Morning all,

Thanks for all the well wishes for Daisy - she has now recovered and when we was at the supermarket on Sunday saw the washing tablets and said 'I wont eat these Mummy, they taste yuck' so hopefully a lesson has been learnt!

Well done to LMV for your RFL - I am going to sign up next year. I am going to try to get my best friend to join in too, as her mother-in law has just died from cancer, and I think it would be a really nice thing to do. It was also Cambridge (my local) race yesterday.

Today should be a fast day, but I think I am going to abandon it for today - my friend has caught the Zumba bug, and is wanting to go to tonights class in addition to Wednesday, so think I will join her at wiggling those pounds away. I have skipped breakfast, but will have a healthy lunch and dinner so that I have the calories in me to exercise well. According to the book 4:3 is apparently ok if you have a lot of weight to lose, or have had a few bad days. I know that I couldn't manage this on a regular basis though!

MITM - 22 weeks until Christmas is a scary thought! and what was even scarier was PB comment of 22lb off! My next challenge is going to be 1/2 stone off by the end of the school holidays, so 5th September here.

BM - I don't know how you cope with all that heat! It has cooled down a little here, and I am quite thankful!

Right, I must go and do some paperwork! xxx

Wow. I can almost feel the energy all the way here after reading the recent posts for all and the exercise thread. I think it is great that we are persevering despite difficult weather for most of us and the many ways in which life gets in the way (it was exactly as I wrote that last word that my phone rang, my sister said had I heard the news, I said "Has she had the baby?", my sister said it's on tv now so I did leave and turn it on and watched the live announcement!)( before the phone rang I was thinking about you, New82 and your children- so glad to hear that all is well now). Now back to what I was planning on saying. A big round of applause to you, LMV on completing the 5k run in the heat and I think you should be very proud of your time. I've also seen your exercise thread for today and indeed you really did have a marathon day with all that extra walking after the run- that has got to show you have really built up some endurance. As for the DJ, with so much unemployment how do people like him get to make such inane comments. As you say, it was wonderful and inspiring to hear that a disabled girl did the course. MITM, you can really make me laugh sometimes the way you put things. I loved your "We are all mad!" Of course the pencil skirt fitted. LMV has reminded us of another good strategy for dealing with losing weight- trying on our favourite skinny clothes or realizing how far we have come by trying on a piece that is now much larger. As soon as I finish here I am going to try on a pair of light coloured long pants I bought in late spring but have put aside because of the heat- I hope they will now fit easily as they were a bit snug when bought. BM, good to hear that you are persisting with the walking despite your heat and glad you had a boost with the dress. You will get to that 16!
PB, you are really swimming up a storm! MITM, I thought your comment from the blog was a good one and I don't see it as a contrary position to my point but rather as a necessary adjunct- I think one need to be able to hold both positions, or rather juggle then, the trick being to figure out when is the time for the one approach and when is the time for the other. I had a good weekend exercise-wise as on Saturday I walked 3 miles and did a 25 minute bike ride, Sunday I walked 3 miles and had a good schooling lesson on my horse, this week working on four jumps in succession. I rode early this morning because of the heat and have walked 2 miles so far but would like to do a bike ride or another mile today. Tomorrow I am to a friend's for a BBQ dinner so hope I can at least get in some exercise before I go. Nellie had her post-op checkup today and has recuperated well- she is now part of the regular walking and I certainly feel that she has helped me improve my speed. It seems much easier to walk more briskly with her 'encouragement.' Take care of yourselves all.

Aw, I do love reading all these positive posts. It also gives me great satisfaction knowing that we are all helping each other along the way, and all appreciate each others opinions so much. Today, I too am feeling spurred on from reading all the lovely comments. I must take a look at the exercise thread - I tend to call in here rather than there.

So last night I done Zumba again, and my friend was late to arrive so the instructor pulled me to the front and introduced me to the 'regulars' and take my lesson from the front. Oh my, I felt out of time and struggled with the footwork, especially on the salsa. I am finding I really need to concentrate otherwise I lose myself and it gets so much harder when you are getting tired and sweaty! But on a positive note, I did improve on the footwork a little on some of the easier routines. My friend is wanting to do 2 times a week, but I am weighing up whether I can commit to twice a week with Hubby's irregular work hours at the moment.

So today is the last day of term, and Daisy has gone off all excited about giving the teacher a cake! We are having a little 'party' around another parents house later, but it will be interesting if its still raining/thundery. Then the daunting 6weeks holidays begin....argh!!

PB - There was a swimming challenge I was going to sign up to last year for spinal injurys. It was a 'swim the channel' style challenge, where you would log how far you swam each day/week over a period of time with the aim being to swim the distance of the channel.

Right off I go, going to have a nosey on the exercise thread. xx

If you ever get fed up with Nellie - please pass her on to me. She is gorgeous.....

Photos are beautiful all round thanks for doing that LMV

Feeling cream crackered. Its been a long day and very muggy although little rain and only a rumble or two of distant thunder. Some places have had a lot of rain and storms but my parents had quite a storm this morning.

PB

Good Idea LMV. I'll have a word at the club and see if anyone knows of anything locally or if we need to make something up.....

Re: Nellie - I think we are both going to be out of luck!

PB

Right whilst she is asleep I can pop by.

From last posting you will know that Daisy has managed to get HFM, so she has mouth ulcers, and spots not just on her hands and feet but also on her body. She was up most of the night once again with a temperature, but I am struggling to get Calpol into her(as her mouth hurts) - I did succeed with this once in the night, and it brought her temperature down. We have been up since 4.30am, and Im starting to feel the affects of getting up at such a time. I should be going to Zumba this evening, but don't know if I can face it and whether I want to leave her. Shame because I was looking forward to it, but these things cant be helped. We will have to stay in for a few days now, until the spots disappear as she is contagious....great start to the holidays.:frown:

I love the photos of Nellie - I would love to have a dog, but its such a huge commitment.

Let me know thoughts on swim challenge - I am toying with the idea, but don't know if I could fit in enough sessions.

Right, going to take this opportunity to get a few jobs done before the patient awakes. xx

Apologies Crackers for my absence....

You are indeed correct LMV in thinking my parents are staying and never a truer word said about the Trojan part!! Having worked rather like a Trojan myself if you recall in the run up to their arrival; to protect my husband who works like a Trojan himself all year round but is always made to feel like a naughty school boy who hasn't done his homework in the garden, by my father the expert gardener because during the summer season he works weekends in addition to his normal Monday - Friday hours and there are only so many gardening hours in the day.... our garden/vegetable plot for a change was all under control on his inspection! And whilst it was quietly satisfying not to be 'told off' in your own garden, it's proved to be a double edged sword now keeping him occupied. In sheer desperation, we're letting him paint our balcony this week after spending last week prepping it and making dust and mess everywhere, plus of course he's cooking...

And yes I know I should be grateful to have someone cooking but I'm married to a chef so it's not a novelty for me, instead I'm being told what to eat and when in my own home!! I fear it's going to be a long month and I know I'm not going to see 9.9 on my scales next weigh in with the amount of dripping butter. And before anyone suggests I ask him to go easy on the butter, I'm wasting my breath - my father knows best!! I'm beginning to realise why I live in Austria!!!

LMV - do take it easy and let your body fully recover, I'm sure that means no nasty Jillian either!! Excellent news about your Welsh exam, well done! You deserve a glass or two of the Champagne to celebrate - glasses not bottles!!

BRACKEN - I hope you have fully recovered? I was thinking of you as I was picking blackcurrants and redcurrants for garnishing purposes for the husband and was thinking if only you were a neighbour I'd happily say pick all you like! We can't eat or freeze all that we have. And your house looks like my dream home but I'll pass on Nellie as cute as she looks!!

NEW8 - So pleased to hear Daisy is back to her usual self and that you enjoyed your day at the races.

BM - Glad to be home? Silly question of course you are. Now let's hope your scales don't break next!!

CAROLE - Are you winning? When you own parents come to stay (mine do not do housework) do they cook?!!

Well Crackers look at the time, I must get to my bed to get enough sleep to stay calm!