Monday 18 March 2024

Sad news

I've had some very sad news  that a friend of 63 years has died, so I won't be blogging for a couple of days. 

I will be switching off commenting for that time too

Many thanks for the replies to my previous post.

Chrisxx

Sunday 17 March 2024

Blogging questions.


This is how I think of blogging; people write their stories and others respond and it brings happiness; well it does to me. So why do some people, who comment not have a blog, what do they get out of it?

I like to visit the blogs of people who leave a comment, but many don't have a blog.. and then there's the anonymous commentators, why? What are you afraid of, why can't you sign your name?

But then there are also those people who suddenly decide to start afresh and only certain people are allowed to see their blog or even on some, only certain people are allowed to comment?

And what about the ones who used to comment and then stop, have I offended them, written something they didn't like or thought it was out of order in some way?

But I value all of you who do comment and I do try to read your blog too, so please don't stop! Sometimes believe it or not us retired people have busy weeks. The days fly by and in an evening my weariness over comes me and I hit that 'Nadia' moment, and I can't get myself to write. For those of you who don't know, I can only type with my left hand, so sometimes its pretty slow!

But I shall carry on, because I like blogging and I love reading other peoples' blogs. Why do you blog?

Chrisxx

Saturday 16 March 2024

Why did you decide.....

 .....that you wanted to lose weight? Just one of the questions that was asked in Slimming World this morning.

My first reason wasn't health, but the 95% of clothes I have that don't fit me any more. I haven't always been fat, but in 1988 I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid and my weight gain started there.  I stayed a healthy weight till 2015, maybe just a little more than I had been, ie. size 14 instead of 10/12. Then I broke my arm, my life as it had been, ended. I avoided doing things that caused me pain, the less I did,  the less I wanted to do, and then it was a case of I couldn't do it. I gained weight!

After each operation on my arm,  4 over a period of 3 years, I was back to square one on the road to recovery. I gained weight.

I became paranoid of tripping up and falling again, so I stopped rushing around, walked slowly, got a walking stick to help me and didn't walk as much. I gained more weight!

With lockdown I was anxious, couldn't sleep and I had a few over balancing episodes. My Dr at the time, said she thought it was because my right arm being still, prevented me from balancing and I was always tired. So I bought my 'wheels' called Rhet Butler, because he is so handsome!  And in that second lockdwn, we hardly went anywhere.. staying indoors that time was the worst and I gained even more weight. This was my worst gain!

But instead of getting back into SW, I bought bigger sized clothes, fatal! So now I had clothes that fitted me and I stopped trying.. so basically I want to lose weight to wear some of those lovely clothes that no longer fit me at all... and now I also need to lose weight for my health.

No one is stopping me, so I have to get back into the 'mode' and I can do it.. I don't like a lot of chocolate, don't drink alcohol and my biggest craving is fried foods, and cakes, so we don't fry or bake,  and I can even go without toast! Dh cooks all SW meals and we don't buy foods that tempt us, so we are both back on plan having had a gain because we had 2 weeks off. No more Welsh cakes, or fish n chips and definitely no more Victoria Sponge! (Left after my birthday) And with my wheels I walk quite confidently and quite a distance, altho this wet winter weather has been a bit of a stop-start walking out.

Have you ever really asked yourself why you want to do something; do you need/want to lose weight?


Chrisxx

Friday 15 March 2024

What's was the best advice you were ever given.

I was once asked what the best advice I was given and without pausing I said.. 'Get a good education.'
And in part this woman was responsible for my education.
She was the Head Teacher of St Clares' school, that my aunt paid for me to go to.
She was Sister Mary Bernadine. I absolutely loved her, and would do anything to please her. She had a bit of a soft spot for me knowing my history, that my mother had died when I was 2 years.
 
She taught French and English and I often got told off for not knowing my French verbs, and had smacks with a ruler on my hand! They were gentle taps, but I excelled at English. 

I loved every day in that school and remember how we used to sit in the orchard and read Keats aloud to each other. Can you imagine 14 or 15 year old girls reading poetry in these days; they were happy days for me.

It was Sister Mary Bernadine who suggested I became a nurse as she said  I had a caring nature. I wanted to go to Art College, but my Grandmother wouldn't allow it, so I went into Nursing and trained at Cardiff Royal Infirmary to become a nurse.  I did go back to see Sister Bernadine after I'd left school and she hugged me and wanted to hear all about my nursing.

 I'm a member of the School FB group, although most of the members there, were in school in the sixties and seventies and later, but they all speak of Sister Bernadine with great affection. I am still  in touch with one girl, I've written about her and us going to dances together.  Best years of my younger life and that education allowed me to get a Degree when I was 38 and became a teacher..and the pension has allowed me to live comfortably. So it was very good advice, 'Thank you Aunty Glad.'

What was the best advice you were given?

Chrisxx

Thursday 14 March 2024

Just a 'bimble' day!

 Some days Dh and I can 'bimble' away our days. Yesterday was one of those days. We changed the bedding, I did my 'tiara' job and after we'd unloaded the dishwasher, Dh tided the kitchen, I did the lounge and we decided that was enough housework for the day, altho there was still the 'chair' in the lounge to do.. its not a loaded chair like the bedroom, but the dining room table! We seem to fill it with stuff; a jigsaw, which we were going to do but didn't, a Welsh dictionary, you never know when you might want to look something up, note book- new, seeds, ready in case I get the urge to do something with them, library books I've read, and some napkins nicely ironed by Dh. We must clear it up, rather than push the stuff to one side when we actually use it to eat! One day we will!

It was very cold outside, so a 'bimble' day was all we managed!

Having read 'The Women,' I've been stuck at what to read so I have been looking at new books and on checking a FB group, I came across some choices of other people and one woman had just been gifted these...as a surprise present from her hubby.


I loved Enid Blyton, but I wouldn't want these now, I don't rely on Dh reading my mind, but ask outright. I wonder if she had asked for them?
Chrisxx

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Tuppa Ware; Avon; Pippa Dee; and others!!

We fell off the SW plan over the weekend so we needed meals this week that we really liked, to get us back in the 'mode.'  So last night we had this...moussaka


Dh was been busy in the kitchen, all morning making it and adapting the recipe to suit our SW food plan, so the house smelt delish.

I first had this at a Whole Foods house party. They served it with brown rice. Two women had set up the House Party business together. The one was recovering from an op having been diagnosed with cancer and this was their way to make a living. 
They prepared it all in front of us, but had a ready cooked one that the Hostess heated up in her oven.( no micro waves this was the 1970s) Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed it and bought the ingredients and pkt of brown rice and the recipe and I've been making it ever since.

Did you go to of those product selling parties or even hosted one?
I hosted a Pippa Dee party which was lingerie, not the sexy stuff and one spaghetti strap nightie I bought, I wore as a dress! The man who was in part the success of Pippa Dee, George Davies, went on to Next, M&S, George at Asda..  a multimillionaire and I helped him get there by doing the Pippa Dee parties!!

Of course there's the most well known home selling product, Tuppa ware, I bought loads and also later in 2004 I bought a food chopper from  Pampered Chef and still have it.  
I never went to an Avon party, but did go to another make up one, called Oriflame and loved their make up.
I wonder did any of you bloggers host a home product selling party or went to one? Which one was it?
Chrisxx

Tuesday 12 March 2024

Family.

 With all the controversy about that photo, I didn't write about my own Mothering Sunday. 

I did have some lovely cards and flowers, but as well as that, long chatty phone calls. (not from my youngest son, but that's how its been for quite a few years)

My daughter brought me up to date about my grand children, who are all doing well. Its just like all grand mothers, we like 'news' its so lovely to hear how they are all doing. Of course my youngest grandson had already told me about himself and his brother, but since then, my grand daughter has announced that she's going to India for a month with her firm. So very exciting news for her, as a Chartered Accountant she has done really well. She always did well in school and then in Uni so we're all very pleased for her.

My middle son is well now after having a triple bi-pass last year. It was a nightmare, but it was a successful op and we were very grateful that he was able to get an op as quickly as he did, what with the present state of the NHS and waiting lists. He lives in W. Wales so we'll be meeting up in the near future.

My eldest son always phones and we do spend a lot of time on the phone, hours in fact.  He developed Crohns when he was in Uni and had to drop out. He did have extensive surgery and is well now, but those years when he was ill were very difficult, in fact to see him lose so much weight was hell. He looked like a skeleton for years, weighing less than 7st. and 5ft 11 tall. All his clothes hung off him. When he was in hospital, I used to phone in the mornings and then went in to the hospital straight after work. I took all the school books I had to mark and did them there beside his bed. His op was such that he wasn't allowed to eat or drink for 8 days. He had a some bad days, and one time when I got there two other patients, who were in the side ward with him were very upset, as was my son. He'd asked could he have a cup of tea mouth wash and of course he was told 'no' so was in floods of tears. But he recovered and now could lose some weight! He broke up with his girl friend a while ago and is so by himself. I wish he could find a nice girl friend, but he works as a photographer at racing tracks, so not the hours to suit a regular girl friend. He is a very nice young man and has that quality of being able to talk to people and put them at ease. 

Strange when I'm with my grown up children, I feel younger even though I'm old! But I'm always very proud of them.

Chrisxx


Monday 11 March 2024

PS:Re happy photo

 I had prepared this post last night, so the whoo-ha about the photo hadn't arisen. Has it been photo shopped? Evidently to the experts it has.

But I would ask not that has it been altered, but why did the family feel the need to publish a photo of the princess and the children ? Perhaps to quash the many rumours hitting the headlines, from Kate..... is more ill than it has been published to she and William have split up!

Personally I think they just wanted to show that Kate is ok and recovering slowly from her operation.

As a mother of a son who had extensive surgery for Crohns disease. To me Kate's very slim figure hinted at more than just diet and exercise. An illness like that  would necessitate surgery.. but for what ever reason why Kate needed surgery it is her own business. Just hope it wasn't serious and all is well with her now.

I'm sad that the Royals felt the need to alter the photograph, but perhaps it was just to have all three children smiling, eyes open and looking straight at the camera. 

I did wonder about the tree behind them, because it is in leaf and none of our trees are.. was the picture trans posed on to the outside view?

    As long as the Princess is well and recovering, I for one love to see them as a family smiling and happy and wish them all good wishes and a happy life.

Chrisxx

Such a happy photograph

 


This the latest photo of Princess of Wales, Catherine, since the announcement of her hospital stay. I do follow the Royal Family, so I'm delighted to see her looking well and smiling.

All three children are beautiful as is she. Growing up fast and always looking very royal, although I think we were all amused by Louis's antics at the late Queen's parade. He was obviously bored and caused his family quite a lot of discomfort being very much a bored little boy!

So I am very pleased, as many will be, to see that this photo that has been released, taken it seems by William. They are indeed a lovely family.

Even if you're not a Royalist, you can't deny this is a super photograph!

Chrisxx 

Sunday 10 March 2024

Yikes fleas!!


 We've been watching Crufts, its a great show. Some people think its sad to train dogs like this, but just look at their excitement and how they respond to their owners, those dogs love it.

I mainly trained Nell, but I only had her do basic stuff, 'Come, Sit, Stay, Leave, No' and a very important one, OFF, ' when she trampled on my garden. She learnt Fetch herself and loved running after her ball. 

She learnt 'Sit' right away and was suitably given a treat.. then all by herself she started to beg. I tried to stop her, I didn't want her to think she had to beg for food, but she never stopped begging! 

She wasn't long getting the hang of going outside for a wee and was asking to go out within a week and we rarely has a mess. We had to be very strong about her sleeping down stairs, but she did come up on our bed in the mornings, when Dh brought up our morning cuppas.. She used to run up the stairs and take a flying leap on to the bed, ears flying like wings! 

She was about 4 years old, one very sunny morning, she was rolling on the bed in the sunshine, waiting for a tummy rub... and oh my gosh I looked at her tum, she was covered in fleas!! My screams brought Dh out of the bathroom, we were mesmerized! 

Straight to the vets, we were mortified we had always kept up with her flea treatment. We got shampoo off the vet and tablets instead of the under skin stuff we were using. We stripped and washed all our bedding, got a different duvet, washed all our clothes, all Nell's bedding, towels and blanket. In fact if it was something we thought might harbour the fleas, it was washed and cleaned.

It took us 7 weeks of baths 3 times a week, combing, which she hated. Then we had a spray for the house. We used to spray our lounge, bedroom  and and all the carpets, then went out, Nell came as well. We had to leave it for 2 hours. It was more or less the 8th week when the bath water had no fleas, but we kept at it for another week to be absolutely sure. Evidently the flea treatment we had been using was no longer effective, although it can still be bought and is still advertised.

We were vigilant after that, especially when we had a hedgehog in the garden here, they are sometimes full of fleas.. There's a lot to take on when you have a dog. But they're so worth it, especially when they snuggle up to you and those eyes so full of love.

It's easier to talk about her now with out crumbling in a teary heap! I sometimes think let's get another dog, but it wouldn't be Nell. 

I loved watching Crufts.

 Chrisxx