Slimming can be fun!

 We are always up early on Fridays, for our Slimming World group meeting at 9:30am. A friend asked why we went, as we're paying someone for something we can do ourselves. She's as thin as a rake!! But we don't just go to lose weight, its a social thing as well and since moving here, the friends we've made are in SW. 

Yesterday morning, we were  laughing hysterically , when one was telling us about her husband.  He had bought a model boat a while ago and recently bought a motor and fitted it. He went off with it to try it out on the Wilderness Lake. 

He had been gone about an hour and arrived back home, because the motor had died and his boat was adrift on the lake. He phoned a friend who has a coracle to get his boat, but he was away. So armed with his fishing rod, a net and a friend's swimming pool pole he rushed off again. She said she started getting worried when it started getting dark, because the Wilderness Lake has been made much bigger and deeper a few years ago and with the recent rains, it has spread right into the trees.

When she heard the car drive up, she opened the door to see her husband with his jacket wrapped around his legs and carrying wet dripping jeans. Yes, he had waded in to retrieve his boat and was wet up past his chest. 

We did laugh and she said he did look very funny as he arrived home, but triumphantly holding his boat. 

So we have lots of laughter at our slimming club. He laughed too she said, once he'd had a hot shower.. 

Chrisxx

So easy??

 

Chrisxx

Give Generously!

 The most underrated act of kindness is to let people be.

Let them mispronounce a word,

Let them  talk too much about a book they love,

Or get excited about something you don't understand.

Everybody has something that lights them up.

Let them shine, not everything is your thing!

So don't forget your impact on the people you meet, give generously even if it means you don't get your say.

                               Chrisxx

Lush!

 

Nothing beats a pancake with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of sugar. We have celebrated Shrove Tuesday with traditional pancakes cooked in butter of course.

When my children were little I used to make 4 each and for  their dad too so 20. I ate mine standing at the cooker!  As they got older my youngest son, Michael took over the cooking.

Today my lovely husband cooked for me, so we have eaten our fill and not thought about the SW food plan! They were lush!

I shall weigh on Friday at group with my eyes closed and ask the member doing the weighing not to say out loud, just write it in my book!!

Chrisxx

Counting Sheep!

 

Its back my insomnia.. I wonder if I have an undelaying worry that's causing it? I can't think of anything in particular altho' things aren't great between my daughter and myself... she is so busy, she had no time for anything, even to phone, or as my aunty used to say, 'No time to even spit.' 

And my middle son who had a heart attack and then a triple bypass, three years ago, isn't hundred percent and that's a worry. 

Dh has admitted he is worried about my being over weight and truth be told, I am myself.. so that's in my mind too.

Our over eating last week has righted itself and we're right back on plan, and today because it was so bitterly cold, we walked up and around the Coop aisles in town, and with my 10 mins indoor exercise. I feel I've made an effort and I've eaten lettuce. So I must lose at least 7 pounds this Friday!! 

Chrisxx

Will I have another summer?

 

I've always admired Prue Leith, her style of dress, bright colours, extraordinary large earrings and necklaces, as well as her culinary expertise and I love her hair!

So, I was disappointed to learn she was stepping down from her role in 'Bake Off.' 

But totally understood her reasons; John Player her second  husband is younger than her, and at 86 she said she wanted to spend more time with him, he's 71.. 

Death it seems is constantly on her mind and she's admitted she wonders if she'll see another summer. 

Her brother died a very painful death suffering from bone cancer and consequentially she is an advocate of assisted dying, having witnessed her brother's death.

Thinking about how much time she has left prompted her to embrace life more fully, and she and John have had an amazing holiday in Uzbekistan, following the 'Silk Road. ' Speaking about it she described it as a holiday of a life time..  

I don't want a holiday, but we are working hard to get my peach tree to fruit properly again and I would like to see it in full fruit again, hence the walking even if its only around a supermarket when its raining!

Chrisxx

A bit disappointing!

 

We decided to treat ourselves for Valentine's day with a special meal. Dh wanted to make my favourite, which is Chicken Kiev.

But I suggested we buy it rather than have him cooking. So our grocery order included, Prawn Cocktails, Chicken Kievs and a heart shaped Chocolate Brownies. We're not very adventurous with food and love the tried and tested!!

The Prawn Cocktail was delicious, I had triangles of brown bread and butter. We had planned Baked potato and green salad with the Kiev.. But we were so surprised because Dh hadn't looked at the Kiev contents, as it's not something we would usually buy. It wasn't Butter, Garlic and Herbs, but Ham and cheese. We were both so disappointed ,  as it was not the taste we wanted or expected.. It was ok, but I was expecting the melted buttery garlic taste. We ate it and kept the Chocolate Brownie for tomorrow, we were too full to eat it!

Then as you do when you're old, we played two games of Lexulous, it's an on line version of Scrabble. We won one each, which suited me perfectly I hate losing !

We had a lovely day together.

Hope you had a lovely day too what ever you did.

Chrisxx

You've got to laugh!!

 

This is a  funny look at our dreadful conditions of our roads. I dread walking when cars drive near because I don't want to be splashed.. Also getting out of the car when Dh hasn't noticed  a pot hole, I am so pleased I wear ordinary black slip on shoes of  a good make as they are waterproof. 

But as a pedestrian I want the pavements sorted, I live in fear of tripping on the broken slabs and the broken blocks in the main street here. I've seen  people, men and women trip and fall. 

But I am grateful we're not flooded and we are so sympathetic for all those families, who have been.. there are parts of UK who have had 40 plus days of rain; more than Noah!

Chrisxx

A Sugary Treat.

 I had been dreading Monday morning's hospital appointment for weeks. It was a cystoscopy and it was as awful as I thought it could be. I came away with tears and saying I will not see that consultant again!

Then Monday evening and yesterday I spent a lot of time in the loo! I was exhausted and feeling delicate and stressed. 

But Dh who had to pop out came home with doughnuts.. oh my gosh was it delicious, the first Jam Doughnut I've had for may be a year? And diet was the last thing I thought of as I bit into that glorious sugary, squishy taste and I was positively euphoric all evening. 

Probably a sugar high, but it was lush!

I just have to get on buck up now, back on the food plan and stop feeling sorry for myself!

Chrisxx

Simple Pleasures.

 I had forgotten how enjoyable listening to a book was. We listened to a lot during lock down.(remember that dreadful time?) We used to have a cup of tea and a piece of cake most afternoons sitting in our Summer house listening to a book. 

Listening to it together now brought back happy memories, we weren't dieting, and when it was summer time, we looked out onto our garden and we had our dog Nell. In spite of the awful things that were going on with covid, we were self isolating and we were together, so felt safe. And we really enjoyed listening to books..

 I'm so pleased I thought of doing it again. We had a lovely Sunday afternoon, listening to it together, Dh did the jigsaw that I started last year and has been on a board under our sofa for weeks months, I'm almost ashamed to say how long it was under there! No cake, we're on a strict SW food plan as Friday's  plan fell by the way side, so no room for any extras this week! 

Yes we made a lot of cake in lock down, we weren't learner or new bakers and we had a lot of cake making books.. did I ever say I gained a fair bit of weight at that time?? Well I might have done, oh yes I did! 

Its been lovely thinking back to that house in Suffolk and the garden, some happy memories, it always  seemed to be sunny!

Chrisxx