@penz and others, I’ll be back either tomorrow or Monday 😘

Day 10 – Ireland – NFD 🚫 ✅ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🌾
157.9
Out cycling. Very mucky here… will have to wash the bike when I’m back… will keep me away from temptation… 💦 🔧 but I have just had a nice cake and coffee with the gang – what it’s all about.

Very Very happy to see your check in @stitchincarol 💕💕

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

USA. Day 10. FD

I went a little overboard yesterday but today I have a very small appetite. I think I will be able to stay on track!

Thank you FUNSHIPFREDDIE, MissyBear, and jaifaim for your support. I think I am still stressing out over my craniotomy this past summer. I didn’t get to actually think about it until a while after I returned home from the hospital. My skull still hurts a little and I still need to have all my hair grow out. I am constantly reminded what a major situation I went through. I think with time that I will stop thinking about it and the stress will go away. It’s mostly comes in the evening after I finish the day and try to relax for the evening. 😕

I am a little confused about why Stitchincarol doesn’t post right now. I read the posts but didn’t see the exact cause. I hope she comes back. She seems to be such a dear!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.

Day 10 -NE England – NFD – DTF.

Oh dear me, I have been a Weekend Wanderer, wandering way off track. I ate too much on Saturday and the wrong kind of stuff, and couldn’t keep out of those pesky Halloween treats. Today has been marginally better and no alcohol -DTF- so that is a plus. Expecting bad new from the scales tomorrow 😩

Day 11 NZ FD ?

Raced off for an X-ray and clinic appointment this morning.
Bad news – I have to stay in a splint for another 6 weeks (just completed 7 weeks), still on v limited physio exercises, now have a different splint at night to stop contractures and have to do exercises to stop muscle loss in my whole arm. I have the trifecta… a “serious compound, displaced, comminuted fracture”. CRAP!! 2.5cm of bone # and my life goes on hold👀😬
@ccco From my experience what you say about your craniotomy is completely normal, if this helps.
I researched and wrote up an MA following up Critical Care patients 6 months after discharge. The thing I learned from them is that your body has to heal first before you can find the psychological energy to deal with the consequences of these life changing medical events. We cared for neuro, trauma, transplant, big surgery and respiratory failure patients at our Level 1 city hospital.
@funshipfreddie I can tell now your place is going to be the go to Christmas decor place. Add in a few lights and your place is got sparkle🥳
@stitchincarol Looking forward to your next post😘
@iona72 Focus on the next FD!! They’re much easier after eating )too) well😅And remember it’s the weekly cals that count not so much the daily ones. That’s what I’m hoping anyway!!
@jaifaim No waste🥝 You’re a weekend road warrior 🚴‍♀️💪😁
Good numbers @northgeorgia!!!
@missybear Red medicine is perfect with venison!! See it even rhymes!!! I’m on the G&Ts because the weather was warm but now it’s turned again to cold, wet and windy..,
My brother has just arrived back with his Swedish Valhund, Koda. Every time Koda shakes his fur goes flying… Time to go and see what’s up!!
Cheers everyone!!

Day 11 – Ireland – FD 🚫 ✅ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🌾
159.3

Bobbing back up over the weekend..
Not to worry… I know why – that’s the key – far too much deliciousness in the form of baked goods and dinner out …although it seems to affect me far more in the past few months…
Will not stay for long 💪
@merryapple I’m so sorry to hear that – it must be so frustrating… but no better woman to know how important the rehab and physio are… 💕
Ha ha…🏹 on my chariot 🚴‍♀️ It started out as such a miserable wet and muddy day but the company of friends and good cake and coffee makes the early call well worth it. And the sun came out mid morning.
@ccco sending hugs your way… I can’t pretend to understand but we are here for you to share your emotions as you heal.. as @funshipfreddie says it’s so important not to keep them bottled up and we are blessed to have @merryapple with us who can offer such reassurance. 💕💕
@funshipfreddie well done you!!!! 🎄🎄Must be great to have a FD a done and dusted by Monday ⭐️. Fabulous creativity there! It’s amazing that you are still relativity new to the craft. 👏

Bravo @iona72 on the DTF 👏 Celebrate the wins 👍
@penz hello to you! Our early poster ⭐️⭐️. Great to see you there as the day starts here..

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Pocket List – Day 11 🍋
@penz
@merry🍎 – maybe..?
@jaifaim
@michelinme
@missybear
@molij

Day 11 North Wales FD

After saying I was going to eat mindfully over the weekend I did the complete opposite. I am so cross with myself that I am going to try and do an extra fast day this week if I can.

@jaifaim it’s been incredibly glum in North Wales too. I am longing to see some sunshine. I am also longing to get out on my bike. Unfortunately it will be a few weeks yet.

@ccco look after yourself and give yourself time to heal.

@funshipfreddie looking forward to seeing your mosaics. I will have to try and work out how you share photos so you can see some of the things I am sewing. You are acing these fast days, well done 👏

@merryapple I feel for you having to stay in plaster for another 6 weeks. I broke my arm riding a horse. Even though the break was clean I ended up in plaster for 6 months. The bone wouldn’t knit together and I ended up having a bone graft from my hip to help it heal. Unfortunately I wasn’t given any physio after or during and I still can’t rotate my lower arm properly.

@missybear sorry your viewing didn’t go well. It’s a stressful time buying and selling houses. I realised yesterday that I have moved home 10 times. You would think I would be a seasoned pro but it always stresses the hell out of me and when I am stressed I eat and drink alcohol more. I was catching up with the October posts over the weekend and saw that I like you moved to Wales from the West Midlands. We moved 20 years ago. My husband grew up on Anglesey and he wanted to return. Hope your husband gets his operation in December. The waiting lists here are another source of stress. I like your idea of adding wine to the spread sheet. I could do with a shock to show restraint so I might join you in doing that too.

@michelinme welcome back

@flourbaby I adore sour dough too.

Have a good day everyone ❤️

Pocket List – Day 11 🍋
@penz
@merry🍎 – maybe..?
@jaifaim
@michelinme
@missybear
@molij

Day 11 – Rural Nebraska, USA – NFD

I’m not making much progress going down, but neither am I returning up, and I managed to restrain myself from any emotional eating last week, so that felt like a victory.

Since last week, I’ve written a long, long essay explaining my thoughts, editing it daily until it said exactly what I meant, and while it certainly helped clarify things for myself, there’s no need to post it here. I do have two things I believe are important to say, however, and then I imagine we’ll all be happy to move on.
1. I had such a mess in that one paragraph of mine, and @merryapple in particular misunderstood–quite understandably–what I meant to say. After it was posted, I saw the mess it was, but it was too late to edit it, so I left it…and I regretted doing so. Here’s what it was supposed to say: “And if it’s not clear, my reaction is far more about feeling hurt and insulted than about feeling anger.” I understand it sounded like anger, but it was much more about being deeply wounded.
2. The comment that sent me into orbit, and the poster I’ve been waiting for, but she hasn’t shown up, was when @excelsior12309 said my vote was shameful. Her exact words were “I am somewhat ashamed of my countrymen and women.” She tried to moderate it with “somewhat” and I’m sure she didn’t realize when she wrote it that I was one of those women who voted contrary to her own beliefs, but my vote was informed, following my moral values and my fiscal experience from the first time DT was in office, and there should never be any shame shouldered or assigned for that; having read her words, all the other comments of astonishment, worry, concern, etc., etc., etc were too much to handle in a place I thought I could safely come without fear of feeling freakish.

There. The explanation. Part of the value of waiting so long to post again is that I’m over it, and I hope my horror didn’t offend any of you, because I certainly didn’t mean to. ❤️

The other value of waiting so long to post is that it was my church’s Turkey Supper on Saturday, and I simply didn’t have time. Friday was spent roasting and carving a 20-lb bird and baking three cherry pies (NOTE: I BAKED them, I did not MAKE them–frozen pies from the grocery store are the norm for this meal, so I never feel guilty not making a pie from scratch as I do for myself and my family. 🤣🤣🤣) Then on Saturday, I was swamped from morning until I got home around 7:30 that evening. The nice thing about the dinner is that we served more than we ever have before: 618 meals. It was a lovely day–and wonderful that it was the last DH and I will have to do as he’ll be retired by next November, LOL!!

@funshipfreddie I do hope you’ll share photos of the mosaic ornaments you’re making! Oh, and just saw them: they are thoroughly adorable! Well done!

@jaifaim Good to see you’re making progress heading back down those few pounds to your goal weight; you’re likely to be there by Christmas, don’t you suppose??

@northgeorgia You’re making progress; slow is frustrating, but steady wins the game, as the tortoise proved.

@ccco Patience, my friend, and be as kind to yourself as you would be to anyone else in your situation, and you’ll do just fine. I imagine patience is not the easiest thing to find, but you seem to overflow with kindness, so just stick to that for yourself, and you’ll soon see the improvements you’re impatient for.

@lona72 Finding the determination–the RESOLVE–needed not to be a Weekend Wanderer is so very difficult. Keep punching away at the challenge of the weekend: you’ll get there.

@merryapple I pretty much understood nothing of what you explained to us (which is why I never for a split second ever considered anything to do with medicine, LOL) except for the 6 additional weeks in a splint, and for that you have my deep sympathy because I can only imagine how deeply frustrating and limiting this is for you!

@missybear A man I know needs surgery for a pulled and torn muscle in his chest (which sounds like nothing but is so painful his life is on hold until the surgery), and it can’t happen until January because–get this–Hurricane Helene caused a severed restriction on IV fluids, so there’s a long waiting list for surgeries. HUH?? You just never know what’s going to cause serious problems, do you? I hope your DH manages to be moved up and has his operation in time to avoid any future complications.

I’m sorry for the comments I skipped over; this is already too long for anyone to read, LOL, and DH and I are planning to (finally) do some raking outside, so it’s time to get a move on.

Have a grand one, everyone!

Day 12 NZ NFD 69.4kg 🏃🏼‍♀️

Koda the Valhund and I walked up Mt Eden. All the overseas tourists seem to be back and he had lots of pats!
I managed my FD y’day then taught my nephew some basic knife skills and how to make a roast vegetable salad with a herb vinaigrette, pan fry lean pork and rest it then slice it and deglaze the pan (so it goes further) plus a coleslaw with apples, currants, sorrel etc dressed with a yog mayo combo. He’s moving into a flat with six friends after living in the halls of residence for his first year so bulk cooking is the order of the day!!
He’s washing the house at present (paid labour!!) then I have six people to cook for tonight. The house is a tip with stuff everywhere inside and out. I had better get cracking!!
@stitchincarol👋 Great to hear from you. Not the first time I’ve got the wrong end of the stick 😅
That’s interesting about the IV fluids. I’ll look it up. My father worked on developing some of them in Boston when I was a kid.
@molij I look forward to seeing your sewing photos!!
Yes everyone focuses on the broken bones but the immobilised tendons and muscles often cause more grief in the long run…
@missybear I like the grumpy snowman too😀 He looks exactly like the snowman I met going over a South Island High Country pass a couple of months ago (although he was starting to melt and his carrot nose was lying on the ground beside him😮)
@funshipfreddie Are you going to hang the mosaics on a tree, mantelpiece, garden, front door???
Yes I’ll be ready to hold a big glass of cheer just in time for Christmas😁
Must carry on…
Have a good one everyone!!

Day 12 – Ireland – FD 🚫 ✅ 🚶🏽‍♀️ 🌾
157 🙂

@stitchincarol great to have you back… 💕
And good to hear you’ve been busy over the past few days… I don’t like to think of any of us hurting.

@merryapple thank you for throwing the WHOOOSH out to the universe! 🌎 .. a little whoosh over night… 2.3lbs lost forever (😉 ) after only a CD not a FD as the kcal numbers kept rising on myfitnesspal even though I thought I was having a great day 😂.

@flourbaby if there were two things I wish I could eat/drink these days it would be yummy sourdough bread and a pint of Guinness 0.0… I can completely understand why the bread had to be removed from your line of sight 😂
@penz so your beer bread sounds like my dream if I could eat gluten.. 🥲🥲🥲
I’m sure there is a plus somewhere but sometimes it’s just hard 😂😂 🍞

Sorry can’t stay on too long… cycled to work and it’s beautifully bright but so cold so still warming up… meetings now and I’ll have to wiggle my toes for a while.

Have a great day everyone! Another FD attempt for me.

Onward and downward ⬇️
We rise by lifting others 💕

Pocket List – Day 12 🍞🍻🙈
@flourbaby
@jaifaim

Day 12 North Wales NFD

Very successful FD yesterday, down a pound this morning. Getting quite bored not being able to drive. I am desperate to see my youngest granddaughter. They change so much in the first 12 months. Going to spend the day sewing leggings for her.

Loved the mosaic @funshipfreddie. You are very talented. I will look at that app to see if I can share some of the things I have made the youngest granddaughter with you all. Have a brilliant day everyone

Day 12 – Rural Nebraska, USA – WFD

DH and I spent three hours raking yesterday, filling completely the back of his ’95 Nissan pickup four times…that’s a lot of leaves, LOL, and more are down this morning. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The most irritating thing is that my Fitbit was completely unimpressed and recorded neither an impressive step count nor an impressive calories-burned total. We didn’t even touch the back yard (it’s fenced in, so very much its own entity) or pull out the spent plants, so there will be at least one more day of raking and tidying.

@merryapple I’ve often seen people in braces (is that what you’d call what you have to wear?) using that hand/those fingers within the limitation of the brace; are you at least able to do that, or are you under strict orders to leave the hand immobile?

@penz Well, yesterday was not a FD for me, but I felt so virtuous from all the yard work I did that I rewarded myself with all sorts of high calorie things. As if I’m a dog, needing a treat. <<snort>> That was a line from The Obesity Code, and I’ve always remembered it, LOL. At least today will be as easy as a WF ever is since I have so much food in my belly!

@funshipfreddie I too hope @excelsior12309 returns…

@flourbaby I do indeed partake, although I was so tired by the time I ate that I wasn’t interested in much of it. The turkey made a GREAT sandwich the next day, however! ❤️🥰👍

@jaifaim After loving beer over everything for decades, and then giving it up for the most part, I’ve found that it seldom gives me any particular joy; perhaps that would be true for you as well?? Because I certainly get the sorrow of not being able to have gluten–well, from the perspective of a loving mama, since DS33 cannot. I think he copes better emotionally than the rest of us, LOL.

@northgeorgia I agree entirely it’s not just the calories, but where the calories are found.

@molij How long until you can drive again? I fully get how limiting that would be!

@ccco Well done for having a successful FD yesterday! How many calories was it?

Okay, time to get ready to head out the door; have a grand one, everyone!

Pocket List – Day 12 🍞🍻🙈
@flourbaby
@jaifaim
@ccco
@stitchincarol WFD

Greetings to all, old and new, on Day 12

I am LONG overdue with a check in to see how this forum is doing. I play Words With Friends with @funshipfreddie so feel like I am sort of still around.

We moved into our new house in mid-April and are daily finding something else that needs settling-in. We only moved some 12 miles into the small city we always frequented, but the lack of having to drive those miles 1, 2 or even 3 times a day between me and DH has been ever so wonderful. We never did anything in our little village where we were, so great for us. That house sold in 5 days to the son of a neighbor up the street, so we were happy for the quick sale as well as going to him.

My “maintenance” has been okay… up and down over the same 3-6 pounds, but I am happy enough. I still seem to do at least one FD a week, but the other 6 days eat quite normally, including wine and dessert as I wish.

The election and news surrounding it has kept us occupied for a long time. I am like @stitchincarol with happiness over the results, and it seems for the same reasons as I read her comments. I never could find one reason, good or otherwise, to vote for KH. There. I have had to endure lots of negativity from many of my friends, but not everyone by any means.

I hope to be able to at least read all your posts more often, although I am in the throes of final rehearsals for our Freeport Choral Society Advent Concert as well as many events for our Children’s Hands On Museum (both of which occupy a lot of my time).

Our health has been pretty good – glad for that for me and DH as 76 and 77 y.o. respectively. We have lost several good friends and local folks lately none of whom were much older than us, so always difficult.

Hope you all have success in your dietary endeavors. Sending greetings and hugs — Gwynne

Day 13 NZ NFD 69.6kg 🏃🏼‍♀️

It’s the calm before the storm… Coldplay has 3 concerts at Eden Park – the first is tonight… I said I’d take the likely lads out to dinner but am regretting it. They haven’t been here when the Park is in full swing and don’t realise how jammed up the roads get…
@songbirdme It’s lovely to hear your new house is working out so well for you. Thank you for your update. We’re all hoping to be in your shoes ASAP!!!
@missybear sundowners at 4.30!!! You might need more than a half empty bottle!!! Seriously, have you ever thought of making a special non alcoholic cocktail in place of wine on a FD. I make a soda, kombucha and bitters as my treat!!
@stitchincarol That’s a lot of shovelling!! I would feel virtuous too!!
My fractures have a wire cemented in place with bone chips in the knuckle area plus a T shaped plate secured by 7 screws between the knuckle and the first joint. The bone that fits into the knuckle joint was shattered into multiple pieces. This is the area that hasn’t healed properly and until it does I can’t move it. The ‘brace’ I’m wearing immobilises the knuckle. Because I can’t grip anything or lift anything heavy on top of two months of immobility, the tendons and muscles have stiffened up in my hand, wrist and arm. I have just started using wrist weights to help and have got some new finger exercises (eg bending fingers forward to make a fist without bending the knuckles). I have a different splint at night to straighten the finger to stop the muscles shortening further. Does this explain it?
@northgeorgia You’re going great guns!! Good on you!!
@jaifaim Yeah!! Someone has at last had a Woosh this month!! I’m drooling thinking about Irish Guinness 😁
@penz The Swedish Valhunds are like a Corgi Dinosaur. They are Viking dogs and have that attitude – bossy, bolshie, barky and do their best to manipulate you… They’re cattle dogs so like to nip your ankles when exited!!
Well done @molij. That’s what we like to hear!!!
@flourbaby Keep that focus going… You’re on a roll… and that’s not a sourdough joke!!
@ccco Well done you!!! You’re certainly putting a lot of effort in to FDs. I hope it pays off for you this month.
@funshipfreddie What can I say but twit twoo. Gorgeous!!!
@excelsior12309 Where for art thou?!!
I’ve had toast and m’lade for breakfast, a date scone then a big sandwich for lunch and this evening I’m taking the boys out for dinner… Lucky I have a FD coming up tomorrow…

Onward and downward….