I’ve just been for another walk, in the dark, and now hiding in a lounge by the fire, away from the kitchen and temptation. One hour to go.
You can do it Happy!! P
This topic contains 7,125 replies, has 64 voices, and was last updated by Barata 9 months ago.
Hi everyone,
After an epic fail fasting wise last week I’ve already completed B2B FDs this week.
Maybe it’s down to the fact I live alone but Zoom/Facetime/Skype doesn’t do it for me.
I’m meeting my niece and great nephews in Kew Gardens on Friday. We decided to go ahead before pubs, restaurants etc open up on Saturday as we’ve not seen each other for 4 months and at least we’ll have caught up with each other and spent some time together should there be a second spike.
Stay safe everyone 😜
Well I’ve had a miserable few days…interminable rain…my personal life…my hormones…the government (more depressing than the pandemic…!). I’ve struggled to motivate myself for anything, which translated into only one fast day last week and overeating – mainly oats, would you believe!
Anyway, I’ve managed to climb out of that particular pit of despair and hopelessness…!
I failed on Monday, but had a really good fast day yesterday. At least I’m maintaining at the moment!!
Hope everyone else is getting on OK!
I’ve managed to lose 2lbs in the last 3 weeks. Less than I would like but it’s moving in the right direction and I only have myself to blame for it not being more.
Lockdown might be easing but it isn’t making life any easier for us especially in light of the government seemingly determined to completely destroy the UK 🤬
I see Bolsonaro has Covid 19. Donald must be next…..
I’m trying to concentrate on the joys awaiting on Friday, a haircut followed by seeing my best friend for the first time since 17th March 😍
Sorry you’re down, Happy, but as P says, nothing wrong with maintaining until you have the energy to address now that you are out of the pit.
I hope the orange one falls for the virus too, Amazon. But has it really changed the Boris? There’s no cure for stupidity – and all the rest of the failings.
We had visitors for the weekend, so our brand-new lawnmower wouldn’t start, and the drains, which had been making noises for a week or two, started backing up! So an urgent septic tank clean (which wasn’t needed), then an expensive exercise with a plumber digging up the back patio to find the blockage. It could have been 26 years of previous owners putting rubbish down toilets and sinks – we didn’t ask the plumber for an analysis 🙂 . All good now, the lawn is mowed and the drains flowing, and at least our visitors got to see our new home. The sun is shining so I will be out in my garden again this afternoon.
Stay well, all.
I had to attend a medical facility yesterday, and donned a mask, as another person in the waiting room was coughing, and I realised it might be a long wait. It had an interesting effect. Only me and one other wore masks. Noone came and sat anywhere near either of us, yet sat reasonably close to others! I now see the benefit of mask wearing…it tells others that at least YOU are serious.
Thanks Barata, I’m OK really, just a week of poor sleep and hormones!
Has it changed Boris? Sadly not. Or at least not for the better! I’m living in hope that post-viral complications get him 😁
P, mask wearing is not compulsory here…yet. But given the latest, that the virus can spread greater distances through the air, esp in small poorly ventilated spaces, I would hope mask-wearing will increase.
Amazon, 2lbs in 3 weeks sounds like a good result to me! I’d take that. I’m going to fast again today, or that’s my intention at least.
And good luck persuading your hair stylist to let you have the style you want! I’ll be interested to hear about the experience, given that I’ve got an appointment in a couple of weeks.
First stop for me is the dentist next week. The new normal there is temperature checks and face masks while waiting, and full PPE for the dentist of course. Also only one client at a time in the building. As I’ll be the only one with my mouth uncovered and open, I guess they have more to fear from me than vice versa!
I’m well through my Thursday fast, feeling very cold! I’ve also been really determined to, pretty much, eat vegetarian with few starchy carbs on eating days. It seems to be chipping away, slowly, at my “iso reserve”.
I cut my hair again today…2nd time since March. I cut it wet, then straighten it to have another final go at it. Pretty successful, and cheap!
Mask wearing is not compulsory here either, but in crowded situations (waiting rooms, public transport) I think it is wise. None of us are safe until they develop a vaccine and too many people are blase. 😐
All the best at the dentist, Happy.
Hi everyone,
We have to wear masks/face coverings when using public transport and I believe I’ll need to wear one while having my hair cut.
IMO they should be mandatory inside all shops etc.
As getting good advice is difficult in the UK I’ve been paying attention to what the world Health Organisation have been saying and one of their recommendations is that anyone over the age of 60 should wear a medical grade mask when distancing is difficult so I bought a pack.
The government is a disgrace and the problem now is how to get rid of them.
Like mine, Happy, yours is long enough to pick up a little at a time, looking in the mirror and trying not to get confused as you cut in reverse. 😀 If it is wet, and you hold a little, combed out between your fingers, it is easy to cut it straight.
I figure asymmetric hairstyles are very fashionable if anything goes too far awry! 😅😅
I last cut the back of my hair a couple of months ago using two mirrors which meant I couldn’t hold my hair but it worked out OK. I’ve done it twice since the start of lockdown and it looks OK to me which is all that matters as I’ve not been going anywhere. I’m sure my hairdresser will have something to say and my response will be to remind him whose hair it is 😉
I colour the roots of my hair and do the back without the aid of a mirror and in the year I’ve been doing it the only bit I’ve missed was at the front where I could look in the mirror to apply the colour and still managed to miss 🤣
Ha ha, Amazon, so focussed on the bits you couldn’t see that you missed the bit in plain sight! There’s probably a lesson there for all of us!
P, don’t! I have good intentions re the inside of the house, but find if I stay mostly outside then I can forget about the dirty windows and the dusty corners…
It’s a lovely sunny morning here, it’s not going to be a scorcher but at least it looks like summer again.
And did I say I was fasting yesterday…? I must have got my days mixed up, because I obviously meant to say I was fasting today 😊
Hi everyone,
This week has been a fast day free zone and if there is a remote chance I’ve lost weight it’s due to the fact over 50% of my hair was cut off yesterday 😆
tbh honest I simply don’t care. I saw my best friend yesterday for the first time in 4 months and I feel WONDERFUL 🤩
We had the best time together, a long walk in a beautiful park followed by coffee and cake in a nearby café.
I treated myself to an Indian takeaway last night and the portions were so generous I’ll be having the leftovers for dinner tonight with a few added veggies.
Sunshine and warmer weather is returning to London for the next 2 weeks and I intend to make the most of it with lots of time out in the fresh air and plenty of walking.
To accompany the fine weather there will be lots of healthy salads and hopefully some shrinking of the lockdown belly 😆
Have a good one everybody 😜
Brilliant, Amazon. I’m glad you enjoyed the haircut and the outing. Life IS to be lived, don’t forget. 🙂
We had our first indoor meal with relatives in 4 months this week. Very carefully distancing and not staying too long. We all appreciated how good it was and how important it was to enjoy it with due caution.
The reminder came the very next day when another friend became ill and hospitalised, suspected COVID patient. Thankfully, despite being very ill, the testing proved negative. Still very scary though. None of us can do anything but take this virus very, very seriously. No risks, but that doesn’t mean we can’t also enjoy life, carefully.
I seem to have jumped back on the fasting wagon quite comfortably and am hoping I reap the rewards. Cheers P
Amazon,
You didn’t say, but can we assume you got the hair style you wanted?!
I’m very jealous, my best friend lives 250 miles away and I haven’t had a proper catchup since last year…
P,
Sorry to hear you’ve had a covid scare, hope your friend is on the mend. It’s not a good time to be ill, covid or other!
I managed only one fast day last week, and binged on porridge and pumpkin seeds the rest of the week! I’ve been running though, which hopefully mitigates a little… With the return of warm wearher, and more importantly sunshine, I’m hoping I’ll be in a better place mentally to get a grip this week. I need to! I dug out a pair of knee length running tights, which are a little more snug round the hips and i was appalled at the flabby muffin top 🐖🦛
Hi everyone,
I’ve had a nice day sitting in the garden in the sunshine, reading the paper, a book and sipping something which might be alcoholic 😉
I also had an interesting chat with the 2 year old next door who is mostly coherent but I had to wing it a bit as some of it got lost in translation 😆
Happy,
Now is the time to arrange to see your best friend before the second wave hits.
I didn’t get exactly what I asked for rather my hairdresser’s interpretation of my description and I have to say I’m very pleased with it so a good result. A nice short stylish haircut that needs only a little attention.
Fasting recommencing tomorrow as I also have rediscovered the snug fit with flabby muffin top and I don’t care for it at all plus I would like to be able to wear all of my summer dresses not only the loose flowing styles.
There are far worse problems to have than a few extra wibbly bits round the middle.
😜
I count my blessings every day, that I am in the fortunate position that I can worry about my muffin top…
It’s been lovely here today. I did some weeding this morning, then went out for an hour and a half run/walk. That was nearly 3 hours ago and I still feel overheated, so I’ve been taking it easy with a glass of something with ice (medicinal of course,, to bring my body temperature down you understand 😊).
I’m with you on the sunshine making such a difference to mood – and life, Happy. That’s why I am so grateful being away from Wellington, where one week in June they enjoyed just six minutes of the golden stuff!
We have had lots of vitamin-D generation over the last few days, but that’s about to change. Lots of wet stuff coming of eastern Australia…
Love your description of the toddler-chat, Amazon 🙂 . I note there is no Dry July going on here. As P says, life is for living.
You are very quiet, Wi. I hope your mouth is healing as it should, and you are continuing to bear your isolation. How are your plans for returning going?
Stay safe and well, everyone.
Are you turning into a parrot, Happy? 🙂
Good mews re the haircut, Amazon. You won’t need another cut for months.
We have also had lovely sunny weather, but this week has changed back to winter…cold and rainy, but it stops on and off for a chance to go out for walks. It’s funny negotiating large puddles of water, though. I can’t remember the last time we had to do that.
I agree, B. I’ve been thinking, often, about you Wi and wondering. I hope you are OK, mate.
Fast day here now. Always a challenge on cold dark days, so warm clothes, fire burning and keep busy. 🙂🙂
Keep safe. P
Well Monday and Tuesday morning were quite quickly fasting fails! I just wasn’t in the right place. But I haven’t eaten since lunchtime on Tuesday and I’m hoping I can push through today fuelled by caffeine and marmite. Anxiety and stress definitely play a role in my eating and I had a couple of deadlines at the start of this week. I’ve definitely learnt things about myself through fasting that I didn’t really appreciate before….
My mood was lifted considerably yesterday by the gnashing of teeth, blood boiling and steam rising from the Tory faithful following the government’s announcement on mandatory face masks in shops. Ha ha, it’s nothing to do with public health apparently, it’s subjugation of the population, an outrage against civil liberties, the end of civilisation as we know it 😂 And they are now turning against Boris as they realise he isn’t actually their man after all 🤣🤣🤣
Amazon,
I’ve been scratching my head about seeing friends, but all my closest friends are an overnight stay away. Some have not even been to the shops during lockdown and are very wary of easing, the priority for others is forming bubbles and seeing relatives more locally. So for the time being I’m staying local and giving thanks that we’re all well.
Toddlers are funny little beasts aren’t they! I like the ones who burble away, not caring that the conversation is somewhat one sided…but the one’s that get frustrated and angry because I don’t understand them scare me 🤣
Morning all,
Happy,
One of the things I’ve learnt about myself is I’m excellent at self sabotage something I’m constantly working on.
I fasted on Monday although it was near to 700 calories than 500 but I’ll take it.
I spent yesterday in the kitchen which was unplanned but fun. I’d bought whole milk as part of an on-line shop in order to make yogurt and when it arrived I realised I’d selected 2L rather than 1L so I decided to make paneer with the remainder.
I then had to make something to use it and I found a recipe for paneer jalfrezi which I made with the addition of extra veggies and it was excellent and there is more for my FD dinner this evening.
I also made a batch of Hugh F-W’s tomato dhal.
Talking to toddlers cab be a mine field. When I was a child Mum use to ask me what my little brother had said as I was the only one who could understand him 😆
Sir Desmond Angus Swayne TD VR was extremely vexed over the “monstrous imposition” having wear a mask in order to enter a shop 🤣🤣🤣
I tried hard to imagine him wheeling a trolley round a supermarket but it just didn’t work for me…..
As for seeing friends, it’s a tricky one and fairly easy if they live close enough for a walk in the park. I’m very pleased my best friend agreed it was time for us to meet up. We are going to Kew Gardens tomorrow and as they’ve now opened some of their cafés we’ll be able to sit at a table for coffee and cake or even lunch.
It is a beautiful morning 🌞
We have had 78mm of rain so far today, so beautiful it ain’t! As forecast, so no problem – except that I had a haircut booked. I confirmed on the outing that my black boots have a slight leak 🙂 . Groceries were also purchased, and library book returned – and at least my umbrella works. So grateful on a day like this for internal access garaging, to be able to drive into the house.
Apart from that, all quiet. Covid remains under control for now thank goodness, so life goes on as normal, overseas returnees excepted.
Stay safe and well, everyone.
Edit – 79.6mm now! And still buckets being used above.
81.2mm – I could be here for a while. Hope the drains work!
Lots of COVID testing going on. Various members of the family have had 2 and 3 tests over the past couple of months. They are taking the danger very seriously and going for a test at the first sign of a sniffle or scratchy throat. I’m proud of them being so conscientious. Testing is free, and easily available at pop up testing stations all over the city. Noone wants to be the person who causes a cluster.
It’s a fine morning here,
I’m on my 3rd FD of the week and am pleased with the way this week is going eating wise.
I had another lovely walk in Kew yesterday with my best friend who’d not been there since March. It was quite busy but the majority of people were paying attention to distancing and even on the busiest days there are always pockets of the Gardens with few people, usually members who are more familiar with the less trodden paths.
Our Chief Scientific Officer has just gone public with what we already suspected, that the government have only been following advice if and when it suited their agenda.
We are trying to survive Covid 19 despite our government…….
Amazon,
3 fast days! I bow down before you! My week has been pretty much a fast-free zone, except for a long no-eating window Tuesday lunchtime to Weds late morning. Just not in the right place at the moment ☹
I have been trying to get back into running recently (I want to live somewhere flat!), for the physical and mental health benefits. Think it must be helping because at least I’m not gaining weight!
It’s another wet start to the weekend. I’ve done the hens and the weekly shop, had coffee, thinking about going back to bed for a couple of hours…its that or work… ☹🤣
3 FDs in a week is impressive if the 3rd one doesn’t go t*ts up before noon 😶
The good news is the non FDs have been OK, no overeating so I’m fairly pleased.
The weather here today has been good. It was overcast this morning but warm enough to get the washing dry and by 11:30am I was outside in the sunshine with the newspaper, a book, some music to drown out other noise (I have earbuds so don’t disturb anyone else) water and coffee.
I came in an hour ago after a very restful time in the fresh air watching the myriad of flying insects visiting my flowers, reading and chatting with my new friend next door who I mentioned the other day. Today she responded when I said hello to her by saying hi followed by my name 🤩
I think I have a new friends 😆
I also had to rescue a beautiful moth that got the wrong side of the kitchen window.
I have identified it as a Jersey Tiger.
The bloke the other side who appears to be terrified of going unnoticed spent 3 hours tapping a chisel with a hammer (he is sculpting the ugliest face I’ve ever seen out of a lump of white I don’t know what which creates clouds of dust). When he stopped I sighed with relief and removed my earbuds only to have to replace them 2 minutes later when he started playing his ukelele. He is very bad, needs some lessons and the result is so bad I think the instrument might need tuning but one cannot be sure….
Of course now I’ve come in it is silent out there 😆
I’m making a Caesar salad for dinner this evening. I’ve never made one before but as I bought a pack of two little gem lettuces only to discover I already had some in the fridge (this is what lockdown has done to my brain) I thought I should use recipes involving large amounts of lettuce which is no bad thing.
EDIT: noisy neighbours over the back are now outside drinking wine and have turned on the music so I guess there’ll be drunken renderings of 80s classics by 7 pm.
Maybe I’ll have a glass myself 🍷
Amazon,
I had to google Jersey Tiger Moth, stunning. Reading the Butterfly Conservation website, it looks like you were lucky to see it as it’s apparently only recently turned up in London.
I also had to google Aperol, as I’ve never heard of that either! I’m still none the wiser what it tastes like though.
Your description of your sculpting ukulele-playing neighbour made me laugh 🤣 Perhaps not quite so funny when you’re living next door though! Hopefully both hobbies are temporary lockdown pursuits….
After a damp start yesterday, the afternoon was nice, so I did some gardening and then went for a run. When I say run, think slow! And still having to walk the steepest sections of hills… having seen bouncy gazelle-like runners, I am sure that gravity works differently on me…
Anyway, it’s a lovely sunny morning here. Blue skies and completely still. I know Boris wants me to go out and buy stuff I don’t really need in the interests of consumerism….sorry, the economy, but spending the day in town, going from shop to shop looking for something to waste money on has never been my thing, and I’m not going to start now.
Although I do need to find something to lift me out of the doldrums. Perhaps I’ll buy a ukulele…. 😂
Morning all,
Happy,
Aperol is orange flavoured, fairly sweet with a hint of orange peel bitterness and I would put it in the Vermouth category rather than spirit.
Aperol spritzer is 50-50 with Prosecco, topped up with fizzy water and completed with ice and a slice of orange.
I discovered it when with my Italophile tennis fan friend. It’s a great drink on a summers day but if one lives alone it can be a problem as it means opening a bottle of Prosecco…….
Fortunately I’ve got a vacuum seal.
I have a great memory of sitting outside a restaurant in the sunshine in Piazza Navona in Rome on a Sunday lunchtime after a long morning of walking in the city. We sat sipping Aperol spritzers and people watching before having a rather splendid lunch.
Piazza Navona is one of the best places in the world to people watch.
While we were there we watched an ongoing daily dance between the police and the hawkers who would lay their wares out on a huge sheet and/or use an easel type arrangement and when the police appeared they would shove the easel on top of the sheet, scoop everything up and disappear down the nearest alleyway in a matter of moments.
I always felt the police deliberately made a noisy entrance in order to give the hawkers a chance to get away as why should they worry about tourists wasting their money on tat when the hawkers needed to make a living…
On this particular day we also saw a bike race (where else in the world would the route planner take the cyclists through a busy piazza thronging with people) and a troupe of African gymnasts who were fabulous. These were alongside those who spent all their days there as living statues, singers, musicians, magicians etc.
When I encouraged the winged creature out of my kitchen with the aid of a piece of paper I only realised how beautiful it was when it spread it’s wings.
I was thinking about it a few minutes later when the penny dropped it was a moth not a butterfly and I looked it up and of course I’d immediately thought butterfly as it was mid morning and not considered it was parked with flat wings :doh:
I’ll be on the lookout for more of them.
We’ve got the rain today but not nearly as much as was forecast or required so I guess it’s time to water the garden as it’s all looking a bit parched.
I made myself a promise not to buy any clothes this year unless I needed underwear and so far I’ve stuck to it. The only issue I have currently is all the waistbands on my clothes seem to have shrunk including those that have not been near the washing machine……
I’m feeling a bit peckish, is it too early for a bacon sarnie? 😜
Is everything okay, Wi? How is your return application going? My brother in Florida has just had his accepted, so will be coming back in September with his (American) wife. He delayed the flight a little so he wouldn’t be spending his birthday in quarantine. 🙂
We have had massive amounts of rain here in the last week – Friday’s was a One-in-500-year downpour, so they say. We will see… The lawn was a lake, complete with a couple of ducks at one stage. It has drained now, and the septic tank drainage has allowed the toilets to flush properly again!
Stay safe and well, everyone.
Hi everyone,
Mid week and my second FD.
The weather is good and I’ve just been outside checking the courgettes and trying to anticipate how long it’ll be before they are large enough to pick and eat. I have lots of tomatoes growing nicely, rocket, chard, all manner of herbs and a second batch of strawberries all nestled amongst the flowers 😀
I bought some rice wrappers and experimented on Monday and yesterday. Monday was a FD and I had finely chopped cucumber, spring onion, radish, herbs, salmon and prawns. I made a dipping sauce with soy and my homemade chilli jam.
Yesterday I added avocado, shredded lettuce and some rice noodles plus a small amount of wasabi for an extra kick.
They were a really nice change and quick and easy I shall be adding them to my list of regular summer meals.
I must stop talking about food and find something distracting to do 😆
Have a good one everybody 😜
Sounds like the salad I had as a takeaway today, Amazon. It had sashumi tuna, coriander, lime, radish, ginger, dried shallots and chilli on a bed of brown rice and shredded red cabbage. I asked them to leave the wasabi out. It was HOT!!! Really needed a cold glass of white wine. I only had water. Very cold nights here, but today was 18 and sunny. Perfect walking weather…I’ve done 10km today, including many stairs. Bed is calling.
I fast again tomorrow. P
Mmm, those rice wrappers sound really good, not that we’ve had much salad weather recently. Tomorrow and Friday are going to be hot, but too little too late to save July.
My courgettes are cropping well in the polytunnel, but not outside. Tomatoes are beginning to ripen but I’m worried that blight may be starting due to all the recent wet weather. Chillies are coming along nicely. Everything else is a bit hit and miss… thank god we aren’t dependent on what we can grow!
I’ve had a miserable last few days… I’ve officially had enough of my hormones now thank you very much… ! Anyway, after an eat everything few days and no fasting (and thinking ah, who cares if I get fat again), I did fast yesterday 😀 And I’ve been for a run tonight. So maybe all is not lost 😂
Now, if we can all just learn to live on chillies, we’d be fine. They are the one plant that keeps on growing in my garden through drought, fire and flood. Sadly, Mr P can no longer eat them, so I have to give them away. I’ve struggled to raise kale and silverbeet from seed, but am giving up and buying seedlings.
Qld has declared us a COVID hotspot, so we are no longer able to travel there. Not that we were! This virus is such a shifting thing, with it running rampant now in Victoria and spotfires popping up here from travelling Victorians. We are having to be extremely vigilant with tracing, testing and isolating. I’ll keep away from people and wear my home made masks. 😷😷
Hormones are SO problematic Happy. Time will cure that. ☺☺ There ARE some advantages with aging.
Keep well everyone. P
I have just baked a cake! I’d forgotten how much pleasure I get from these simple homely chores. It’s a boiled orange cake, in a vain attempt to use up some of the orchard produce, and because OH has invited a workmate (from his very part-time job) for afternoon tea. I hope it tastes as good as it smells.
So no Thursday FD for OH today, as he is also going to a dinner meeting this evening.
It’s been a social week, with the first of the monthly TED talks sessions that I have signed up for, and the next day the local garden club meeting courtesy of a neighbour. I have joined this, can see myself getting considerable pleasure from it. What treats retirement brings! These follow on from Sunday’s road trip around the Hokianga Harbour – it’s been a while since we went across on the ferry.
I have found why previous owners have put a fence around the veggie garden – rabbits and pukeko (swamp hens). And my mint has been chewed to the roots. I was blaming the sparrows, but it could be any creature. I will have to protect it.
Very true, P, I love the freedom age brings. Take care, all.
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