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A quick pop-in as I am supposed to be doing some family business matter on the computer. Today is Canada Day. I put out a couple of small flags, stuck in flower pots. I celebrated by doing a little more intensive riding, trying to work myself and horse back to our previous level. I was quite exhausted when I finished but we have not yet got back to cantering work, only walk and trotting. The trotting is very good to leg up a horse, make it more fit. It was very windy so I was a bit cautious of spooking; although my horse is generally wonderful, any horse can have the occasional shy. I also stayed and watched the owner's daughter school her huge (17.2 hands high) jumper. She is a very skilled rider and always seems so calm despite her horse's very spirited temperament. I have yet to do some walking or biking. Hope to do a bit off both. Nellie has developed a bit of a strange problem which started on one occasion last week and has reoccurred the last two days- she basically refuses to go for a walk. We go about 150 feet and then she turns around and sits down and will not be persuaded to go any further but wants to just pull me back home with her. There is nothing physical that I can see and today and the other day she went wild playing at the stable and my brother's. It is like agoraphobia! I'm thinking of asking my neighbour if she'll walk her dog with me and Nellie and seeing how that goes. Has anyone heard of this or experienced it?
I have popped in long enough. Must go.
Regards.0 -
Afternoon Crackers!
I did attempt to post yesterday but then my words vanished into thin air... so I will try again...
Very proud of myself (not exactly sure why!) but yesterday as the daughter's friends are still at school here, I agreed to accompany her to the outdoor swimming pool as it was such a beautiful morning. Lovely and quiet just mothers, toddlers, babies and OAPs and us! And I wore a bikini! I didn't buy a new one in the end this year, I couldn't find one that did me any favours so I left looking once I realised I still had an older bikini (I use to buy one every summer season when I lived at the pool with my toddler) that did actually fit. Same size and make as my polka dot bikini which doesn't fit! I measured them and realised it's 1/2" smaller and that's the difference between looking good and not looking good because I can't currently wear it I feel and look fat in it! Pathetic but it's true however if you wear clothes that actually fit you look and feel so much better than in something you know is tight, uncomfortable and is drawing attention to yourself..... So I wore the older bikini, looked fine and I swam a few lengths and got a bit of colour. However I do love my polka dot bikini - it's in my favourite colour navy so just another reason why I want to hit the middle weight rather than stay at this higher weight. Still I'm pleased with myself because I went, last year I didn't visit the pool once I made every excuse under the sun not to go and I enjoyed myself.
Bracken I cannot help you with Nellie maybe BM can. Your problem reminds me of toddlers when they have mini tantrums and just refuse to get up and walk! Right I must head for the garden, it's been very hot but it's now clouding over and there is a storm forecasted for later so I will get some work done whilst it is cooler. PB I hope you haven't melted in your office with the heatwave in the UK? BM - still concerned that you are not posting, do hope all is ok.
Be good Crackers!0 -
MITM, so frustrating when a post vanishes. Good for you going to the pool and wearing your bikini. This is clearly something that represents an achievement, both physical and in terms of self-confidence and you deserve to give yourself credit for it. I can only imagine what that must be like. I never was a good swimmer and the whole bathing suit issue was always anxiety producing for me. Part of me knows that I should be able to go to a pool and swim despite whatever weight I am but another (stronger part) says no. I've seen much heavier people than self swimming and enjoying themselves but I don't think even if I lost weight to an ideal point that I could feel comfortable swimming now. Very occasionally I wish I could go in the water but it is not a huge issue; as long as I can ride a horse I can manage. I did ride my horse today and have some sore muscles to prove it. Today I went to a sale and bought a pair of black pants, a little snug but they are for the end of August/ September when I am spending time with my friend from England and British Columbia. I don't think it is an unrealistic goal to have them fit better by then. I also spent time at a garden centre buying a replacement tree for the memorial tree we planted at my Mother's church; it died because of the harsh winter. Of course, I ended up buying plants for myself, the justification being that they were on sale too. I bought a dwarf hydrangea for a bare spot in my bed at the front of the house and several small indoor ferns that were quite unique, also on sale.
PB, I imagine you are busy at work but thinking of you here. BM, I'll second the concern for you with your recent health problems and the change in your posting habits. I really hope you are ok and I do miss your distinctive voice here. Regards all.0 -
Good Morning ladies. I apologise deeply for my absence. I am up and about now but have been a bit "under the weather" both physically and mentally. Reading your posts has been such a help to me, I am just so sorry I didn't have the energy to write back. My weight has taken a big back seat and for the first time in years I have not weighed (or cared what I weigh) at all. I have now been told I am too much of a surgical risk so will have to see what happens in October when I come off this round of medication. I am sorry again this post is doom and gloom, but I take it as a good sign I really wanted to write to you all today.
OH said I looked a bit brighter yesterday and more my "oldself" and admitted to me he knew for sure I was not well when I didn't get excited or purchase anything in the Hobbs sale! It did make me smile. I will definitely be ready for the next one!
Now I am up and at "em I hope to write a longer post later as so much has been going on with the Crackers, I want to reply to a few things mentioned.
It's hard to express how lovely and heartwarming it is when people you have never met, and who live a world away from you care enough to worry how you are. I thank God for you Crackers.
Have a good day both and Thank you x x
Love BM x x0 -
Hi Crackers - bracken it sounds like you are loving your riding and horsey stuff at the moment. Glad to hear you are riding - I'm not at the moment, having got far too big and with a frozen shoulder and a dodgy knee just don't want to risk it. Harley is doing OK. the antiobiotics seem to be doing good and he has a scan next week so we'll see then. I've had a good morning with washing and cleaning and tidying up in time for my 'afternoon tea' tomorrow. Really not sure how many will be coming but we'll have to see. I think possibly one or two may need my new address.... I'm so disorganised. I also weeded the greenhouse today and I'm pleased to say I have lots of tomatoes coming through and have had some lovely green leaves of various types. The strawberries too are ripe and very sweet - if sometimes a little bit smaller than I would hope.
BM I do hope that your health improvement continues. It must be so depressing to be constantly feeling poorly and I know how hard it is to keep contact when you feel like that with your closer friends never mind strangers on a computer - but its good to know you look to us for support (I know I look to you for support too). Keep battling on!
MITM welcome back - enjoy having your daughter around - I know she is going to make you do lots of exercise.
Bracken I had to laugh at your description of the horse show and the food issues - its so hard isn't it to say no when someone has made a lot of effort. Last weekend was very horsey for me and finished off with a delicious dinner of chicken and ham with salad and new potatoes followed by a rhubarb crumble and cream (with rhubarb from my garden). Why then, when I got home was I drawn to the bar of white chocolate in the fridge???? I'd had beautiful food on the Saturday too as that particular show always feeds its judges like royalty. Sometimes your only choice is from the burger van at these dos.
Work is going really well. I still find it quite difficult to relax on a Friday as I feel like I should be at work but I'm sure I will get used to it. I really don't like hot weather so its been a bit of a challenge this week. It is slightly cooler today and less humid which is good but I still I have to stop every now and then for a breather when I get too hot. I have though washed my light summer duvet out as it has been so hot in bed I thought a freshen up would be good. I'm pretty sure its dry now as I put it out at 7am! the back door faces north so I have a nice cool breeze coming through there and not getting hot when it arrives in the living room.
This afternoon I'm heading for the stables to do some grooming then on to a scrabble evening (for which I made the cheese straws. I need to make cup cakes this evening but have run out of cup cake cases and forgot them when I was shopping yesterday so will need to sort that out this evening too.
take care Crackers
PB xx0 -
sorry Crackers - please could you pray to whatever deity you think will help for the wife of a friend of mine - she started with what seemed to be a cold two weeks ago - and is today undergoing a liver transplant...... Her partner who is a fabulous conductor is naturally beside herself with worry. Thanks all. PB xx0
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What a lovely way to end the day. Only sorry to say this is a very brief pop-in but truly happy to see these posts from you, BM and PB. BM, I'm not surprised to hear that you have not been well but very glad you have rallied somewhat. What a heavy burden of worry you must have. PB, it is very good to hear that your work is going well and you seem very socially engaged in your new setting. I was very pleased today to do a short canter on my horse, the first since working back from the long winter layoff. He was very keen but still obedient. I'm rather proud of the fact that I have done this canter without having someone younger at the stable ride him first as I originally thought I might do. Must go but more later. Regards all. PS. PB, so sorry to hear of your friend's sudden illness but hopeful at least to hear that she will be able to have a transplant- here so many don't get organ donations as the need far surpasses the supply. Prayers are in order.0
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Good Morning, I am sorry I don't have much to say, but I wanted to write something. I am trying to get back to routine and some normalcy so didn't want to miss a day! Hope this makes sense. I have missed another Saturday weigh in and am quite OK with this. I think it would be demoralising to see those numbers. Bracken, to maintain would be a good thing right now, you are so right. MITM, lovely you are back in a bikini even if its not your favourite. I expect it is so lovely having your Daughter home with you, Have fun! PB, so glad you are settling well into work, enjoy your Fridays off, it makes it a lovely long weekend! (your friend is in my prayers also x x).
Wishing you all a great weekend. BM x x0 -
Hi All - the good news is that the op went well and she made it through the night. Very early days though.
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Bracken, I just realised its Independence Day today and that means I missed your National Day! I am so sorry I missed it. So a very belated Happy Canada Day! X x0
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Hello Crackers. It's a dark and rainy afternoon so I am forced out of the garden and regrettably won't be able to ride today. But what better way to spend part of a rainstorm than here. it has been increasingly hot and very humid the past several days so this rain is not unexpected. I did manage to get out this morning and picked three pints of raspberries for the freezer- they are already bagged. I now have some asparagus puree for soups, strawberries and raspberries frozen; as I've said before, I definitely have the squirrel gene and also the influence of my grandmother whom I helped a lot with picking and preserving and from whom I learned how to do it. I did manage a nice ride on Sunday and was pleased to do more cantering. The past few days I have also been doing a lot of gardening while it was finally dry. The weeds had really taken hold, there was a lot of deadheading to do, grass to be cut, patio to be swept, edging of beds, and even some late planting. My excessive moisture had led to three of my baskets of Reiger begonias with die-off parts and looking really bedraggled so I combined the best of the three into one pot that now looks quite nice. An update on Nellie and her phobia: Last night I took her for a walk with my neighbour's dog and she was quite happy to go. When we came back to the house, I decided to go on a little by myself as she hesitated but then seemed willing to go ahead. Part way down the street, I stopped for a moment to chat to another neighbour on her bike. As she left, Nellie sat down and refused to go further! We'll try again. I really am missing walking with her when I go alone.
PB, I am glad your friend has come through her operation, a beginning to recovery at least. And the outlook for Harley seems promising. It is good you can go to the stable and groom- no moment spent in any way with a horse is a wasted moment. How lovely you have a greenhouse; I am quite envious.
BM, it's good to see you here again. I see you posted about keeping to a calorie goal on the home page so clearly you are getting a little desire back again. I definitely think you should not worry about the weigh-in at the moment. May I recommend a site I visited today on Utube - I found it very short but inspiring. Yoni Freedhoff (I've mentioned him before) is a Canadian who runs a bariatric clinic associated with University of Ottawa. He has become quite well-known here with his book, The Diet Fix. He has posted "Thirteen Myths about Dieting" on Utube. I really like his manner, very sensible, and definitely about health not just weight loss. He will definitely put the scale issue into perspective. I found these posts inspiring. I forget how I originally got it but somehow I receive his Weighty Matters blog on my email which is good too.
MITM, hope you are enjoying the day with your daughter.
The rain is tapering down but it is now far too wet to return the garden. I think I shall read more of "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand". I'm three quarters along with it and have really enjoyed it, particularly the humour and wry observations he has of contemporary life. An account of the women of his golf club searching for a theme for their annual dinner had me laughing aloud. Has anyone else read it?
Regards.0 -
A really hot afternoon so I've popped in here for a moment en route to looking for something else on-line so should not linger. With the return of very hot weather I have to figure out what to do in the early morning before it gets too hot. Today and yesterday going to the stable won out as I had not ridden since Sunday because of wet weather again. After that both days, I have picked more raspberries and black currants for the freezer. both are very bountiful this year but one can't procrastinate too much as there are a lot of people at the u-pick and it gets picked out quickly.
On Thursday, Nellie totally surprised me when we returned from the stable by literally pulling me out to the sidewalk and willingly going for a nice walk. This was particularly nice as it was a rainy day and I could only groom my horse, not ride. But yesterday, she was back to the 'won't go mode'- until I saw another woman walking her dog and asked if Nellie could walk along with them (she knew about Nellie as she had earlier seen me walking alone and asked where my dog was) at which point Nellie happily joined and created no fuss when our routes later parted. What am I to make of this? Thursday was also my birthday, low key which was fine with me. Two of my sisters came over for the afternoon and we had a nice time, also I received greeting from absent siblings. I also made a visit to my mother's grave as I had not been there for awhile. This might seem strange but I think of what my brother often said about birthdays, that the person who should be honoured is our mother who bore and brought us up. The cemetery itself is actually a very beautiful one as it is very large, filled with a huge variety of trees, some of the largest you would see around here because of its age. It is thankfully peaceful. A couple of other people were walking through, one with a dog. However, it is not like Toronto where many people treat cemeteries like any other park- jogging, biking, skateboarding. I think some of my feelings about cemeteries were formed as a child when I read the Anne of Green Gables books and others by LM Montgomery; her characters were always waxing on about pleasant cemeteries! Off now to more Saturday jobs- there is some lawn waiting to be cut.0 -
Hello Crackers - I've been away for a few days down to Hampshire to stay with friends. I arrived home last night after a fabulous spa day at a 5* hotel which left me feeling very relaxed! We had some superb days out at a little lake where there was room to paddle. Reminded me so much of Okanagan Lake in Canada and the fabulous day I spent there swimming and messing around in the water with the fishes. Food has been relatively good but I'm afraid I've had quite a lot of wine. We went to a NT place called 'The Vyne' on Sunday which was a fascinating tudor mansion with lovely gardens and grounds - bought some very sweet and tasty gooseberries. Returning home, I find the potatoes are now ready to be pulled and there are some tomatoes ripening whilst the remaining strawberries keep coming.
Bracken your comment about the cemetery made me think of the beautiful little church where I went to a service last Monday evening - its hidden away down a track and surrounded by beautiful hedges - the perfect place both to be laid to rest and to visit those who have left us. It was a peaceful tranquil place with a real advantage in being relatively difficult to find!
I hope you had a lovely birthday Bracken - it was mine the previous Saturday so we are both crabs!
Planning a bit of a walk later although it is dull and very muggy.
Cannot imagine what is going on with Nellie - seems very odd behaviour. Especially as there seems to be no real reason or event that has caused it.
Well talk later - where is everyone? You ok BM?
take care
PB X0 -
Evening Crackers!
I have been popping in daily but I just haven't had time to linger, however I kept thinking throughout today as I was gardening of the saying 'you will never find 'time' for anything, if you want time, you must make it' so that is what I'm doing!
Sometimes Bracken when I read your posts I feel we are living parallel lives - my roses and geraniums were all blooming so beautifully this year but with all the extreme hot weather we've had several storms at night but last week, we had an afternoon thunderstorm with winds so strong it wrecked many of my flowers. I was feeling very sorry for myself as I assessed the damage until I learnt that in the next county, a village had hail stones the size of tennis balls which had made 50 houses unliveable. The hot weather has also made exercise near impossible, dragging ones body from room to room has taken all of my energy and walking in the evenings was curtailed because of the storms... However this week so far has been mid twenties, no rain, so I've been walking and gardening. BM pleased to see that the pounds are coming off again, you must be off to the UK shortly. PB your trip sounded lovely.
Well I have lately been rather preoccupied with my daily walking companion. In the 10 years I've known her she has suffered from severe migraines where she has had to lie down in a darkened room for 3 days at a time, throwing up, at least twice a month which has been ongoing since she was a teenager. In desperation she has tried everything and has seen doctors and specialists all over the country to no avail. She is also as I've mentioned before overweight because her weekly shopping trolley is full of utter rubbish of no nutritional value. Anyway in April when I was in the UK, what I can only describe as a 'witch doctor' from across the border in Italy was recommended to her. So she went to see him and on my return when we met up she excitedly told me how he put her headaches down to several falls whilst horse-riding as a teenager, as her spine needed adjusting and her internal body was a complete mess due to her eating habits! He had 'treated' her body and she was a mass of bruises and on his advice she was now eating a diet solely of raw vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds! Well this was April and she has stuck to the diet and his exercises before bed (like yoga) and she now experiences a headache once a month but it doesn't last a day and she isn't in a dark room plus she has lost 22lbs!
He strongly believes the human race should eat just raw food and this is the cause of all illnesses because the blood can't flow freely - too extreme for me! I too believe we should eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables and I do but I can't see anything wrong with lightly cooked vegetables and I can't give up my complex carbohydrates - life would not be worth living without bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. This is glue to him! Personally I think the problem lies more with sugar and processed foods. However I greatly admire my friends willpower but as I said she lived on utter rubbish before, so I can understand why she now feels so much better. I went to Innsbruck last week visiting family and my husband's aunt, served up a fantastic apricot sponge cake only it had a filling which had to be 2 inches high of whipped cream. The following day we all felt ill because it was too rich for us and our delicate stomachs!
Anyway my friend had mentioned me to the witch doctor and because I'm English he asked if I would agree to meet up with him. He needs to improve his English for his work and his 'rich' clients who send him plane tickets and of course I was very curious to meet him because of my friend! I can now understand why my friend has been totally 'bewitched'! He is so charming not your typical southern, dark, Italian stereotype, northern Italian with light brown hair, 40 with a very dry sense of humour! I felt like he was putting me into a trance with his words but I knew he was doing it and I told him so! He trained as a radiologist and as a physiotherapist but was soon of the opinion the treatment was all wrong for people with back problems and he came up with his own 'solution'. I mentioned my own daughter's back problems, knee aches, shoulder aches which I always feared was down to the fact she started walking at 8 months and 2 days, never crawling so her body didn't have time to adjust. But she had also had several bad skiing accidents as a child. And at yearly school medicals the doctor always said her posture was bad and that she should exercise more and once she started cross country skiing and the weight fell off I hoped it had improved but if she does a Jillian she is in pain whilst doing it.
So my daughter came with my friend and me for our next English session. He watched her walk in and said he can see she has a problem, read her palm (!) said she has poor circulation (which she does) and that he could help her. She too was bewitched as she hates doctors and being touched yet much to my surprise she agreed to be treated, maybe because he said she needed to sort it before she was 21 and if she didn't she would be in greater pain in later years but I was still shocked when she stripped to her pants and bra! I can't tell you what he did to her as I wasn't in the room, but we could hear the conversation. She was bruised and battered all over as he pricked and put pressure on all her muscles all over to release the tension and get the blood flowing. She was in tears of pain twice as he banishes every rib she told me later but she came out of the room, 2 hours later noticeably walking taller, beaming from ear to ear (which is so unusual in itself!!) and she said she felt like she was walking on air or clouds. Her whole body felt released and without pain. His words the energy can move freely. It was like she had been drugged!
One week on her bruises are disappearing, she has felt absolutely knackered but that is to be expected as 'nature' has to work. I'm still in 2 minds as to what he does but she isn't in pain, feels great and her hands are hot and they're normally stone cold and she has been doing the yoga moves nightly and is now so flexible but she does intends to continue eating as normal which includes a bowl of fruit! The test will be when she next does a 'Jillian'. Anyway in return for this 'free' session, I will be speaking English for some time with him which luckily is not a chore however if I start changing then you know I'm being bewitched too!
Well I may not have posted in over a week but I've made up for it now, sorry to have gone on! Be good Crackers!
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P.S. Bashes not banishes every rib!!0
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WOW!! So much to read and comment on, not sure where to start. Absolutely delightful to see the lovely mails. I have been popping in, but am still a bit under the weather and with our weather being in the high 30's to low 40's I have been finding everything a tad difficult. Still, enough of the pity party!.......
Belated birthday greeting to you both Bracken and PB. PB, your mails contain so much happiness, it is lovely to read them after the awful time you were having a while ago. I loved the sound of your peaceful church. I miss dreadfully the quiet, respectful ambience of a British church. Unfortunately the church I attend here, although quite beautiful is always full of very disrespectful tourists who wander around chatting loudly and taking pictures!
Bracken, I have been thinking about Nellie a lot. I have had similar happen but with one of my horses! He was a wonderful Welsh cob, (it was a bit like sitting on a sofa he was so broad!). With other horses he was fine but when hacking on our own he would come to a stop and not move forward until eventually he became unwilling to go past the end of our little lane. I sought advice off a lady who runs an equestrian centre and she advised me to turn him in a tight circle a couple of times and then move him forwards. Amazingly as sceptical as I was, this did seem to help a lot. Sometimes I had to turn him circles a few times and even alternate directions but it was as if it threw him off his stubbornness and worked well.
We have had similar with Harry. As a pup we worried he was agoraphobic as he used to shake and get upset when out and even now he is 3 years old he never becomes excited when he sees his leash, he often hides under the bed or will stay in his basket until I lift him out. We took him to obedience classes and he would sit down in the middle of his turn to walk in a circle but would then (as Nellie is) be fine walking in a group circle. Funnily enough the trainer there told us to turn him in tight circles and then purposefully walk on. It has worked! Sometimes we had to encourage or reward him with little tidbits but he has moved on quite a bit since then. However, even now he will plod along with me on a walk but the minute we turn back or are on our way home he races along and is a much happier dog. I am not sure if any of this is helpful to you Bracken, but I really do sympathise with you. It is such a shame if both and Nellie will not get as much pleasure out of your walks as you have been. x
MITM, amazing to read about this "witch doctor". I am very open minded towards different treatments having seen so much that couldn't be explained in my 20+ years of Nursing, so I wouldn't label myself as a sceptic. However this mans form of "medicine" has left me thinking! I really don't know if any treatment that leaves bruises from force can be a good one. I agree his method of raw foods can be of benefit, but as you rightly say, a healthy diet has to have a mix of proteins/carbs/fat. Also as you say your neighbour would have lost weight the minute she changed her eating habits, even if it was just reducing the rubbish from her trolley. I sincerely hope his treatment has helped your Daughter, but also wonder, if he is as "hypnotically" speaking as you suggested is he not subtly hypnotising her and others into believing they will get well? If they do become free from pain/slimmer etc then that's all to the good. But to physically hurt someone in the name of treatment does leave me wondering. (Particularly a minor). It is good you are open minded about it, and lets hope your daughter continues to improve. The medically minded part of me says her increased blood flow, walking taller etc was due to increased adrenalin from her physical "treatment" and will eventually wear off. However the part of me that believes in herbal and traditional remedies is rooting for it to have worked and to maybe become a viable treatment in the future for others as well (preferably without the rib bashing:) )
I am going to do a few chores now before the heat becomes ridiculous again. We are off to the UK 2 weeks today. I am so disappointed to be going home at the weight I am. MITM I too have trouble thinking what to pack as a lot of my favourite or "good" clothes are too tight for comfort on me.
Hope this post finds you all well, I have loved reading about your gardens (so sorry you have suffered weather damage). I can just sit and look at my pot plants and dream of when I eventually have a garden!
Love BM x x0 -
MITM, I have just reread your post and a couple of things popped out at me. You said you were aware he was almost "putting you in a trance"?. I have always took you to be a strong, level headed person. So you saw through that. just imagine a weaker or gullible person, perhaps in pain and desperate for help. They would surely fall under his "spell" and believe anything he says, possibly mind over matter? Also, by reading your daughters palm he was able to hold her hand, which as you say would have been cold. A sure fire way to "diagnose" poor circulation as the peripheries (hands, feet, nose and ears) are always the first to become cold. These are just thoughts circling around my head, but something just feels a bit "off" about this man. I hope I'm wrong. Please keep us informed how the English lessons progress! x x0
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Loved your comments BM because I am a 100% sceptic to mumble jumble but I'm totally against pills as well! My daughter insists she wasn't hypnotised in any way, she was aware of thinking throughout the treatment which was physical not words, will this work but she can feel the difference in her whole body, how it sits, the position of her spine. She totally believes in whatever he did because she says she is no longer tense in any of her muscles and people who are not in this type of pain, cannot appreciate or understand what it now feels like to her. I may feel differently if I were in pain! The bruises are only on her thighs (as were my friend's) and the rib treatment afterwards my daughter told me she can now breath easier (another thing we saw doctors about when she was young which we never mentioned to him). I believe he uses his skills learnt in physiotherapy to manipulate the muscles. And perhaps I should add when I said I felt like I was in a trance that was tongue in cheek as his Italian accent is so lovely compared to listening to harsh German! The daughter was originally only involved for practising his English but he convinced us during the consultation and my thinking was, well if I'm going to be speaking with you on a regular basis (although I do like him!) then this can be my payment in return, I never felt I was putting her in danger at any point. But I'm not into palm reading or eating just raw foods and I'm not a touchy feeling type of person but I agree with him about living with the seasons. I will keep you posted!0
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Morning Crackers!
I'm taking it slowly today. Yesterday I pushed myself and spent most of the day in the garden cutting the grass. I was absolutely shattered but at least it looks in some sort of order. My poor neighbours were picking our redcurrants and blackcurrants above the rockery as we have no use of them (I haven't used up all of those I picked from last year) and they make them into cordial along with their own. I say 'poor' as the area is an absolute jungle! I did get up as far as my roses to weed but I ran out of time before reaching the fruit bushes which are above and normally my husband cuts a pathway. There are also 3 huge gooseberry bushes up there which after PB mentioned buying some I remembered my own so I climbed up and have picked and frozen some and that was hard work with the thorns! The amount of work around the house inside and out is beginning to mount up as the heat is slowly me down. Today I am going to repaint the wood panels on the terrace which I can see bits my father missed and when I am resting on the bench it irritates me! Bracken any progress with Nellie?
Be good Crackers!0 -
Hello Crackers. What a lot to think about here at the moment- fascinating. Your thorough account of your daughter's and friend's treatment is certainly intriguing, MITM. BM's very thorough analysis seems to me very perceptive and balanced. As for your friend, I think it is lovely that she has found a way that is working for her at the moment and that amount of weight loss must be encouraging. Like you, MITM, I could not be so restrictive but I doubt the diet is harmful in the short term and all she needs to do later is add some good protein and complex carbs and she could have a very strong diet. A lot of people with poor eating habits have trouble eating vegetables and even fruits so she will have that aspect mastered. Your daughter's case is interesting even before the recent treatment. Intractable pain is apparently often baffling to doctors and there are many people who spend years with debilitating pain so if this treatment has brought relief, I can imagine how pleased your daughter must be. I too would wonder if the gentleman's previous experience with physiotherapy has not been the basis of his treatment- spines, nerves and muscle problems often seem to be at the basis of a lot of inexplicable pain. By chance, I was talking to the husband at my boarding stable and he has had a terrible bout of back pain recently for which there was no apparent or immediate cause. It was so bad he went to Emerg for painkillers. He had started some chirotherapy , (a nerve impinging on his out of alignment spine he was told) and was finding relief and sleeping for the first time in weeks he said. I have been sceptical of much chirotherapy ( a very good friend is the former head of Queen's University physiotherapy program and the two practices are often in disagreement so I've had a lot of influence from that side) but I know there are many people who swear by their chiropracters.
MITM, yes our gardens do seem to be giving us parallel lives. Today again we have had a big rain (riding impossible again too) and I have been trying to save plants from more damage. I am now even putting my marigolds under cover before rain as they have been saturated so much. I had a lovely zucchini plants with developing vegetables that has given up the ghost and turned to mush because of the rain. The hostas of course are loving the weather. I should count how many different varieties I have, ranging from very small leaves to ones with leaves like elephant ears. I did take a decorating tip from a magazine about hostas (I'll say here I am not very creative with decorating ideas unlike two of my sisters) and now take cuttings of three or so different shapes/ colours of leaves to use for indoor display. Yesterday I mixed these leaves with cuttings from a cream coloured hydrangea and put them in two vases (these vases are copper coloured tin with embossed fleur de lis which I bought very cheaply at a dollar store but which I really like as they go so well with my counter tiles) and was really pleased with the look. Since I can't grow much in the way of traditional cutting flowers because of shade, these hostas bouquets work for me.
PB, your excursions always seem like such a good time.
Nellie is continuing to perplex me. I did try the turning in a circle which I too have done with a horse but it was to no effect with Nellie. She has had some walks with my neighbour's dog and goes with me to the stable. When I tried to take her for a walk last night, she not only sat down, then started looking up at the sky and seemed a bit agitated. This reminded me of my previous dog, a border collie, (she would always walk) who had a phobia about air balloons. She could detect them from a great distance and would be very panicky and want to go indoors. I was told it might be because of the noise which dogs hear much more than we do but I could not sometimes believe she could hear from that distance. In my mind, I used to imagine that it was some primitive response, as if there was imprinted on her collective mind the memories of being stalked by pterodactyls (ok, I don't really know if they lived at the same time!)- in any case, she was very obsessive in her fear. Border collies as a breed are obsessive and Nellie is part border collie. I hope I can solve her problem because walking is not as enjoyable without her.
After today's rain, the prediction is that the weekend will have temps in the 30's, feeling like over 40C with the humidity. I so dislike extreme temperatures.
Must go for now and get some jobs done before the heat strikes.
Regards.0
