Hello Crackers. A brief pop-in as I am waiting for my niece to call so we can discuss Macbeth in preparation for an essay she has to write in class tomorrow. I had a lot of running around today along with an appointment at my family Doc's. I wanted to get to as many places on route as I could. I got to the water garden place and bought some water lettuce and water hyacinths for the pond. I also got to a kitchen shop I had been wanting to get to. I was able to find a spiralizer (I believe that is what they call it) so I can prepare some veg like zucchini in the shape of pasta (3 shapes including spaghetti). I have seen these devices used on tv shows several times to recommend using veg prepared like pasta, along with some real pasta as a way of cutting down starches and thus calories. I'll let you all know how well It works! I also got to a so-called 'beauty supply store' to buy a new hair straightener which I have needed for some time. All week it has been threatening rain but none has really materialized so I had to do a major watering of all plants tonight. Take care all.

P.S. Whilst the field is as green as my profile photo sadly the sky is very grey!!

Good Morning Crackers!

Thankfully it finally stopped raining and on Sunday we were blessed with sunshine for the BBQ. On the menu Bracken there was a whole suckling pig, pork chops, rack of pork, sausages and grilled turkey with ginger and lemon and the grilled vegetables were courgettes, peppers, mushrooms and there was potato salad. There are 2 live in Serbian helpers at the farm caring for the old folk (who are very frail) who were trained as pattistiere chefs so they made the cakes for the afternoon. It was a success, my husband's cousin who was hosting was very pleased. I wasn't so pleased with all the revolting clearing up I had to do after my husband had finished prepping at our place; 180 people that's a lot of work trays and with my dislike of meat I was almost throwing up whilst washing up!

Not that, that stopped me from scoffing cake all weekend long and regaining 2 pounds of sugar! However I drew the line again Monday and yesterday I started logging again and I threw myself around the garden with the lawn mower and I managed 11,202 steps.

Today my daughter has her first AS exam in History. She is very nervous as am I, but only because anything less than an A she will be disappointed with because of the amount of hard work and effort she has put in! Could be another long summer ahead awaiting the results!!

Well as the lovely weather is not going to last - tomorrow promises to be exceedingly cold which is hard to believe looking out of the window today, I shall now head for the garden.

Be good Crackers!

Afternoon Crackers!

Bracken perhaps you and I should take over this blog and rename it 'The Weather'!! It is not so much cold here today as grey, damp and drizzling - absolutely miserable! My husband assures me we too have sunny weather coming tomorrow oh yeah...

However I finished all my mowing yesterday (10,294 steps), my second circuit of the garden this year and my first up in the jungle where amongst the weeds, as high as your knees are 3 gooseberry bushes which are coming along nicely (LMV how are yours doing?) and far too many blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes for my liking or use. My front garden flower beds look so lovely and then you glance up and on the top level of my rockery, above my ground cover rose bushes is this overgrown fruit garden! But no more!

This year I have 2 lawn mowers - I have flymos living on a slope (sent over from England) but mine which was old, wasn't gliding as it should so I invested and treated myself to a new model which is like a little spaceship flying around with me on the end! I'm using that one on the lawns I tend to and attempt to nurture and the old one at the back of my house which is wild with shrubs and in the jungle!

So true what you said about exams Bracken. The daughter was well prepared but she said she felt sick whilst waiting to go into the hall with her friends who were getting themselves into a state. At first glance at the questions she feared the worst. But planned and got started and then 1/2 an hour in she had from no where what she thinks was a panic attack, she thought she was going to be sick then and there, her hands started shaking and she didn't know what she was writing but told herself to just keep going. Somehow pulled herself together for the 2nd question. Of course afterwards she realised it wasn't a hard paper at all for her, so was upset and cross with herself... Silly girl did not have breakfast that day, she never misses breakfast so I'm sure that played a part too. Fortunately this year they are only AS exams not A-levels. Her teacher reassured her and said to think of this as a mock as her reference for universities will reflect her excellence and predicted grade (A) - if you could lose weight with stress I'd be a rake!!

What lovely news Bracken and plenty of notice to give you time to find the perfect outfit and to get to the desired size, no excuses - Operation Wedding Outfit it is for you!

Right it's under the terrace for me now to complete my final 2 shutters of one side of the house. I had an exciting moment whilst walking across the field of buttercups with my sister-in-law at the weekend, normally I approach from a different direction and the 2 willow trees block my view - but there stood in the distance our house and I could spot the 2 shutters I hadn't yet painted because the others looked so good!!! Even if I do say so myself!

Be good Crackers - or if you're being naughty do tell us!! Bracken and I we're missing our Cracker friends!

Oh PB I'm so sorry to read your dreadful news - I do feel for you. Stay strong you are better than that job and those horrible work colleagues.

Hi Crackers = well I must say that I have been supported and comforted by the actions of friends over the past few days and have been out the last two evenings and, although I was still feeling quite sick yesterday morning I do feel now that the shock is beginning to wear off and I feel a bit more ready to face the next challenge. I have a couple of jobs to apply for and my CV is just about ready. I went to a lovely concert last night at a church about 10 miles away and then ended up in the pub before returning home. I'm off to church shortly and the sun is shining. We have a choral even song benefice service next Sunday so I'm singing the Cantique de Jean Racine and a Cantate Domino both of which I know. I have to go to the hospital with Mum on Wed to receive the results of a CT Scan so that is a small worry but I'm trying to be positive as her endoscopy was clear and I suspect a lot of her trouble is stress related.

I shot a letter from my solicitor across her bows before the meeting on Thursday so I was at least able to make them back off a little. The outcome was the same but they gave me a pay off which they could potentially have just given me a months notice. So I need to be very careful about the next job and try to choose more carefully what I do next and with whom. I'm not prepared to put up with bullying any more.

Well need to get ready for church so more later.

Take care Crackers

PB xx

Good Afternoon Crackers!

It's a beautiful sunny day here in the mountains. The local outdoor swimming pool officially opens for the season today so I could just pop on the bikini and lie out! On Sunday I was out walking with the husband and realised this time last year, was when my husband took the unflattering photo of me clambering up, which I didn't recognise as me and it was my wake up call as I looked such a blob. So first sign of warm weather I was in my new fitted 3/4 length trousers and breton t'shirt, showing off my 'at target' figure - no flab this year!!

The Presidential elections have really shown the 2 faces of Austria which my daughter and I have always had our strong suspicions about, in our lengthy dealings with the locals in school/church matters which my husband never believed. He is still in shock that he and his family, my daughter's inner circle and my close friend we are in the small minority here. These little villages would rather have a far right President. Thanks to Facebook my daughter can read the most dreadful post election comments from pupils in her former school class. The propaganda they come out with, they are so ignorant and small minded. As my daughter said "Well what do you expect, that comment is from the girl who turned around whilst watching 'Schindler's List' and said 'Who cares about these people - I don't." I recently read 'Born Survivors' a true account of how three mothers and their newborns fought to survive the Holocaust. They ended up in Mauthausen death camp in Austria. It is packed with harrowing detail and their treatment at the hands of the Austrians.... This election was decided by less than 1% so unless the parties get their acts together I dread the next elections in 2 years time.

On a more positive note - Beaverfoot Lodge looks enchanting Bracken I do hope they have availability. My daughter has her second exam today in history Russia this time. I've checked she has had breakfast and I hope she can remain calm! My geraniums are also finally out of the garage and up in their window boxes. Later today I will plant up the petunias into the old wooden beer barrels we use as pots! We have also finished planting up the vegetable garden hurrah! Right I've window shutters awaiting a second coat of paint.

Hope the job hunting is going well PB.

Be good Crackers!

Sadly, MITM, the political situation in the UK is hardly better. We are polarising around racism and fear as we head towards the referendum. There is basically no reliable information about the truth because the politicians (and the media) are spinning everything so much they couldn't begin to tell you what was truthful and of course we have a wide range of ignorance that is encouraged and magnified by the media - both sides seem to want to use fear rather than hope as their basis for decision making - this is clever since it is actually fear that makes people vote in a particular way - either stay in (fear of the consequences of leaving) or leave (fear of the cost of staying). They are ALL MAD! As far as I can see this is about as stupid as the Scottish referendum. On what planet does it make sense for a small part of a small island to declare independence in a global world???? Similarly - we are a global community - the problems that face us are global and cutting off a small island won't make any difference to those problems. What with the resurrection of myths and Daily Braille lies about 'unelected officials', lies about 'spending the money we save (!) on the NHS I fear that the vote will go for leave - for completely the wrong reasons.

OK rant over!

I'm OK. Its been an up and down week with some job applications but nothing (as yet) coming to anything. Mums results were positive with no cancer being detected. However, she has to have another endoscopy as they now want to look at her bile ducts where they think she has stones. Her pancreas is still not working correctly but this may be because she is on metformin for type 2 diabetes which is a known side effect. Not sure what they will do about that, but she was going to see the GP yesterday so I will find out today what she says.

I am on duty at the stables over the weekend - my friend is off to Munich to be a patient voice at a medical conference this morning until tomorrow evening so I'm going to give her Mum my help this afternoon and tomorrow evening. On Sunday evening I also have a benefice Choral Evensong which I'm looking forward to with the Cantique de Jean Racine (Faure) being the main event. Its such a beautiful, melodic piece of music.

My garden is doing well and I have carrots, potatoes, onions, peas, beans, tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers in. My strawberries have lots of flowers on so fingers crossed and my rhubarb has bolted. I'm looking forward to a harvest of cherry plums too. May even do some weeding this morning!

I did a 4 mile walk yesterday from home to a village on the coast - through the woods and along footpaths. The highlight was the sound of a cuckoo calling! Haven't heard one for about two years. Enjoyed the walk and the ankle was OK but when I took my boots and socks off I realised that my toenails needed cutting - my feet were a bloody mess. whoops. Luckily, its the time of year for sandals so my toes can have a few days to recover! the pace was around 3 miles an hour - I really can't move all that fast at the moment and it felt quite fast but we were short of time so had to keep going. perfect weather though with a nice cool breeze but warm enough.

That's it for now Crackers. take care all

PB xx

Good Morning Crackers!

Very strange 'dieting' week for me.... Thursday evening I succumbed and ate the last of my birthday chocolate, 2 bars of white chocolate and I don't even like white chocolate! Thankfully there is now no more chocolate lurking in the house.

The following day did my weekly food shop only to find myself stood in front of the bakery counter looking longingly at the olive bread. I love olives and I love bread and I also know all too well from past experience I'd polish off the lot and feel very ill afterwards! So as they had no half loaves I dragged myself away only to find myself staring into the ice cream cabinet! 25% off and I cannot resist a bargain! I haven't bought ice cream from a supermarket in over a year which is probably why and how I got back to my target weight... However there was a small tub because again I'd scoff the lot, no sharing but I know it could trigger me off again and then I caught sight of the sugar content - 2 days worth in one serving and that wasn't even the whole little tub!! Aside from my white chocolate attack I've got my sugar back under control at 20g a day, so I tossed the tub back into the freezer in utter disgust!

Returned home and headed for the garden and planted up my lavenders and busy lizzies. Next day decided to face the scales having avoided them on Friday, time to draw the line and was gobsmacked to realise I'd not gained but lost. Only 0.4lbs but I was expecting a gain! The rest of the day I was so busy I just didn't have time to sit. My husband was doing a wedding so I completed another 4 shutters, cut the front lawn and potted in the garden happily. Got on the scales again yesterday (as I always do!) and could not believe it I've lost another 0.6lbs so I've lost a pound in total after all this week, which is great news as with my 'Challenge Group' just after Easter, I pledged to hit 133 pounds by Memorial Day and I'm actually just under my target weight at 132.6 so I'm feeling very, very fortunate!!!

PB - your walk sounded so lovely. Walking in our pine woods is my number one form of exercise as I find it clears my head! Sadly no walk for us yesterday as it poured with rain however I'm dragging my friend out today rain or no rain!!

Bracken - well done on your many steps! Have you had your doctor's appointment yet?

BM - Good to see you back with us again. Baby steps, one day at a time - they will soon mount up.

LMV has broken her wrist and says everything is difficult but will be back online eventually.

Right Crackers be good!

HI BM - great to see you. Welcome. thank you for your kind thoughts - Mum is doing well after her cancer scare - thankfully, no cancer has been detected although she needs treatment for stones in her bile ducts and a pancreas that isn't working as it should. As far as singing is concerned I had a lovely Choral Evensong to do on Sunday evening - as it was a 5 sunday month we had a benefice service and they chose Choral Evensong - a service that is rare outside of cathedrals these days. There were 17 of us in the Choir and nearly 40 in the congregation (in a church that has a capacity of about 60). A beautiful evening, in contrast to the last couple of days where we have had wind, rain, thunder and lightening and it has been cold enough for a fire yesterday afternoon.

Your goal for the week is absolutely spot on - and one that I need to follow myself at the moment so we can go for it together. Well done on the steps yesterday. Its probably more than I did - but my walk on Friday morning certainly helped me to exceed my step count - as it was around 15000 steps! And I heard the cuckoo!

My job hunt has been on hold over the weekend but I hope it will pick up again today - found one to apply for this morning in Ipswich so quite a good opportunity. Lets hope that I will be back at work soon (although the situation regarding the EU referendum isn't helping).

take care Crackers and keep in touch!

PB xx