You and I are same height and similar weight Happy and I don’t think we’re skeletal, just slim! 😊

P, I’ll be taking leaves off the lawn at the weekend… ? 😀

As everything is greening up for you, it’s turning brown, russet and red here. I hope your drought-stricken farmers and wildlife are getting the water and new growth they so desperately need?

And thanks for the kind words! I was beginning to think I could just put a white catsuit on for Halloween fancy dress as a skeleton…! 💀👻

I think we should all put together a travel site: The View From My Window. It would be very popular!
We had a ‘white frost’ last night — not what I’d call ‘St Luke’s Summer.’ Black Frost coming this weekend, right on time. We still have some colorful maple leaves on trees, despite yesterday’s strong winds, but the oaks haven’t colored up yet. That’s pretty too.

Fasting: “Hangtown Fry” for breakfast was a hit: eggs scrambled with bacon and oysters. Chicken Quesadillas tonight for dinner. A favorite.

Hermaj!

Congratulations on dipping under 10 stone! You might not be BMI under 25, but I suspect that’s a bit acadenic when you’ve been BMI 35. You should be justifiably pleased with what you’ve achieved 👏 🥇

Well, herm! Congratulations! Half a stone over is nothing, especially as you’ve reduced your BMI so much. Are you still on any medication?

I agree a bit of weight – especially on the face is good. I looked gaunt in those pics where my young colleague called me ‘Skeletor’ and I look dreadful in my 50Th birthday photos. A thin face is a pain and can be very ageing.

View from my window is lovely today. Autumn colours and, looking across the valley, to the church tower and Bailey Hill, an old motte and Bailey castle, is beautiful. Too many conifers planted to the view from the front good.

I’ve just indulged in a walnut whip while the cat’s away at rugby. We won the U3A quiz last night; it was a prize! 😁

Great accomplishment, Herm! Well done. Keep up the good work.

Polly, your view sounds delightful. What trees do you have there in Wales that turn colors? I know you do have colorful trees, just wondering which varieties they are. Our color comes from Sugar Maples + Red Maples mostly. Then the Oaks chime in with russet.
There have been record-breaking rains this summer, with some roads in our area still washed out. No personal problems.

But isn’t it true that women with slender faces are said to have ‘good bone structure’?

happy weekend.

Well done Herm!!!! You little beauty!!! I KNEW you could do it! It’s such a thrill to take control yourself and walk away from the negativity of others.
Keep up the vigilance 🙂🤗😏😊P

Thank you, fasting, and thank you both, Fast and Purple, along with Happy some of my kindest and supporters and putters-up with my whinging over the years.

From now on, I’ll worry less about trying to lose more, although I wouldn’t break down and cry if another kilo were to disappear. The main aim will be to stay hovering a bit below 139 lbs like a real maintainer.

Our posts crossed, Carolann. Thank you, too, for your kind words. It does help having the support of such lovely people.

Ha ha, walnut whips. I’ve not eaten one for perhaps 20 years. Slightly more acceptable than a Creme Egg I guess…!

Hermaj,

You HAVE been a real maintainer for many years already! You might not have been quite at your goal weight for all those years, but you lost a lot weight and at least maintained that weight loss.

I’m a frowner too when I’m concentrating ☹️ I need to remember to smile when I’m focusing to prevent my forehead creasing….

Fasting_me,

I suspect all our broad-leaved trees turn colour in the autumn as they prepare for winter. The colourful display is often ruined by storms and high winds though! Looking out from my window, trees in various colours from green through yellow to orange, red and brown include ash, sycamore, apple, hazel, hawthorn, cherry, maple, willow, damson and medlar. Not many oaks where we are so I can’t comment on them.

Happy Anniversary Polly! How many years?

On the subject of trees, the Rowan leaves are a stunning bright red, and I also forgot to mention horse chestnut and beech putting on a fine display at the moment!

Gosh, the trees sounds beautiful! I’ll always remember being absolutely stunned by the green of the trees on our first visit to England! Our green here is more of a bluey, grey green but we do have the most amazing eucalyptus smell with our gum trees.

The sunset sounds amazing Purple, there have been some beauties lately!

I suspect a walnut whip is another one of those ‘memory foods’ FFS, never taste as good as you remember them 😞

Happy anniversary Polly 💐🍾

as Happy said Hermaj, you are definitely a maintainer!

We spent our Monday fast driving from the grazing land high in the ranges, dropping down along winding forest roads through massive eucalypt forests, the trees hung with lush vines, the forest floor supporting tall tree ferns and palms. The sound of bell birds echoing through the valleys. We emerged from the forest into more lush dairy country, criss crossed by swollen creeks and rivers, to the coast. Stunning 27 deg day as we wandered in and out of a range of coastal resort areas with golden sand, blue blue sea and rolling breakers. Great to be alove! P

We lost our Rowman last year, unfortunately. I do love autumn, but hate winter. Barata and Purple, your descriptions sound wonderful. Beautiful spring with promise of more warmth.

Carol, you are spot on about the walnut whip! Some years ago we discovered packets of Angel Delight in on of the cheap chain stores which have appeared here. We bought a couple of packets with glee. It was vile! Tasted of hydrogenous fat.

We’ve been married for an unbelievable 51 years! 😲😲. I’m far too young!

Hiya Bay 😊👋
So wonderful you are still “with” us! We’ve all come a long way sinxe 2013 together, haven’t we?
All the best to you and Mr B. 😉😉
P

Good morning from NH.
We awoke to a bright, sunny, sub-freezing day, with the light brilliant on the remaining yellow leaves. Reading about the natural beauty of all your various regions was wonderful — I did my best to imagine what it looked like. Nature at her best. Those views inspire me to keep going and to stay healthy so I can continue to get outside and enjoy.

ODH is having a great morning, feeling energetic — which is unusual lately given his various ills. We will go for a walk and then he visits a new physical therapist to embark on a special program.

Happy Anniversary to Pol and Mr Pol.
Herm, your improved vision is a marvel!

Somehow I have gained 3 pounds! Grrr. Not happy. Tho I was happy enough eating last night’s sauerbraten with potato pancakes [a mini Oktoberfest] followed by apple pie. But really — 3 pounds?!?
Fasting today, of course. Eggs with queso fresco and chorizo pate for breakfast [flavors of the Azores]
and tonight BLT Sandwiches to take advantage of some lovely end-of season tomatoes.

Hope you each have a fine day.

Bay! How lovely of you to return specially to cheer me on. Thank you for your kind words.

You were most certainly not forgotten. In fact, I was thinking of you a couple of days ago when I mentioned how I became aware of the wonderful autumn colours in the Antipodes. It was through an exchange with you that I realised that New England definitely didn’t get the matter of fall foliage all its own way.

We’ve been in Cambridge nearly a year. Of course, there were a lot of initial hiccups, but all in all, it has proved to be a wise move. The house has its faults but it really feels like home and it’s wonderful to have a garden after many years of no direct access to the outside. Cambridge is a beautiful city with its glorious architecture and wide green spaces and although we live out of the centre, we can reach it by a usually reliable bus in about 12 minutes. Driving isn’t always a good idea as parking can be a problem. Provided the trains behave themselves, it’s only an hour or so to London.

One of the reasons to move was to be closer to family and/or to have the space to invite those living further away to stay with us. It used to be a family joke with my lot that arranging visits between London and the Suffolk-Essex border was like organising the D-Day landings. Now a quick “can we pop round?” phone call or, for more major meetings, a couple of days’ notice is enough.

Pol, Happy, fasting and all you lovely leaf-peepers. Cambridge is still lagging a bit behind when it comes to autumn colours, possibly because of the nature of the trees and, according to Him Indoors, it may be that it hasn’t been cold enough to produce any dramatic effect. Could he be right? I have to say, though, that in the last day or so there have been some subtle colour changes. But what I really want to see are a nice range of reds.

Hi everyone
Many thanks for the welcome. 😄😄

Hermaj
Great to hear that life in Cambridge has turned out well. I think maybe Mr H is correct. You may not have had cold enough weather to get the deep red leaves. Most of our tree colours are on oak trees, pinoaks, Japanese maples, prunus, and in particular, the glorious crimson of Manchurian pear trees.

Cheers, all, Bay 🌳👀🍁🍂🍁🍁

Sorry, to disappoint, Barata, but there ain’t no reds – or whites for that matter – in the wine rack, at least not in my section. I used to enjoy the odd glass, but that was before I finally managed to quit smoking way back in 2002, on my 10th attempt to kick the ciggies.

Giving up smoking is supposed to affect one’s taste buds, in a good way. Not for me, I fear. Both red wine and G&T, my other preferred tipple, started to taste revolting. And they still do. I still cook with wine, though. One major advantage is that keeping off the sauce does leave me with quite a few calories to play with for the odd treat, especially of the dark chocolate kind.

Getting back to autumn colours, although Cambridge is a bit behind schedule with the leaves, we do have some wonderful displays of Rowan berries on large trees planted alongside the road close to home.

👍🙏🏻 FFS

Fisguspam? Disguise spam?!

I always message JJ straight away and never discuss! 😉

That’s what yoi get when you mix fruit and electronics, Polly 😉🍎⚡

Maybe because 60 kg is already light,how tall are you?

Happy, I’m the same! Have noticed sometimes no drop after FD or a small drop and then a bit more of a drop 2 days after but not getting below first trigger point very often these days. Traditionally, Thursday has always been my lowest day but the past few weeks I’ve gone higher than the Wednesday. No idea why any of this is happening, I am being very vigilant. I did a 16:8 today in addition to my FD hoping that might give me a bit of a kick start.

Only one different thing I have noted is a recent redistribution of weight to back of hips and stomach. I’ve always had a little pot belly since my hysterectomy but now it’s an obvious stomach. Some of my clothes are starting to feel a tad uncomfortable around that tummy area because of that. I recently had a colonoscopy – couldn’t be due to gas or whatever it is they pump into you during such a procedure could it? It’s all getting quite depressing!

Polly, sorry about the brekkie. So hard to stop once the hunger genie awakens!