t want to waste freezer space. However, when defrosted I usually eat half at a time with veg. The defrosted container should keep in the fridge for 3 days. You can have the second portion the following night or two nights later. I normally leave a day in between just to keep more variety in my meals.

Cinque, hope you recover soon from your energetic start to the week.
I feel the same when I comment on things going well with my eating – usually the wheels fall off soon after that boast.

Neil, excellent to be back at the gym again. That will be very welcome when the winter weather makes cycling more challenging. I hope leaving work has improved your wife’s health.

Anzac, that rain hasn’t arrived from NSW yet, I may have to do a rain dance!
Excellent that things are a little less insane at work. Also good to have had some successes as it makes the continuation of your contract more likely.

Thin, hopefully that bad weather will ease up soon as you are nearly in summer.

I have decided to have a day off from my current eating plan tomorrow as I’m spending tomorrow with my aunt to help her clear out the wardrobe clutter. She has requested something for lunch that I’ve made her before – stroganoff pot pie – lots of butter and sour cream in the sauce and puff pastry on top. I’m hoping that if I have a bowl of veggie soup for dinner it won’t be a disastrous day.

Time to get myself organised as I have babysitting soon.

Have a lovely day everyone.

Morning all, I had my second session at the gym this morning. I spent 30 minutes on the exercise bike and felt pretty good afterwards. I was good with my eating yesterday and so far today. I need to keep my eating in check over the weekend and have another couple of gym sessions on Monday and Tuesday and I’ll see what the scales say on my Wednesday weigh-in.

Thanks for your concerns about my wife’s health. I’d rather not talk about her specific health issues though. She probably won’t be going back to work again though.

Thin, I hope everything is going well with sorting out things in the states.

Cinque, Have fun with grandma duty.

Well have a great day everyone and have a great weekend too.

Ljoyce, Enjoy your lunch, having one day off isn’t going to break the bank.

Betsy, that’s the same issues I had with my broken finger. My job is mostly on the computer and I was finding it really hard to type without my splint getting in the way.

Lindsay, I hope you recover quickly from your lung infection 🙁

Hi all, quick check-in. Seems like everyone is doing well. Hope you’re feeling better, LindsayL. Glad your brother is helping you out, Thin.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Cinque, I wouldn’t dream of purporting to have solutions to your CFS/breathing balance. But it did occur to me purely from a practical standpoint that skipping seems a particularly energetic HIT endeavour for you (or perhaps that was me). I was wondering whether substituting it with HIT walking could have the desired effect? That way you could also have walked somewhere that you needed to be when the HIT ended. My ratio is 5 mins at my normal pace/1 min HIT. Feel free to safely ignore – my plan is no doubt fraught with lots of things I haven’t considered!

Hi all. Thanks for the good wishes. I am getting better now, with the antibiotics. I had quite a startle on Friday. I was sitting watching Gardening Australia when my GP phoned, and asked if my husband was with me. I froze, fearing the worst, but all good. OH had had a nasty face lesion biopsied last week and our GP was phoning to say the results were negative for cancer …the report had come in after he’d finished work and he wanted to let us know asap so we wouldn’t continue to worry. He was also able to tell me I had had a bacterial infection – probably pneumonia – and gave me quite the lecture about timely medical intervention. I am so grateful for the care we get from him.

Betsy and LJ, I’m with you on the ironing ….although I did find it strangly calming when I was wrestling to find a way forward with my writing. I love linens, but no way am I going to iron them. Cinque, even though ironing makes your ‘to do’ list,you don’t actually have to do it. Like cleaning – sometimes just getting the vacuum cleaner out is enough. 🙂

Thin I am glad you and your brother are able to tackle your challenges together. Hurrah for supportive families.

One of my brothers popped in yesterday – I was struggling to fit the bobbin on my new sewing machine …so while I made the tea he fitted it, and even threaded the new machine. Now, I just need to sew. Big things or small, we all need help sometimes.

Neil, great you are back to the gym. It worked so well for you in the past. Very best wishesto your wife.

I like your list (and the idea of having a list) Cinque. Not ‘old lady’ at all …just very practical. I love a list ….but my son says I’m like mmm, can’t think of the character (was it Rimmer?) from Red Dwarf, who spent so much time making lists he didn’t actually get anything done. You are most definitely not a Rimmer Cinque.

I’ve had a fabulous Mother’s Day. Brunch at DD’s (a sausage and bean casserole with sourdough). My son gave me some amazing bee earrings – which a few months ago would have been far too long for my chubby face and shorter hair, but now looked terrific, I thought. Made by a local artist, from recycled brass and gold. My daughter bought me a cookbook – In Praise of Vegies – which looks amazing, particularly as we’ve embraced more vegetarian food. According to the blurb ‘the colour-coded recipes are an aesthetic dream’, so pretty as well as practical.

Hope you continue to improve Betsy.

Where are you today Anzac? Enjoying a lovely peaceful weekend?

Turn, Intesha, Calif, G’day, Jony et al. All good in your neck of the woods?

See you Monday friends.

It was an easy FD despite meeting friends for the first time in months. Hurray for socialising for the sheer fun of seeing people rather than an excuse to eat. Low 58s, (that’s my weight but it happens to be the °F temperature as well) the sun’s shining and further lockdown easing announcements are expected today.

Morning all, from a crisp Brisbane after a corker of a storm last night. Very unseasonal….lightning, thunder, and sheets of rain. Even our Rose was unsettled and knocked on the glass doors to be let in …which of course she was.

Hope you get your flu shot and new doctor easily Cinque. Although the flu shot isn’t perfect protection, it does bat away a good percentage of those bugs that come for us. Do you have a date for your second Covid jab?

Anzac getting a cleaner will take pressure off you and your household, particularly as your work life is so chaotic with different time zones and deadlines. I loved having a cleaner – once a fortnight I could sit and look around, feeling content that nothing needed to be done. And then she got tendonitis, and left me. sigh.

Oh Maxx…..just when you thought he was ahem, maturing! Gun dogs do stay pups for a very long time. A thought – I have started bathing Rosemarie with a special dog soap I got from the people I buy my plastic free soap and shampoo from ….it works a treat, and leaves her coat soft and lovely….and it doesnt take all the palaver washing out shampoo/conditioner. Shampoo with a Purpose, it’s called

And to finish ….my Mum has been gone for a very long time….and I still miss her. But now I am slimmer, I put on my Mum’s dressing gown on Mother’s Day, and it fits perfectly. I can still see her sitting at the kitchen table, having her cuppa with the paper, and wearing this gown. A great comfort.

Enjoy your day all.

I’m about ready to give up. I had 4 decent gym sessions last week of about 40 minutes each, I ate ok without any sugar or carb binges and I averaged around 1800-2000 calories per day and yet I gained another 1.3 kilos, I’m now 97.1 kilos. I don’t know what to do about it.

Neil, I’m so sorry for your frustrations with your efforts seemingly not paying off. Have you considered new batteries for your scales? I’m not being flippant, it’s a genuine query. Please don’t give up.

Anzac, wow, you’ve arrived! A cleaner. I’ve never had one, I think I’d be too embarrassed and have to spend a day cleaning before they arrived. As for how I can fast during a social event, I don’t really know how I do it either – all I can think of is that I like being slim more than I like eating. It took me many decades to arrive at this point. IF seems to suit my personality type, I’m not a ‘grey areas’ person. Yes, Cinque, hurray for 5:2.

Cinque, I hope you liked your new doc. I expect with your condition, it’s especially important to gel with your GP. I was very grateful to have found my Perth GP, empathetic with my weight drama.

Lindsay, those were happy mother’s day memories created for you.

LJ, I hope you feel better soon. What a lot of clothes to get rid of – were they your uncle’s?

Things are starting to feel different here. There’s always the nagging uncertainty of new variants but OH and I feel more confident about tackling things – we went on public transport for the first time yesterday so that we could get into a town for haircuts (5 months since our last). It’s all done using covid-precautions of course. I don’t feel quite as freaked out by grocery shopping as I did a year ago. We can assess potential risk by age and other factors which gives clues as to how wide a berth we need to give people. Many boaters our age are now declaring that they’re ‘double jabbed’ as a sort of safety net.

CalifD, how are you getting on? Hi Betsy, & everyone else.

Morning. A quick post, before I head off to pre-school sitting and delivery (my DD is doing the prac component of her masters in education so we do before and after school care). We are in our fourth week – then only two days next week. It has been a huge commitment …but worth it.

We have had a night of rats and rain. We caught one that we spotted scampering across the back verandah, helping itself to Rosy’s dry food. They look so menacing on the move, but very vulnerable in the trap. (sorry for the image). Then we saw its pal doing the same thing, but it is smart and has eluded the trap and of course we won’t bait. Now, with three nights of heavy rain, it’s taken up residence in our roof, where I can hear it scrabbling around above my bed. Most disconcerting. We flick the light on, and OH bangs on the wall, but all we do is wake the dog. sigh.

Thin how good for you that things are feeling more normal in the UK. Here, borders are staying closed until well into next year. There is very little covid in the community and we have been extremely lucky …Vic I think had it the hardest. My OH catches a bus to a writing group ….he still wears a mask although it’s not mandatory. Few people seem to, though, when out and about.

Neil, please don’t give up. Your body has done it once before, and will do it again. You know this program works …just give it time, as Cinque says. No consolation I know, but my loss has slowed right down, and I am finding it very difficult to shift my last few kilos. I’m trying eating more (too long on 800 daily perhaps) but haven’t found the right formula yet. Can you give yourself a fortnight of Fast800, and then move to 5:2 again?

LJ I’m so sorry the lung infection has returned. Perhaps too much exertion too soon, without full recovery from the last bout. Do take care of yourself, while you are taking care of others.

Thin re cleaners ….we had one for years when we both worked big jobs. But we had a cleaning day ritual. ‘cleaning up for the cleaners.’ My OH used to despair at the stupidity of it.

How did you go with your new doctor Cinque? And ‘flu shot done and dusted for another year?

OK time to go. I pop back to collect Rosy after DD has left (electronic gate … Rosy would shoot out in seconds) and she has a play with DD’s dog, then she walks them to school. The little kids love her and it’s a lovely thing to do in the mornings.

Enjoy your day all.

Neil, my best wishes to your wife for a quick recovery.
My only thoughts on the unexpected weight gain when you seem to be doing the right things, is that sometimes extra calories sneak in without us realizing. How about using an app for keeping a journal for a week or two of everything you eat and measuring or weighing all the food? Over time it’s easy to forget calorie contents or underestimate how much of a certain food we’re eating.

Cinque, maybe doing something like walking fast instead of skipping, like thin suggested would improve your breathing without making your CFS worse. I do know that lung capacity can increase pretty quickly with fast walking. Many years back when I spent a lot of time on a treadmill and carefully kept track of time and speed, I saw the improvement even in a week as I got used to walking faster and longer. I’m pretty sure now that I’m older it would take longer to see improvement, but I believe it would still be beneficial. I don’t know how that would affect CFS, but maybe starting at a lower intensity would be easier on your body.

Anzac, so happy to hear you are getting a cleaner, especially with your long hours at work. It’s been years since we’ve had a cleaner but it was very helpful when we did. We didn’t clean before she arrived except to put things away that she might misplace so we wouldn’t have to spend time looking for them. In one of our previous houses we had a dark chocolate brown carpeting with fairly high pile, installed throughout most of the house that looked beautiful when it was freshly vacuumed. But every piece of lint, crumbs of food and cat hair showed up on it. It seemed that within a day of having the cleaner in, the house began to look messy again just because of that carpet. We learned our lesson. It’s so much easier to care for hard surface flooring like tile or wood!

LJ, I’m sorry to hear you had the lung infection back again. I bet it was the dust from helping your aunt go through all those old clothes. It’s amazing how quickly dust accumulates, especially in dry weather.
I notice too that we don’t hear a lot on our news about Australia’s success with the Covid pandemic. I sometimes think they’re embarrassed that other countries can’t follow such straightforward rules like closing borders and staying in place during breakouts. Aus and NZ have been very successful at keeping cases to a bare minimum and haven’t destroyed their economies doing so. Most other countries have paid a tremendous price for their failure to contain it, especially in this country.

Lindsay, I hope your lung infection is clearing by now. The beginning of winter always seems to be a time for colds and flu-like symptoms. I think the change from warm to cold weather is tougher than the other way around. We’re going from warm to hotter weather these past couple weeks and flowers and greenery is filling in everywhere. We’ve had to start the sprinklers and drip system again because it’s been so dry.

Thin, happy to hear that you’re getting out with friends more these days. I feel more comfortable in grocery stores but still feel nervous about restaurants, even though we’re fully vaccinated. After being very cautious and having lockdowns for over a year, it’s hard to change my mindset. And while things have improved a lot, there are still many daily cases. But I think we will be going to outdoor seating in restaurants soon. We really need to get out.

Take care everyone. And get vaccinated when you can!

Hello friends,

I had an excellent Wednesday fast day, and a no hassle flu injection.

I saw the doctor yesterday and she explained that she mostly sees mums and children and is going on maternity leave in September. She didn’t have much understanding of chronic illnesses, had a good go at doing my application for renewal of my accessibility parking ticket, but it is all online now and the computer said No. She said she would try again when she had time between patients so I hope I hear from her today.

Lately I have been pretty much the only one wearing a mask in shops. It is interesting reading how you assess risk, Thin. Nice work.

Neil, does keeping close to your 2000 limit mean you don’t have quite enough leeway for those oops days?
Good song!

Lindsay, ooh preschool child minding, delivery and aftercare is massive. Well done, and hooray that it means your daughter has been able to do her teaching experience. Congrats to you all.
Did it hail on your bees?

I had rats once when I lived in the Dandenong Ranges. Horrible! That’s why I roll my eyes when people complain about a mouse in the house. They got into my underwear drawer and shredded everything in it and ate through plastic lids in the pantry. Luckily a huge rat trap killed one and the rest of the family gave up and moved out.

On the other hand, when I was living in a student house on the outskirts of Bendigo we had native rats who lived in the roof, caused us no trouble, but lived on snails from the garden, which I loved! If we poked our heads up into the roof, the area was strewn with thousands of empty snail shells.

LJoyce, I saw that piece on Australia’s handling of the pandemic too!
Hooray for your assessment, and that you have recovered from the dusty mouldy day.

Cali, thanks. After thinking a bit more I have decided to give skipping a miss for as long as I can. I am breathing okay at the moment, so the trick will be to do enough walking and other aerobic activity to maintain that. I went for a (comparatively) brisk walk around the block on Wednesday. I need to do it a few times to get a sense how it works. So many variables when trying to do a scientific experiment on one!
Cheers to you, Mr Cali and Crickets getting out and about some more.

I’m off to have a good veggie rich day, and I might get outside for a bit before the cold front comes through. Best wishes all.

Hi all. I’m at the end of a very long day, and I’m pooped. We had a day off one set of grandchildren(SIL doing a home admin day for his business and took them) but I then got an SOS call from my DIL who’d been called into work, asking us to have the 3 year old. I adore her …but my heart sank.

Neil, I really feel for you. But….follow the program. You know it will work. Five days up to your TDEE, and two days of 800. If you weight is being stubborn, perhaps drop your calories on your non-fast days, or inject a third fast day. You can do this.

Success overnight – we caught a second rat. But triumph was followed quickly by disappointment ….I just switched on the lights on the back verandah, and saw a a long grey tail disappearing over the edge. More rat traps tomorrow.

LJ we haven’t had a death in the ceiling …yet. But I have a downlight just above my bed, and the light dropped out the other day, and OH can’t get the frame back in. The space is, I think, rat sized. Cinque, Neil, I hadn’t realised rats weren’t uncommon. Cinque your experience sounds horrid, and Neil how did you even nod off knowing there were rats and mice afoot. I hesitated even to mention it on here …so was heartened to know it’s not just a problem unique to me (although it feels it). We’ve had recent evidence of a few (gnawed water pipes, desiccated rat in the garden) and I think it’s because of all the renovation/clearing of the block next door. The neighbours must have put down poison, I guess, because that’s what drives rats to water.

Cinque, it looks like your search for a good GP continues. Yes, look for a young one. They tend to keep up with latest research (not to diss older doctors), and hopefully will see us out (eventually).

And no, Cinque, no hail on the bees. Actually here it was just driving rain, but the hive is well covered with corrugated iron which provides shade and shelter, so they were tucked up. I am amazed how busy they are – I can see them buzzing away from the verandah, which is quite a distance. But only putting down winter supplies, not honey for us.

My oven is buzzing. After a pretty rigorous regime of fast800 soups for dinner, I’m making a roast chicken and vegetables for my ever patient OH.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Hello Brrrr! Freezing here, rainy, woke up to thunder and lightning.
Thankyou heater, I love you!

Super glad to see your post Gday, I hope you had a great evening with magnificent Indian food. I hope you manage a post this weekend. Fingers crossed.

Lindsay, grandchild overload! I hope you managed a gorgeous day but that you have an easy childfree weekend.

Good luck with those rat traps.
I didn’t mention the other day, but I check Miso very carefully at night before she comes in because a few weeks ago I missed the fact she was carrying a still partly alive baby rat in her mouth. Eep, I managed to get it outside and she went after it. I took the cowards approach and shut the door and hoped it died quickly.
I recognised it because she had brought me a dead baby one as a present a couple of years before.
(That’s the sum of my rat stories).

Glad to hear the bees are so happy, busy and snug.

I got the message that my disability sticker application is at the Council being processed. And yes, hoping to find a good kind young female doctor eventually.

Thin, I am getting my thermals on, so the world is in balance 😀 😀
Yes, happily still wearing my mask when shopping etc.

A big hello to DD, what a lovely time you will have together.

For anyone who loves a good article, this an excellent one about science and research and how a tiny fact can be used wellmeaningly but inappropriately for public health lawmaking, and the hard work and dedication it takes to unpick it. https://www.wired.com/story/the-teeny-tiny-scientific-screwup-that-helped-covid-kill/?fbclid=IwAR1UgE3JdiOIGZIa5rJzSobbopI6vkcx9OW3wnhML9HMZaNF828Ya77G4jA

Day before fast day for me. A nice consequence of no skipping is that fast days and general sensible eating is a LOT easier. Yay.
Hope your weekend is a good one.

Hi all,

Our Indian meal was lovely however 3 courses was just way too much. We never learn, always say we won’t have 3 but always do. As much as I enjoyed the food, I felt quite unwell afterwards and couldn’t wait to get home to have a large cup of peppermint tea to settle the indigestion.

We occasionally get rats here too, and mice. Not inside thank goodness but in the sheds, chook and duck shelters etc where we always have traps set. We hide the traps in shoe boxes with a small hole cut in the front for the rodent to get in and a brick on the top so the dog and cats can’t get to the traps. Talking about animals, on my early morning walk a few weeks ago a very large grey kangaroo crossed in front of my path, scared the daylights out of me as I didn’t see him (or her) coming. I’ve taken to listening to podcasts while walking so was too engrossed listening I guess to notice the roo coming.

Mornings and evenings are quite chilly here too, but the days are lovely with lots of sunshine. We had a light shower of rain the other night which was lovely to wake up to but alas nothing of any significance to water the garden or put water in the tanks.

Thin how lovely to be able to catch up with your daughter although if she is bringing paint, I guess that means work for you (or Mr Thin).

Work experience at the gym is progressing slowly, I’m past the half way mark but the supervisor won’t be available for the next 2 weeks so I will try and get the theory part of my assignments completed so when he becomes available again I can work through the practical quickly (fingers crossed).

Mr G Day and I are on the look out for a new GP too. We go to a husband and wife team, an older couple. We haven’t been happy with either of them for awhile now. I agree with Lindsay about young GPs, they may not have the years of hands on experience, but they certainly are a lot more up to date with the latest research. This is something that has been annoying me about my current GP, she keeps telling me I have issues with my cholesterol because she is only looking at the total number. My good cholesterol is very high and my bad cholesterol is very low which means it’s fine. A locum Dr I saw last year said my levels were perfect, as does my Nutritionist, but my GP keeps going on about it, telling me I need to start eating healthy and stop eating junk food (lol) when I keep telling her that I do eat healthy and I don’t eat junk food (another lol) and she says if I don’t change to a healthier lifestyle then I am heading for medication (yep, another lol and rolling of the eyes). She certainly doesn’t like the fact that I disagree with her and instantly cuts off the conversation when I put my point of view across. Mr G Day has similar problems with her husband GP, hence why we want to move.

Productive day today, full on house clean, including dusting, bathroom clean, clearing away of the accumulation of junk, vacuum, and steam mop. Miss G Day helped so she could earn a few more dollars pocket money. A few days ago, I pulled everything from the walk-in pantry and gave that a full make-over so everything is looking spick and span at the moment. Only problem is, the accumulation of junk just got moved down to the office and plonked on the pool table so I need to put some time aside to work out what I want to keep, what gets thrown out, what goes to the op shop and what I can sell.

Garden is looking lovely at the moment. We recently planted a heap of salvias and more vertical creepers along the backyard pathways, most of which have just come into flower. She we have a lovely array of pinks, yellows, purples, oranges etc. Looking forward to when they grow a bit more and produce more blooms. Our newly planted herb garden is also looking a treat and it’s been great using new herbs that I haven’t tried before in my cooking.

Must go and re-heat yesterdays leftover stir fry for tea. I did a live online Facebook ‘cook along with’ Simon Bryant (from The Cook and the Chef fame) which was so much fun. He posted the ingredients list on his FB page a few days ago so participants could have everything ready, and yesterday lunchtime I logged into the session where he instructed us on how to prep and cook, explaining the reasons why he did things a particular way etc. It was a Tofu Pad Thai, and I must say the flavours were absolutely delicious. I will definitely make it again, Mr G Day loved it.

Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend.

Hello,
End of the day, Monday. Melbourne.

I’ve just listened to Dr Karl (wonderful science communicator) talking about this years ‘Best Diets’ list put together by dieticians based on the research. They look at nutrition, weight loss re keeping it off, how easy it is to follow, and how it helps heart health and avoiding or managing diabetes 2.

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/best-diets-with-dr-nick-fuller/id1167803730?i=1000521869727

I especially thought of you Neil, because the doctor interviewed in the discussion has written books about interval dieting, which is to avoid the way our bodies work efficiently to get weight back on if we lose a lot of weight quickly. Sigh.

I think his message to you would be to just try and stabilise your weight as close to what you are now, as you can, and let it recover from the stress of the big changes you have made. If you can avoid putting all the weight back on (you definitely can!) then you can wait for the right time and lose some more gradually in a way that doesn’t stress your body.

The results were interesting.
The top of the list was the Mediterranean Diet (again 🙂 ) and poor old 5:2 was way down the bottom because it isn’t necessarily linked with the Mediterranean Diet and so fails for not good nutrition, as well as being one where people lose weight quickly and then put it back on again.

Well I missed doing my Sunday fast, I spent time with the grandkids in the morning and they were full on tricky (they’ve been stuck home with colds) and I was so wrung out when I got home I just had to do what was easy. Good food, but not a fast.

I have a big day tomorrow too, as my vicar sister is starting her 3 months leave and I am her first stop over, as the bus leaves St Arnaud early for Melbourne, and then the bus to Sydney leaves late. She is likely to want to nap part of the day as she is exhausted from preparations, and we will just be cruisey, so not too big a day, I think.

I have had a rough few days, one friend (I mentioned previously) is still having a dreadful time around breast surgery. Another friend has just lost her mother, and one of my dear sisters blacked out a few days ago (and hit her head hard) presumably as a result of recurrent diverticulitis. She is okay, but chronic diverticulitis is nasty. My mum had it too.

Hoping your day hasn’t been as full of hard times. I am going to make a lovely big bowl of soup for my evening meal.

So much I wanted to say about your posts Anzac Thin and Gday. Hopefully I can write tomorrow while my sister naps!

Best wishes all

Gosh Cinque, better times must lie ahead surely. Oh dear, shame about the bad rap for 5:2. Surely, it gets top marks for sustainability?

Anzac, you did explain it all perfectly the first time. The only part I hadn’t understood was that you’d only assumed they’d be arriving to clean the neighbours’ house as opposed to your neighbours having told you that they were expected on that day. So, they are off the hook as they weren’t meant to be coming anyway!

I was always the painter at our house. I am meticulous about it. I love it because it provides instant gratification (once the boring prep work has been carried out). OH was pretty hopeless, getting paint on my precious leadlight windows, etc so I’d usually take on a painting project while he was working away.

We had to take the bus again today to get to a chemist. On the way back, OH tapped a young man on the shoulder and signalled for him to put on a mask. He made a show of feeling for one in his pockets for a while and then gave up. OH handed him one of ours which he put on. Two other young people were chatting across the aisle with masks below noses. As we got off the bus, I asked them why they weren’t wearing their masks properly out of respect for everyone else. I probably got the finger as I left but I imagine the oldies on the bus were grateful. A man told me that he confronted three men in a small grocery store, one of whom threw a bottle of water at him. I’m pretty sick of these special souls, always the same group whining that they’re more likely to get the virus and refusing vaccinations. 17 out of 18 covid hospital admissions in the current hotspots are people eligible for the vaccination. Sorry for the rant but humans can be so selfish.

Good morning,
My sister remembered there is a bus on Tuesdays that leaves at 9am instead of 5am and goes a different way. It takes about 4 hours to get here though! Anyway, I have got coffee and plenty of time to catch up with you lovely lot.

Anzac, the cold weather has sure arrived on steroids!
What a gorgeous video of that clever dog! And what a lovely voice you have!

I couldn’t believe your week at work! If you negotiate a new contract with them, remember to add in extra for overtime hours! They’d be a fool to lose you, even if you doubled your salary.
I am so glad you have Mr Anzac and definitely get cleaners in twice a week! Make life easy.

Hooray that nice 400g gone! https://cdn2.vectorstock.com/i/1000×1000/38/46/congratulations-card-happy-people-congratulate-vector-32263846.jpg

How did the filled pasta go?

Hmm, I need to find out if there is a definition of chronic diverticulitis. I am very glad to say my sister has not had it continuously, but I know most people only get one attack, whereas she, and my mum, and you, have had ongoing problems and may always be at risk of another. My sister was hospitalised with it a couple of years ago. I still need to hear how she went at the doctors, I’ll ring her this morning.

Yay, having the flu jab out of the way and the covid one booked in.

Gday, Hooray you did manage another post, and (inspite of Indian meal indigestion) it sounds as if your health has improved a lot. Is that so? I hope so.

Your home sounds so beautiful. Say hello to the sky and the roo. Are your worms still happy? I have one salvia with red and white flowers and I teach all the children how to suck the nectar fro the flowers, and then they teach their friends 😀
Your online cooking with Simon Bryant sounds so delicious and so much fun! He is a treat.

I’m another one who says yes! Find a new doctor! But also sympathy as it is hard work to find a good doctor, and luck seems to be involved too. Good luck!

Thin, omg what a job! No wonder the professionals charge so much! But I am betting you and Mr Thin will manage is perfectly. May the starts be aligned.

I’m so glad you cooked a wonderful urid dish. You are making me itch to try them again.

Neil, I hope today is a very good day.

I’m off to clean the kitchen, ring one sister and prepare for the visit from another and write a list of all the other things I need to do. Including deciding if tomorrow or Thursday will work better for my fast day.

Sending best wishes to everyone. Key words: vegetables 🙂 mindfulness 🙂 Mediterranean Guidelines 🙂

Morning all.
Neil, great news. It’s on its way (your weight loss, I mean).

I’m off to the beach today – free from grandparenting duties (well, until Monday) as my daughter finished her prac. teaching yesterday. Whoo hoo for us both. Now it’s just after school pickup two or three days a week.

Gday, your garden sounds so pretty…and such a bee magnet. Cinque, how lovely, to teach the little ones those things we learned as children. Precious.

Thin, happy painting. I can imagine painting suits your personality ….precise, am I right? My OH is of the ‘slop it around’ variety. I prefer painting when he’s not around.

Cinque, I am sorry about your family’s health problems. It’s a terrible illness, diverticulitis.

OK I’m going to shoot away now – Rose to be taken to the kennel for her little holiday (she loves it) and we’ll be on our way.

Did I mention Rosy won another Best of Breed at a show at the weekend? Not a lot of competition, but we did beat another very pretty dog that has beaten our Rose in the past, so that was nice. We are loving going to the shows – terrific people, and all very helpful and the setter folk demonstrate none of that ‘win at any cost’ approach that’s evident in some other competitive arenas.

OK enjoy your week all – sorry to whose I’ve missed – I’ll be back later in the week.

Lindsay, you put it perfectly. And your description of your OH’s painting skills was very funny. We now have the materials, all top quality. As to the weather …… the sun is shining but too much rain forecast.

Neil, good news!

It was a lovely, albeit brief, overnight visit from DD. We had a really great pub meal, all covid safe, lots of hugs but she had to study lectures until the early hours for today’s surgery practical in London. She hit the road at 6am. Yawn. DD gets her first vaccination on Saturday for which I feel great relief. We did get the eye rolling when I recounted confronting the law-breakers on the bus.

We had another Zoom high school reunion this week. One of our classmates had been tracked down to living on a canal in the south west. She has no internet or social media. I wish I had the courage to take that leap. I got rid of FB and have been gradually divesting myself of everything associated with it (switched Whatsapp to Signal) and other big tech companies telling us how to think, censoring free speech and pushing their own agenda.

Cinque, here’s hoping the home help is one of the mask-wearing variety.

Have a lovely day all.

Good morning everyone,
I’m embracing my Thursday fast day.

I tried to be a good ambassador for covid vaccination yesterday when my homehelp was here. Yes it was my maskless regular and she makes me laugh and tear my hair out in equal measure. I asked her if the council workers had their covid vaccine yet, and she said they still hadn’t even been told if they would need to get them (like they have to get their flu vaccine).
As soon as I talked positively about getting it done she went into her ‘agree with the client’ mode and talked at length about how how important safety is and how she is very safe, and can’t believe the people who rubbish those who wear masks (I was wearing a mask, she wasn’t) and how careful she is (while coughing all over my house) because she would feel dreadful if she spread covid, but what a relief that it is all over now so we don’t have to worry.

Jony, it is mainly fear about the blood clotting with the Astra Zeneca vaccine that is making 30% of people here vaccine hesitant. That is the only vaccine available to over 50’s. Even though the chance of that reaction is vanishingly small, and they are checking for it carefully, and they have got the treatment sorted. So in reality it shouldn’t be holding people back.
There is no good public service ad campaign (love NZ’s ad!) so there is only the tabloid news fearmongering.
Hopefully growing pressure on the government will lead to better public information and encouragement.

Thin, don’t go off the internet altogether!
I trimmed fb down to only close family and friends but they have mostly trimmed theirs down too I think, so fb seems small and slow lately. Not that I post much on it, maybe I will feel up to being a bit more entertaining and have fun posting soon.

Best wishes to DD, what a punishing work schedule she has. I’m so glad she got a night with you. All power to her.

Jony, yes, I think you have the right mindset. So long as you can keep 5:2 easy and sustainable then you can think “Oh dear, I am on a weight plateau, thank goodness I am not piling it back on again, hooray for 5:2”.
We can be steady and predictable, but the fascinating workings of our bodies means that our weight loss isn’t necessarily the same.
I hope next week you get some nice weightloss though!
Hooray for your bike group and the wonderful social time everyone is having. Great pic!

Lindsay, Happy World Bee Day to all your bees!

Cheers all