Hmmm, somehow I don’t think red wine is going to be my answer, P. 🙂 Tempting as it might be. Down to 13 degrees, at 7pm! Another cold night tonight.
This topic contains 11,627 replies, has 174 voices, and was last updated by hermajtomomi 6 months, 3 weeks ago.
Oh, PVE, we loved Pride. It was a very good film of true events! Although the main actors were not Welsh their accents were spot on. Far too often we hear exaggerated sing-song! Imelda Staunton was just like my mother – another campaigner and worker. The Miners’ Strike was a horrible period to live through. Thatcher’s deliberate destruction of the respectable working class. And anyone to objectedbwas termed ‘the enemy within’.
Barata, sounds like it would for us moving to Cornwall. A mov is always stressful so I imagine that’s not helping your sleep problems. Is Super Rugby a league? The cream of rugby clubs? No Six Nations this weekend. OH will be toddling off to our club, but I’ll be on pick-up duty, no doubt.
Pol.
Well, WE do have the O***ge O** and we are not happy. The testimony in Congress last week was stunning, but we’ll see where it leads. People talk of impeachment as if it can be done in a month and all is well. Noooo — the process would take years and by then it will be election time again. I’m all for investigations — criminal, financial, whatever — but I don’t think this will get to impeachment.
And then there’s Brexit. Pol, Herm: do you have your Brexit Box all supplied? I hear such dire things about food supplies for the UK. Memories of Y2K. Do you think they will get this worked out in time? Will the UK stay or will it go? Hard? or Soft?
Pol, when do you leave for new Jersey? We just had 6+” of snow, but I don’t know how much Princeton got. Polar Vortex is coming down for the week. new Jersey included.
PVE, your crustless salmon quiche sounds delicious. Perfect with a salad. Yes, we here in the distant NH hear rumblings about your government.
Barata, ‘down to 13. Another cold night.’ 13C = 55 F. We’ll get that in April, sometimes. That will be the temperature in Brittany and Normandy France when we visit in early may. Right now the temp here = 20 F which is -6.6 C. And tonight the temps will be down to about -15 C. You wanna talk ‘cold’?! Your weather will be so much more balmy when you move North. Sounds nice.
Happy Mardi Gras. We ate Jambalaya last night for dinner. Even tho it is my Fasting Recipe, the rice prevented me from losing weight yesterday. ODh lost 1 pound. Today for breakfast I made my version of my husband’s grandmother’s Fastnachts. I say ‘my version’ since parts of her recipe are illegible and I refuse to fry them in deep lard. They turned out rather well this year. ODH was pleased.
have a good week.
We fly on 19th of March, fasting. Hope we don’t have a repeat of last year. There was a bit of snow when we talked to the boys on Sunday. OH is obsessed with bl***dy Brexit and convinced that there’ll be serious shortages. Crossing fingers that he’s wrong
We ate out in a lovely Indian restaurant last night, 50% off voucher, so everyone ate too much. So definitely no pancakes tonight. Top of wriggle room!
I’m off for a facial shortly. The second of a two for one offer. 😄.
Hope everyone is ticking over well.
I confess, fasting, that this is the very first time I’ve heard the phrase “Brexit box”. I can’t help thinking that someone is trying to make a fast buck out of people who are panicking about the possible fallout of Brexit. I’ve just had a look at a website offering such goodies, namely a barrel-full of the sort of stuff you would take to your bunker in the event of threatened nuclear attack.
We lived in Switzerland for a while, where our block of flats, like most others, had nuclear fallout shelters in the cellar, where residents stashed emergency food supplies. The fact that nearly every shelter was stuffed with tins of beans – Heinz and others – gave us both cause for concern and a few giggles. 🙂
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Remainer. From the age of about 12, I’ve regarded myself as European rather than British. It’s what happens to a stroppy pre-teen surrounded by xenophobes. It’s probably what eventually led me to become a good enough linguist to make a living from working with European languages.
My OH blethers on about Brexit, this despite the fact he is preaching to the converted. I’m sick of the whole shebang. I’ve done my bit by donating to the various organisations who are trying to find practical ways to get us out of this mess, not least those campaigning for the People’s Vote, which is becoming less and less likely. It is encouraging here in Cambridge, where there was massive support for the Remain campaign, to have a strongly Eurocentric Labour Member of Parliament – as we also had back in London – who is fighting hard for the cause, but he and those like him can only do so much.
Every now and then there is a glimmer of hope that it might not happen and that the Maybug, who couldn’t organise a p*ss-up in a brewery, will admit she has screwed up mightily and will call it a day and take her ball home.
Still, I guess things could be worse. We could have an orange-coloured nutter strutting his stuff and making the world a far more dangerous place.
Fasting, the 13 degrees was at 7pm, cooler temps followed. We are back to summer again, fortunately, but with no rain in the foreseeable I will be having to get the hose out again. The northern climate will be at least five degrees warmer on average, much more bearable than here which can often be the coolest of the main centres, including the south of the South Island!
Confession – I am now four kgs above my lowest weight, and not achieving much movement in the right direction. Depressing, but I am going to the hypnotherapist on Friday to try and address my sleeping issues, and will mention weight as well. I know at 62kgs I am still in a good space, but I could be gooder… We ate out on Sunday night, which never helps. And out again tonight with the ladies – Chinese this time.
Hermaj, how is it that an imposed plebiscite can become binding on the government (if I have that right)? Certainly it wasn’t a people-initiated vote, was it? So you need one of those, now!
Or, Herm, religious nutter pollies who publicly attack the jury over the conviction of our well known paedophile Catholic clergy 😐😐 Appalling!
Monday’s fast gave me a bit of success and retained today, so tomorrow’s should back up the weightloss nicely.
Veg and pork lasagne last night. I LOVE eggplant and sweet pot as the layers.
We are experiencing warm, steamy weather at present. Builds up every day for a storm, but we haven’t had one yet. Minimum of 20 overnight. Max of 35 during the day. P
Barata, as I understand it, a referendum result is merely “advisory”, i.e. to find out how the electorate feel about an issue, and not legally binding. The “leave” result was totally unexpected. David Cameron, who put the show on the road, was expecting that “remain” would be first past the post. And the margin between the two results was far too narrow, and the percentage of electors who bothered to vote either way was relatively low.There is no obligation on the part of the government to follow and vlaiming that they are merely following on the so-called “the will of the people” is just poppycock! Pol, is that the way you understand it? Please correct me if I’m wrong.
P, I agree about the great and good who turn out to be dirty old men (or women who either collude with them or simply let them get on with it) and how their “disciples” get nasty when they are justly brought to book. Sometimes, the world is not a very nice place. 🙁
If you are a Cardinal you have power. 🤨
My understanding, here at least, and our system is based on yours, is that a Referendum is needed to change the Constitution, or the Acts of Parliament in your case, whereas a Plebiscite, as we had on Marriage Equality, is purely an opinion poll which does not need to be acted on. Both still have to be brought to Parliament, discussed and voted on, in both houses, before they become law.
Bedtime…fasting Thursday in the morning. We’ve had our long awaited thunderstorm. The garden is watered, the air clear. 😊😊 P
Hi, Herm, yes, I am with you totally! The whole thing is a farce, leading to potential disaster. We had blatant, proven liars being given a platform to persuade people. The BBC, in its efforts to be balanced, gave equal time and credence to those who took pleasure in dismissing ‘experts’. And why this area voted leave makes me want to cry. Airbus, Vauxhall, Toyota, as well as their related smaller firms are at risk.
I heard about Brexit Boxes on my BBC newsfeed. Sounded odd, since my understanding is that the UK’s biggest import from Europe is fresh produce… not something to stock up on now, is it?
Pol, I didn’t know that Wales went for Leave. How sad. Are people having second thoughts? Is there enough for a groundswell for a new vote?
Herm, at least in Cambridge you have more like-minded people. Anyone up for a People’s March on Parliament?
PVE, the situation with the Cardinals, and bishops, and priests, and all the others is so dreadful. The code of silence is a dreadful thing. At least the rugs are being taken up so that things can’t be swept under them anymore.
Monday’s Fast did nothing to my weight and now I’m heavier yet. Today’s meal won’t help much. Pinning my hopes on Thursday’s Fast.
Surely we all need to focus on happy things– there are many charming chickadees around the feeder. The snow looks beautiful on the lawn. And in 15 days, Polly will be with her American grandsons!
We have had glorious rain all day! The garden, lawn, farmers, fire fighters will all be so pleased. Not so much the cricketers – a test match was to start today at the Basin but was completely washed out. You know it was a slow day at the match when the commentators are counting the seagulls!
And it was a busy day in the B household. I had my hypnotherapist appointment for my sleep issues. He assures me all will be well with just two sessions. Today was the ‘stick’ – if I wake, out of bed and sit on a chair (the naughty chair) for ten minutes, then back to bed, to teach my brain that bed is for sleeping (and the odd other activity 🙂 ). Then next time the ‘carrot’ to give me positive reinforcement for good sleeping habits. Will keep you posted. This afternoon the dishwasher was being replaced at the same time as the fibre installed, lots of men in the house so couldn’t have the soak in the bath I was looking forward to. The dratted dishwasher had an intermittent leak which couldn’t be resolved, and we felt, whether we leave it in the house when we sell, or take it with us, it would be a good idea to replace it.
The kg gained after my Chinese dinner on Wednesday only reduced by 300gms this morning after yesterday’s FD. It seems to be the current story. I did mention it to the therapist, and he agreed with me that good sleep might help to rectify the issue. Here’s hoping.
Have a great weekend, all. 🙂
That rain is a great relief for you Barata. It’s not often we hear the adjective ‘glorious’ applied to rain here! Interesting strategy from your therapist. Sounds sensible, though. Bed is also for reading in my case.
Is the fibre you mention insulation?
Fasting, we were amazed that Wales voted leave, especially as we are a net benefiter, is that a word? I think many people voted against anything Cameron proposed. Only one of our friends, multiple degrees, voted leave. The rubbish that some people out with would amaze you. And, of course, stupid rumours like there will be millions of Turkish people arriving. There was a fear of immigrants promoted.
I’m really fed up with OH, who is well on the way to his old weight. He had a pie and chips in the restaurant last night!
Well Herm has pretty much summed up how I feel! It’s not ‘the will of the people’, it’s the will of roughly half those who voted, and that’s roughly a third of the population. And it is only advisory. Hmmppphhh.
The breakdown of who voted leave is interesting, the research shows its associated with older white people, with lower levels of educational attainment, less use of digital technology, on benefits, poor health, and low levels of life satisfaction. And Conservative rather than Labour voters.
Obviously there will have been some who voted leave who are educated, younger people, who can work a smartphone, and do have a job, and are reasonably happy and healthy… I just haven’t met them yet 😂
Barata! I’m up 2-3 kg too! Shocking level of complacency and inertia on my part. My ‘new week resolution’ from tomorrow is to stop being a greedy 🐷 and get back on it!
The vote resembles the support for the orange one, Happy. White, lesser educated…
I have hopes for the therapy, but also, no more dark chocolate, will cease muesli when I finish the latest batch. The therapist for the first session is trying to get the brain to acknowledge that bed is for sleeping. So I spent 8 x ten minutes on the chair last night… 🙁 and then got to sleep at 6am. Hope to do better tonight.
Fibre is high speed internet, Polly, rather that digestion 🙂
I’ll be interested to know if the therapy works. I’m a light sleeper and regularly have periods of wakefulness in the night. I used to get very anxious about it, worrying how tired I’d be the next day if I didn’t get back to sleep, etc. Now I just lie there in the dark and practice mindfulness and try not to worry about it. Obviously though I’d rather not wake up at all!
I recommend music festivals and LOTS of walking, B! I slept like a log last night!!!
Polly, you’ll laugh. We just sat, out doors, on a stunning day at the Festival listening to a Welsh instrumental group. They were terrific, but claimed our weather was exactly the same as at home, NOT!
Adelaide is perfect for this wonderful festival as it is dry and not humid, even with a relatively warm day. The thousands of happy people everywhere are testament. Mind you, the healthy diet went a bit wobbly tonight 😉😉P
I so sympathise with you, Barata and Happy, and your sleep problems. My own problem is not so much insomnia as delayed sleep phase syndrome – usually associated with teenagers – which means my body is unwilling to nod off until 4 a.m. or wake up until noon. In the main, it doesn’t matter too much. As a freelance translator, no one cares when I do the work, as long as I deliver before the deadline, which I never fail to do. However, if there’s a train to catch or someone to meet, it is a distinct disadvantage, especially as I remain brain dead for at least 2 hours after waking.
HOWEVER, OH recently read something on line about yogurt before bedtime, while a friend recommended adding oatbran, which apparently is a natural soporific. Believe it or not, it works! On a fast day I reserve a few calories so that I can have the Greek yogurt, bran and a dash of honey (can’t stand unsweetened yog) before going to bed. I go to sleep within 20 minutes or so and am just about compos mentis on awakening – as long as I don’t have to talk.
As for hypnosis, I’ve only used it once, but it did the trick. It was when my brain decided to go on strike in the run-up to BA finals. I couldn’t revise, or even set my files in order. I had problems even getting out of bed or putting one foot in front of the other. I’d never had exam nerves before and dreaded failing spectacularly. I was recommended to a hypnotist, a delightful softly-spoken Australian guy.
Immediately after the first session I walked for over an hour across central London then, on arriving home, I got my papers in order. With subsequent sessions, I was able to revise very effectively, then sit through and even enjoy the exams. Once they were over, I collapsed in a heap and slept on and off for a week. I wound up with a good II.1, thanks to the work of the kind Antipodean.
Sleep issues, Brexit woes, husbands, and the weather — a typical week for this group!
Barata, your hypnotherapy sounds so interesting. ODH and #2Son both have sleep issues. I sleep like a brick. Hope this works for you and that you’ll spend less and less time in the naughty chair. Glad you got the needed rain — always such a relief. As for “what bed is for”: I was having physical therapy for a lower back pain, administered by a martinet with a German accent. When I told her that sitting up in bed reading was sometimes painful, she said, “You are no longer a young woman. Bed is only for sleep!!” I guess the ‘other odd activity’ was supposed to be relegated to the kitchen table? the hearth rug?
Cold air this week — needed the wood stove at night to augment the Geothermal. So jolly to have breakfast with the wood stove throwing heat into the dining room. Today and the following week should be lots warmer, so I’ll assemble all the Tree-Tapping equipment and we will essay a tap or two. The max we do these days is 5, but we haven’t decided how many to do this year. Tapping is the ‘start of Spring’ in northern New England. Sap ought to run well this week with temps in the low 40s [5-7 C] predicted.
Goodness, Herm, that was quite a harrowing tale of ‘exam nerves’! Glad it turned out well in the end.
I hear that in 2020, we’ll all need a Visa to travel to the EU. Gracious — a real ‘foreign country’! Here’s an odd thing. My ODH has a wine/food blog. The website [WordPress] tells you how many people visited and which country they come from. Several times “European Union” has come up as a country!! What does that mean? He has also had the Isle of Mann and the Isle of Jersey come up as separate countries.
Thursday was a good Fast. And Friday night I sneaked in a Fast Dinner for both of us. Since we always have seafood on Fridays, it isn’t difficult to make the calories under 300. The menu included plantains, which we’d never done before. they were sliced and oven-roasted with just a brushing of olive oil. And they were good! Weight now is where it should be, but ODH is climbing… Muffin tops when he fastens his blue jeans. He is happy with his weight, but he seems to want to cut down on Simple Carbs. We’ll see how long we can keep that up.
Have a great weekend.
Barata, very interested to hear how the hypnotherapy goes. I can understand cutting out chocolate but what does the muesli have to do with sleeping or have I got my wires crossed 😂
I generally sleep fine but like the idea of the oat bran and yoghurt hermaj, that’s a new one to me.
I had poorer sleeping habits a few years ago when I was right in the middle of the whole menopause thing and used to get really anxious as you mention Happy, about not sleeping but needing to perform well at work the next day. Finally I worked out Sunday night was always a difficult night, obviously linked to the start of the working week the next day and started taking 1/4 of an antihistamine on the advice of a nursing friend. It worked well but I always felt quite foggy for a long while the next day.
On a brighter note, I met Mr and Mrs PVE over breakfast today while they’re visiting our city! Had a lovely breakfast and so nice to meet face to face, adds another dimension! 😊
Wires crossed, Carol – the muesli and chocolate are to reduce carbs to try and reverse this kg creep. My sleeping issues stemmed from the menopause era, with waking up hot. I still wake up hot if I have had sugar with or after dinner. You would think I would have learned from this…
We have a great cyber community, and meeting the members does, as you say, add another dimension!
I woke up at exactly the same time this morning (thanks for the snoring, OH!!), so was back on and off my chair for the next two hours. I limited it to that, stayed in bed after that and successfully went back to sleep – whether that was coincidence, successful brain-training, or I was just so tired… time will tell.
Barata, I thought maybe the muesli was connected to the weight loss. 😊
I’m the same as you with sugar but also get aching in bed at night now when I’ve eaten ‘too much’ sugar (which isn’t much these days, seem to have become more sensitive or just eating less sugar and body reacts adversely to a slight increase).
It’s wine o’clock Purple! 😂
Oops, I’ve a lot to catch up with! A Welsh instrumental group – what a coincidence, especially when we’re more into singing! And a wine festival, to boot.
It’s interesting that you, PVE and Carol met. Was it at the festival.
The sleep strategies are intriguing, too. I’m another who thought that muesli was contributing to insomnia. I certainly could not give up reading in bed. I like to make the bed cosy and read for about an hour, usually when OH has chosen to watch something dreadful, like Match of the Day! I’m waking up worrying about my aged aunt at the moment. She’s resisting everything we try to do. She thinks the two wicked nieces are trying to ‘put her into a home’. We are, but a comfortable one, where she’ll be looked after, kept safe and enjoy her remaining years.
OH was ashamed of himself after Thursday and has buckled down to 5:2 again. There was a big charity match at our rugby club before the Wales v Scotland match, with huge potential for indulgence, liquid and food. But no, he walked down, watched the charity game and contributed, then walked back. No food, although I suspect he had a pint.
I was in top wriggle room this morning, so a careful day needed. Ireland v France this afternoon!
Pol 🙋🏼
Good on him. Obviously he has learnt a thing or two about willpower, Poll. 😉
I let Carol know we’d be in her town so she organised to meet up. It’s nice to put a face to a name. Carol is a fine rep for 5:2. 😊😊
I’m living in Wonderland re weight this week as the scales in our rental are an old analogue set, not made for the sight impaired 😂😂 Mind you, we are walking miles every day, so we can’t be too far off the mark. P
Update on my sleep therapy: I have just had the worst few nights! Every night I am on the chair for at least two hours, am limiting it to this now, but can take an hour or two to get back to sleep after that. Strangely, I am not particularly tired. And I have read recently that there is no proven causal link between sleep deprivation and weight gain, still so much to learn.
I am reading Lierre Keith’s ‘The Vegetarian Myth’. It should be compulsory reading for everyone on the planet, one of the most profound gathering of information regarding diet and sustainability I have come across, written by one who spent twenty years as a vegan and almost killed herself. Very sobering.
Oh, Barata — I feel so sad about your sleeplessness. Often people talk about how menopausal women need less sleep and have ‘more energy’. Sounds to me as if they are not sleeping so they get up and get busy rather than lying in bed. Not sure that’s a strategy. My mother used to drink Port before bed. I get into bed between 10:30 and 11:00 and read on the iPad until midnight. [at the latest. sometimes i fall asleep before that] and then wake up at about 7 am. I do still take my Tincture of Motherwort daily. 13 drops in 8 oz water. If I woke up the night before, I’ll do 14 drops. It really works for me. I do hope you’ll find what you need, B, to sleep well.
Pol, glad your OH is back on the wagon. I’m trying to convince mine to be more mindful of Simple Carbs. He eats them without thinking — sort of in default mode. I’ve been writing down how many carbs he has eaten this week, mostly to see if there is any cause-and-effect that I can point out to him. Sadly [or not] I haven’t seen any. Did you walk to writer’s group after all? I was going to walk to Ladies of Skein this morning, but it is 3 miles and I’m still sore from Monday’s gym session. Don’t know. Such a problem with your elderly Aunt. I’ve been wondering what sort of future faces me. Will I be able to get the in-home assistance to be able to remain in our house? That area should get better as our generation ages. I hope.
PVE, hope all that good walking will show some results when you get back to your home scales. Or are you drinking wine while walking? Friends gave us a ‘water bottle’ that is designed to hold wine. Now when would we ever use that? “5 mile hike today, and don’t forget the wine for hydration!” ??
Carolann, how neat that you and PVE could get together! That sounds like such fun. I know: we could all meet at some location and invite Michael/Mimi too!
Fasting tomorrow.
Ha😂😂 F-M! Walking with wine would be disastrous for me as I have such a low tolerance since I lost weight. 😐 Mr P, however, always judges eating spots by the availability of a glass of wine.
Of course, we had reusable wine cups at the Festival, but the queues and price tend to limit your drinking 😉😉
We stocked up well for our current location, an island, as we didn’t want to be caught short. And we’ll HAVE to drink it all before we fly home 😉😉
Lots more walking here too, to see the wildlife and natural features. Seals, sea lions, dolphins and birds, from wrens to wedge-tail eagles, abound. Fabulous. And our accommodation has full cooking facilities for eating well. P
Barata, your sleep problems sound horrendous! Sitting on your own on a chair for half the night! 😡🙁
I’m wondering – sleeplessness and weight gain – have doctors checked your vitamin B levels or thyroid?
Re the muesli – I think I have proved now that not eating any grains at all causes another small weight drop for me. I’ve lost the past 2 days but had oats for breakfast today so waiting to see what the scales say tomorrow and if they’re up, think I can safely say my theory has some merit.
Back to the sleeplessness – I had a shocking night last night but due to me worrying about my dear old dad who’s starting to fade fast. I took a melatonin which did nothing, so then I tried the warm milk with oat bran trick and that worked! I can’t recall who recommended that but Thankyou! The taste took me back to my childhood and the porridge mum used to make us for breakfast 💕
Carol, it may have been me, at least partly. I was recommending oat bran with yogurt, but I imagine warm milk would be just as effective, especially when it is also a happy reminder of childhood. Glad it worked for you, as it does for me, most of the time. Two nights ago it decided not to. 🙁 I eventually went to sleep around 4 a.m. Fortunately there were no deadlines to be met.
Sorry to hear about your dad. As P advises, do look after yourself at the very difficult time.
Fasting_me, if I didn’t still work full time I think a glass of port at bedtime would be a fine thing! Possibly with a sliver of Stilton cheese 😀
P, your trip away sounds amazing as usual! And great that you met up with Carol, you’ve certainly managed to collect a lot of 5:2ers on your travels.
Carol, so sorry to hear about your Dad. Mine’s in his late 80s, and generally in good health, but getting noticeably madder. I was also unfortunate enough recently to be a passenger with him driving… think I’ll volunteer to drive in future!!
Hmm, Barata, I’m not sure that book is a particularly profound gathering of information… unless you think that ‘facts’ gathered from Wikipedia and the web constitute substantive evidence. Read it by all means, but with a pinch of salt please!
I’m still in the 62s! I know why, because I’ve been complacent! I am going to have to get tough and do 5:2 again AND rein in non-fast day eating too ☹️
Yes Herm, it was you! I got the yoghurt mixed up with milk – maybe I’ll try the yoghurt tonight.
Yes the ageing parent is a real problem Happy, even though I’m happy I’ve still got him.
Good point Barata re soft target. I couldn’t understand why they’d choose innocent little NZ. So much hate in the world.
Nutters pop up in every society, F-M. No fathoming the thinking of such crazies.
Our gun laws are far stricter after a gun massacre many years ago. NZ is now going to change their’s, too. So tragic that it takes deaths to make authorities understand.
The world is waiting for the US to wake up to the very real danger all guns pose.
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