Amazon,

I’m scaling back what I’m growing this year and giving the big veg patch a fallow year with a green manure crop that should benefit pollinators. That leaves me with about 6m x 3m veg patch, polytunnel and greenhouse, not to mention the herbaceous borders, so I won’t be short of work!

You’ve done such a lot of work in previous years on yours so you can afford to sit back and enjoy it, particularly when you won’t be fit to do much.

Polly,

I bought some hanging baskets this week, although I may need to bring them in too as I see we are forecast high winds tomorrow ☹😡

It is glorious here today, and we’re set down and sheltered in a small valley so its pleasantly warm. I’m off work and planning to do a bit of gardening before visiting friends later.

I will also be staying at a friend’s this week! My first night away, or visit into anyone else’s house since early 2020. She has underlying health conditions so has been cautious on mixing. And we’re both vaccinated. All the same, it will be very odd!

I just saw the World weather. London had 16 deg. We had 24. What is happening to your Spring? No wonder you are all struggling with Spring flowers.
We had a lovely long beach walk in the sun, with lots of people swimming. Very good for the spirit.

Polly,
I’m in London just across the river from Kew Gardens 🙂

Purple,

It has been a long winter temperature and weather wise with no evidence of spring until yesterday.
Today has been beautiful and I’m hoping we’ve finally seen the back of winter.

Since last month when pubs and restaurants were allowed to serve people seated outside there have been hundreds of people across the UK sitting round tables shivering 😆

Ah, I remember now, Amazon. A lovely place to live.

We’ve had funny weather lately. Either heavy showers in the morning, followed by a decent afternoon or vice versa. Very difficult to plan anything. Sunny spells, with some wind, very pleasant, but when the scudding clouds hide the sun the wind can be cutting.

I had to smile at your story of school jumpers, purple. That happens with coats in the autumn here.

🤣🤣🤣. Very true!

I hope you’ve planned lots of things to keep you busy for the 3 days, Wi. 😉
Mr P went off statins and was successful. He is very strict with his twice weekly fasts. It’s always hard to know if it us worth the risk. I continue with my hypertension meds as I am not a gambler. 😑

Hi Barata
It’s going well.
In fact we were out with friends the other night and one person started telling me that fasting is not good for you, you need to eat 3 meals a day etc ……. etc you know it all.
It’s made me determined to keep this fast until Friday.
It’s cold today, more winter here than autumn.
I hope you are all in good heart out there.
Purple, you will have almost finished your Monday 5:2.
xx Wiwi

Oh, I wish we had agree icons. I still see so much advice that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. Skipping it will led to snacking. Blah blah blah.

We went out to a family run Indian restaurant yesterday with friends. Two of us stuck to one course. Need to fast today though. It’s soooo cold and wet here. Just 10 degrees. Soup is tempting but I think I’ll stick to fruit.

I think I’ll. have another coffee, then scrambled eggs, with chives at about 2. I won’t need to eat again – hopefully.

Hi everyone,

I’m not able to do my usual 16:8 at the moment as I’m taking thrice daily medication that has to be taken with food.
I’m having a few mouthfuls of natural yogurt in the morning and I have to force myself to eat it.

Only one more day of medication after today so I can do a proper fast on Wednesday.

Shakshouka is a great FD meal as it is so tasty filling and low in calories if one doesn’t go mad with the oil.

Today I’m having roasted veggies with homemade mixed herb and almond pesto.

Whew, satisfactorily passed that milestone. I’m now 70, folks! Seems impossible to be that age, but I suppose I can’t argue. I am just so grateful that I am as healthy and fit as I am, take no medications, and the only sign of aging is that I get tired more quickly when doing physical work like gardening.

Your philosophy of eating is spot on, P. But does your body also say ‘wine NOW!”?

It was lovely, P. I am so fortunate. And this weekend we are out to lunch on Sunday at a local winery with family, including no.1 son who has just told me he is flying up from Wellington! Just missing the younger son in Sydney, but we video-chatted last night. And brothers in England and Florida but have been in contact with them too. I love the communication of the modern era. When my brothers left NZ originally in their early twenties my mother mourned their loss, and saw little of them after that.

We have a perfect, clear evening for the eclipse of the Moon during the next few hours!!

Fabulous view of the nearly eclipsed moon! Wow!!!

Beautiful, isn’t it! 🙂

Ditto Barata. I spend hours awake, then fall asleep when I probably should be up. 😏 Bad luck re the cloud last night. We had 13 deg and a stunning clear sky. Enjoyed a little party (liqueur and chocolate) sitting on the front porch, to witness the whole show. Very lucky as the full eclipse occurred at 9.15pm here.

The weather has finally settled AND it’s a bank holiday weekend. Which means 3 days of gardening (with breaks!). The place is large enough that xOH and I mostly only see one another from afar 😂

It’s a fantastic time of year, everything has greened up and flowers are appearing. The birds are feeding young and in fine voice and the bats are back, flitting around at dusk. I’ll be very sad to leave, but I consider myself fortunate that I’ve live here… or at least that’s what I tell myself to try and keep my spirits up 😟

I started to fast last week, but abandoned the first attempt mid afternoon and didn’t embark on a second. Having had 2 years carrying a few more kg than I wanted, they have gone. Hopefully it’s the regular fasting and running finally paying off, but sometimes I think its just happened despite my best efforts not because of them…!

Morning all,

Yes, Seasonal weather has finally arrived in most of the UK. And about time too!

My little garden is looking good with lots of plants in bud/bloom, lush green leaves and shoots everywhere and summer bedding adding a splash of colour to the patio and window sills and the nepeta is in it’s new home hanging over the balcony out of harms way 🙂

Happy,
You must feel so much better now you’ve rid yourself of the reluctant to leave kilos which is something I’m working on.
I’m aiming to fast today. I weighed myself earlier in the week and I actually weigh the least I’ve weighed all year but I don’t feel it and my summer clothes are telling me there is work to be done before they become comfortable.
I’m not really concentrating too much on FDs as they are fine if I keep busy. What I am doing is working on what and when I eat and the choice of food on non FDs.

Time to get outside and do the final few chores needed before I can sit in my chair and enjoy it.

I can’t bend either! Heavy weeding yesterday and jet washing patios today, followed by a cleaning of the splashed conservatory and back porch. The jet washing was quite fun, though. Better than house work!

After our two good days last week a bad one yesterday, as it was so cold in the morning, then muggy in the afternoon. Beautiful today, though. I’m too tired to do the crossword. Your home sounds lovely, Happy.

My Monday fast went exceptionally smoothly this week. I was kept very busy with various projects and, like always, pack a Thermos of coffee, when we go out. Winter is well and truly here, but our lovely sunny days make up for the cold nights.
My veg garden is terribly neglected at present, but I just don’t seem to be able to get myself inspired to do anything about it. Too many niggerly aches and pains at present. 😐
I do like the colder weather for cooking and curling up with some reading by the fire, though.
Make the most of your fine summer weather my UK mates. P 🙂🙂

Oh, Happy, I do feel for you. I can understand it’s going to be very difficult and you’re in a sought-after area, too. Think about the positive – a fresh start on your own terms, maybe?

We’ve been careful this week, but not as much as we should have been. I thought I’d eaten little yesterday, but remembered about the soft-serve ice cream I had outside B&Q. Couldn’t resist it. Then I wonder why the scales are stuck.

I have to log in here every time! I do tap ,remember me’.

I’m pleased you people “over there” are finally basking in warmer weather.
Enjoy every day, Happy. Change is never easy, but letting go allows you to treasure the next adventure.
We are trying a reverse fast today…we ate normally until after lunch yesterday, then finished the day with a fast dinner of a bowl of veg soup. Nothing now until dinner tonight, which will be a pub meal with a friend. This only works if you are willing to be firm, but flexible. 😉😉

Oh dear P! Sounds like quite a racket! I had a disturbed night due to a beast bellowing all night, I suspect a dairy cow recently separated from her calf ☹️ I’m hoping for a quieter night tonight… although I generally have to shut the bedroom window at about 5am when the jackdaws get up… I love the dawn chorus, but they’re just discordant.

Considering I live in an area where the gardens are very small and there aren’t many trees I’m pleasantly surprised by how many birds there are singing at dawn and they are still at it 🙂

Unfortunately every two minutes they are drowned out by a plane coming in to land at Heathrow. I’m not exaggerating the frequency, there have been 3 as I’ve typed this post!
I’ve noticed the numbers increasing after a year of fairly quiet and much less polluted skies.

The refuse collectors haven’t arrived yet…….

Polly, I’m hoping, although I haven’t googled it, that Australian magpies are different from European magpies! Ours definitely don’t make a beautiful sound 😂