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Hello Crackers,
Well I've caught up on some of what has been going on, but there is way too much to comment on. It doesn't seem as if 2016 was the best year for any of us so let's hope for more positive times to come.
I really sympathise about the wrist MITM. How is it now? I had three months of physiotherapy once the plaster came off and am still getting twinges now. Yesterday I put my hand flat against the wall for balance as I struggled to get a boot on.......ouch!
Christmas preparations are well underway here too. Cards are done and sent, presents are bought and a fair few wrapped and delivered. I just need to wrap the family presents and we'll take those up to Hertfordshire next week when we have an early Christmas with my parents. We'll swing by Bristol and Tring en route to deliver presents for friends. I've made the mincemeat for mince pies, bought all the ingredients to make a chocolate truffle torte for Christmas Day and the rib of beef is being delivered today. I'm trying not to get carried away on the food front and keeping it low key apart from some treats on Christmas Day.
I managed four Rosemary salsasises last week and kept my steps consistent. We went to Cardiff yesterday and I did quite a few steps around John Lewis. I also walked between John Lewis and M&S twice - BM, you probably know just how far that is! Unfortunately I forgot to put my Fitbit back on after my shower so I don't have a record of how many steps it is. I've salsasised this morning so I am feeling pleased that I am getting back into the routine of exercising and have been moving a bit more than I have for the last six months.
I love the sound of your Shetland trip BM. When browsing knitting sites I have come across a few blogs from ladies in Shetland and I think I downloaded a sheep bobble hat which sounds like the one you knitted. I'm not sure where it is now, probably stored on a website I've forgotten the name of! In book group we have just read Raven Black by Anne Cleeves which is set in Shetland so I have been studying maps to work out where all the places she mentioned are. Fair Isle is miles from anywhere else! I can recommend the Anne Cleeves books, she also wrote the Vera series set in Northumberland which some of you may have seen on TV starring Brenda Blethyn. I saw you mentioned The Light Between Two Oceans Bracken which I haven't read but is included in our Book Group programme for next year. We can xchange notes on it after I've read it.
PB it is our choir's Christmas Concert tomorrow so we too have been rehearsing. Nothing as highbrow as your pieces but it is a fun evening for charity.
Right, better get on. Keep warm Crackers.
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Good morning, Crackers. Another cold day here and already a lot of snow and significant snowbanks created by the snow plows cleaning the streets.Yet only two weeks ago I was setting out the last of the raked leaves; I had over 50 bags this year and many were quite heavy and compacted. I went out to clear the snow off my vehicle and start it up- it told me it was -15C.
I too have finished my cards finally and my shopping but no wrapping done yet. perhaps later today as I don't think I'll venture out or perhaps rather briefly as I need to buy a dessert (being lazy- that chocolate truffle torte sounds delicious) for the early Christmas we will have at one of my brother's. I will bake and prepare butternut squash to take and have already bought wine.
I did another shift at the kettles yesterday so no more this week but have three scheduled for next week. Yesterday went well. I always do knitting while doing the kettles and had a couple of people stop for a nice chat because of the knitting. There was young girl and her brother who each came with a 20 dollar bill. I thanked them and, as is my habit with any young person I try to thank the parents for teaching their children to give back. I could not see the parents but later it became clear, they were with their grandmother and the they had also bought a toy each to contribute to a toy collection. I heard the grandmother talking about making the donation as they passed by the door and thought what a lovely thing she had done. I wish I saw this more often as I think it needs to be taught; it doesn't just happen. And a coin is just as acceptable.
LMV, you are making an excellent start with your exercise program and before the new year. Well done! I have been having difficulty with exercise because it is really too cold for me to walk outdoors at the moment. I have also had some recent flareup with my hiatal herna despite very moderate eating. Quite frustrating. However, I need to try the treadmill which I have been using because I could until recently still walk outdoors. Another option I'll try after Christmas seems possible at a local, large hardware store which actually has a sign saying well-behaved dogs are welcome. That would be great if I can take Nellie and chalk up some steps that way. I'll look forward to your response to the Light... novel. I enjoyed it.I am unfamiliar with the Anne Cheeves books but will check them out.
Hope all are well. Regards.0 -
Evening Crackers!
Just wanted to let you know I am still alive and kicking!! Glad to see everyone posting, welcome back LMV! I always make time to read the posts as I have my breakfast but I've just been too busy of late to write.... Lots of schlipfkrapfen orders. I can't stop now as I should be packing as early tomorrow morning, I am off to the UK for a 'Christmas' weekend with my parents before returning to Austria with the daughter. Hopefully then I will get a bit of 'me' time! I am prepared, cleaned and finally decorated the house yesterday, wrapped all the gifts, sent all my cards off and as I'm only away a few days, I should come back to a still tidy home and be able to relax.... before the daughter's 18th on Friday and then as is custom in Austria, the Christmas tree is allowed inside the house on the 24th. Fun and games! Absolutely stunning here not a cloud in the sky feels more like the end of February and Spring is just around the corner ho ho!
Be good Crackers!
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Just a quick check in before I go to church. Lovely to see all the posts! Typically, I've gone down with a bug and can bearly speak never mind sing.... all is well otherwise though. Only one more week and then a lovely long weekend. I have, for the first time in years finished cards and presents. Now just need energy to tidy up and give the house a good clean (although mums coming to stay so I'm tempted to leave it as she will clean everywhere whether I've cleaned or not). Hope the 18th was a success MITM! Let's hope master chipmunk reappears too Bracken. It's good to have the Crackers back together and I hope that we will all have a much better 2017. PB0
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In case I don't get back here before Christmas, I'll wish all a very Merry Christmas and send best wishes for a happy,healthy new year.
Here the temperatures have moderated somewhat which pleases me though lots of snow still cover the ground.As i write this a black squirrel is scurrying about the maple tree outside the den window. When it was so cold, even the squirrels hid away. Funnily, so far this year they have not found my bird-feeders. Although they can quickly go through a lot of bird seed, I really don't mind them and the antics they will go through to get the feed is quite amusing. I have been particularly pleased to have a red-bellied woodpecker, a very handsome bird, come to my feeder. This woodpecker actually has the red on its head so I don't know why called red-bellied. We do have a trued red-headed woodpecker, whose head and neck, are red. I have only seen one a few times in my life and only in a rural woods. (BM, you have mentioned before looking up flowers I mention, you may like to check out this bird)
LMV, there has been a lot in our media lately about the preservation of the Welsh language because a group of Canadian Inuit from the Arctic have gone to Wales to learn about how the way Welsh is being kept alive so successfully. Did you see anything about that in your media? It is particularly difficult here because there are many different indigenous languages of the native peoples.
We had a large Christmasy gathering at my brother's in the country on Saturday.All my siblings
(5) and their children and spouses were there as well now the three latest members, the children of my two nephews. ( I think that makes me the great-aunt , a rather Victorian sounding moniker!) The two boys are just twoish but were very well -behaved and the sister is a lovely girl of four years. Dogs, of course, were welcome. My nephew brought his large shepherd/lab cross dog, a dog he rescued from a difficult life. It is always impeccably behaved (sadly, Nellie is rather wilder!). My nephew always says, it is as if the dog knows he was rescued and is always grateful. It makes me happy to see the dog as it is not at all uncommon for people to get rid of a dog once they have a child as if the dog was just a passing distraction until a child came along.
I have two more shifts doing the kettles, one today so should get on my way.
PB, so nice to hear you are well at this time of the year and hope you have enjoyed your choir singing. Hope everyone else is well too. With so much that is dreadful going on in the wider world, I remain very grateful for my Cracker friends here. Regards all.0 -
Hello all and may I add my own Merry Christmas to you all. Since my last post I went down with a throat infection which took away my voice. I'm now battling a chesty cough so sadly absolutely no singing this Christmas. Hope to be up to singing on 8th Jan when we are joining with a local brass band so not a total washout. But very disappointed that I wasn't well enough even to attend my church Carol service.
The wildlife sounds lovely Bracken. I have bird feeders so often see little finches and robins and sparrows. I hear an owl at night too but haven't seen one around during the day.
The night was beautiful and clear when I came home this evening, very crisp and the sky was filled with stars. One more days y at t work then, at last some proper rest.
Take care Crackers PB xxxx0 -
Good Evening Crackers!
PB - I feel for you... My daughter was ill on my arrival in the UK and has spent her first few days back in Austria in bed so come her 18th birthday yesterday, all celebrations had to be cancelled/postponed! Thank goodness for social media as she was occupied all day/evening with messages from her friends scattered all over the world, so even if she didn't get to go out with her friends here she still socialized and was content! The partying will just have to wait... Most frustrating for her also the weather here is absolutely beautiful perfect hiking weather or cross country skiing and she is stuck indoors...
So stay well and enjoy the holidays everyone and be good or as the dietitian Juliette Kellow says 'Don't end up as stuffed as the turkey (with thighs to match).'
Merry Christmas Crackers! Now where did I leave my stocking?!
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So sorry to hear your Daughter is unwell MITM hope she will soon be much better and can enjoy her celebrations at a later date. PB hope you are also completely over your bout of ill health too before the 8th. I've been in a bit of a pickle health wise but that's par for the course! I'm back up now and looking forward to today especially Skyping all the Grandchildren at home although that is very bittersweet.
I'm sorry I haven't read the mails properly just skimmed through, I will enjoy them later with a cup of tea once the phone calls are done.
I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a peaceful and Happy New Year. Let's hope 2017 is a good one for us all.
Love to all and Nadolig Llawen from Singapore! Xx0 -
Wishing all us lovely Crackers a Peaceful and Happy New Year. Let's hope 2017 is a good one for all.
Love and best wishes, BM xx0 -
77Bailey77 wrote: »Wishing all us lovely Crackers a Peaceful and Happy New Year. Let's hope 2017 is a good one for all.
I'll second that - Happy New Year Crackers! MITM0 -
Happy New Year Crackers! I hope that for all of us the new year brings health and good fortune. No new year resolution other than to live well and happy for me. God bless you all. PB xxxx
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Evening Crackers!
Just to let you know I will be absent as I am off to the UK tomorrow for a week, dropping the daughter back and going on a little jaunt with my Mother overnight to London, to see Cinderella and to do a spot of window shopping. On my return to Austria the plan is to start exercising again. I intend to do my daily 8 minutes strength exercises with Jorge, salsacise 5 times a week and I'll throw in the lovely Jillian once a week if I'm unable to walk. We don't have snow at the moment but a lot of Austria it is snowing so you never know by the time I get back...
In the meantime be good Crackers!0 -
Safe journey MITM, hope you have a great time in the UK. Your plan on return sound like a good one! X0
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Hello Crackers. Somewhat late here but still full of good wishes for all in 2017. PB, I hope you have been able to sing today and are fully recovered from your cough. Likewise, MITM, I hope your daughter got over her cold and you were able to do some of the hiking you so enjoy.
Today continues a recent spate of extremely cold weather, along with high winds and snow. This has really curtailed walking with Nellie; she has to be satisfied with a number of short stints in the back yard. She is so good at amusing herself with the soccer ball and again last night after 11pm when I let her out, she was pushing that ball around.
I hope Christmas, which already seems a time ago went well for all. I again spent some of Christmas day (with Nellie along) at my brother's in the country. My youngest sister and her family were there too. Fortunately the driving was really good that day- if it were like today, I would have to have cancelled!I was particularly pleased to receive a book I had been planning on buying for a gift. It is called Do Not say We have Nothing ( a rather hard to remember title!) by a Canadian of Chinese decent, Madeleine Thien. It won our Governor General's Award, our Giller Prize, and was short listed for the UK's Booker Prize. It shifts in time from present to the 1989 period of the Tianneman Square Massacre. So far I am enjoying it very much. My tv indulgence recently has been to watch episodes of Call the Midwife, a series we did not get here but I have picked up from the Library.
Because weather has kept me in so much, I have tried to begin 'spring' or yearly cleaning tasks including going through files of bills, invoices, bank statements etc. and culling and shredding. It has been instructive to look at a year's worth of withdrawals from my bank passbook and see how often I ate lunch out or had a stop at the frozen yogurt place while shopping.It is now one of my top resolutions to radically curtail this! I am very serious and concerned about shifting considerable weight before the August wedding in British Columbia.
At the moment that is not too hard as my old digestive problems have returned and I have been really restricted in what I can eat. Of course, this is not a long term plan and I'll have to again follow a more nutritious diet.
Regards to all.0 -
Good Morning All. Bracken, lovely to hear about your Christmas and Nellie "tagging" along. When we return to The UK to live Harry will come to visit family with us too! Nellie sounds a very contented dog x
Also like you this year is very important for me regarding my weight. I am flying to Shetland in August and it will be on a tiny plane where they sit you according to weight! I cannot face being the fattest one on the plane so starting today I am back to logging food and my Fitbit is firmly in place. 5000 steps a day to start but hopefully upping it slowly to 10.000. After overindulgence at Christmas and the New Year my weight has crept up, although admittedly not as much as usual over that time, so I am quite looking forward to lots of salads and fresh vegetables again. I want to feel healthy again not sluggish!
Hope your digestive problems clear up soon for you. MITM hope you are having a wonderful time in the UK. PB and LMV thinking of you both x
Best wishes to all and let the success begin!0 -
Hello Crackers.
Well BM, we really are comrades in arms with our August events so I am looking forward too
to success through our joint struggle. Today I have felt somewhat better after the past three miserable days with my stomach. I don't know what set it off so badly and for so long but the gas, bloating, and pain made it hard to focus on anything, even real reading let alone exercise. Today I finally went out and did some shopping for groceries and got some special cleaner I needed for my floors and actually have a desire again to proceed with my "spring cleaning." I made sure I got some walking in while shopping, not a lot (3600 steps) but better than previous several days. Because of the digestive problems, I have restricted my eating severely, mainly brown rice, a few rice crackers, cooked carrots, and fruit (blueberries, raspberries, a few cherries from my summer freezing and a some raisins)- definitely not a long term diet but it is such a relief to have the stomach more settled that I want to proceed cautiously with adding more food- definitely need some protein.
I bought a new mattress set at the Boxing Day sales a week ago after realising how old the old one was and considering if it might be part of my sleeping problem. I have had really poor sleep with this digestive issue but I am really pleased that the new mattress set seems to be helping my back. I am sure I am waking up far less stiff all over and without the bad lower back pain I was having. It was quite difficult to choose a new mattress as there are so many different types now and every salesman seems to push the type his/her store sells. I also did some research on the internet. There are a lot of completely foam mattresses (so-called memory foam)but I did not really like them, even the firmer ones. The one I bought is a coil mattress with a latex pillow top; I am told latex is more resilient than the foams so I hope it will continue to serve. I also changed pillows; I had bought a very expensive down pillow a year ago but seemed to always be fighting with it to make it comfortable. I bought a bio-soy pillow which is very firm and seems to be working out also. Well, I have rabbited on quite a lot about this but must say it has been so nice to get a positive effect, a more comfortable night's sleep.
Nellie has been out for 20 minutes so must get her in now.
Regards.0 -
So Glad to hear you are over the worse of your digestive problems. Being bloated and uncomfortable is such an awful, exhausting feeling. On a brighter note it's lovely to have company on my journey to a lighter body weight! I was explaining to my OH why I needed to lose quite a lot of weight by August and his reply was "you should be doing it for you and over time, not for a holiday". Which I can understand but I don't think he could quite see why I need a goal. The weight I lose this time will be gone for good, and I know I sound like a broken record saying it, but I have to believe it this time. When I lost a good bit of weight for THE wedding I knew that was never going to last. The day after the wedding I reverted immediately to the eating habits that had made me gain the weight. That to me was all about fitting in the dress, but this time I need to be healthier and fitter too. More importantly I need to continue after August and reach my goal weight once and for all! Phew.......I feel better for getting that off my chest
seeing it in black and white makes it more real somehow.
Happy you are getting on with your new mattress, it can make such a difference to your sleep and indeed quality of life. I've never heard of a bio soy pillow, I am going to have to check them out!
Anyhow it is 41c here already so I want to get on with the ironing before the afternoon sun comes around to the lounge. I am going home to Wales in 5 weeks and counting the days, they are having a very cold spell there, hope I get to see snow!
Take care all and have a good rest of week, BM xx
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Hello Crackers.
BM, I do think those who have never really struggled with weight can deeply understand the diet issue, no matter how sympathetic. I do not think it is unrealistic to want to lose considerable weight by August which is seven months, for me exactly, tomorrow until my niece's wedding. Unrealistic to me would be wanting to lose 20 pounds or even more in just two months. I think and all the experts are always talking about the importance of goal setting, not just for weight loss but for anything one wants to achieve. I do think, however, that it is important not to have as the only goal a very specific weight to be lost in a very specific time because that is setting one up for problems. I am reminded of some advice I've read (couldn't say where as I've read a lot of diet books and articles!!) which is to have big long term goals but also many short term goals, and also to remember that weight
loss itself is not a behaviour but the result of multiple specific behaviours like monitoring what you eat or tracking amount of exercise. And I do think you can be motivated to lose weight for a specific occasion as part of wanting to feel better for you. Hope you are not melted away to a grease spot in your 41C too.
We had a suddenly shift in weather and temps of 4C today and last night with considerable rain which has greatly reduced the snow. I actually felt like taking Nellie for a walk. I also took her today to a home where she had been invited to come for a playdate with a border-collie. I had been invited by the owner when we met in the local grocery store. I am acquainted with her as she runs a small, seasonal garden business specialising in perennials only on her property. But when I got there, I realised that the driveway on one side of the house was not closed. She thought the dogs would be fine if we were standing at the front of the garden but knowing Nellie I could not take a chance that she would not run past us and onto a busy street. So I was disappointed for Nellie but had to think, better safe than sorry in this case.0 -
Good Evening Crackers!
Well I have enjoyed reading all the posts in my absence and I think it is wonderful that you both; BM/Bracken have the same goal to lose weight by August.
I recently read a piece by Vivian Goldschmidt 'Have faith in yourself! Too many people won't make resolutions at all because they just don't believe in themselves. But the fact is, many people do keep their resolutions and are happier and healthier because of it. There is no reason you can't be one of those people! Remember it is okay to start small - in fact it's better. Even very small changes can make huge differences in your health and life. You too are capable of forming new habits that will become second nature.
There is no need to beat yourself up if you find yourself challenged by keeping your resolution. Instead if you 'miss the mark' take the opportunity to re-evaluate and consider what changes you need to make in order to meet your goals. Make your new habit a 'must'. When an action becomes a habit it seems effortless. It can take some time for a new action to become a habit - starting with small changes is a good way. But once it becomes something you 'have' to do, it doesn't occur to you to do otherwise.'
So my resolutions/goals for the coming year are to paint our bedroom, I have the paint already as I intended to do it when I broke my wrist. I still have another 12 shutters to complete and I want to paint the wood shed but that will be in the Spring. Health wise I'm going to attempt to cut down on my intake of carbohydrates which I believe is the cause of my high sugar levels. Exercise I have started my daily salsacise and I have ordered today some new fitness clothes, so when I'm attempting a Jillian and I catch sight of myself in the mirror I won't think what a fright I look! The days of wearing the daughter's cast offs are over, what looks good on a teenager does not suit me!!
Well I'm pleased to report this year I started the year 1.6 pounds lighter than last year after indulging at Christmas. For once I bought the right amount of food/treats and it was all gone come the 1st January. Alas on my arrival in the UK, I was then offered all the leftovers from my parents' Christmas so I had to make sure I did a fair bit of walking.... And then whilst in London due to the tube strike (I'm sick to death of all the striking in England) I easily walked off the over indulging.
I'm now happy to be home again although it's cold and white (so the Jillian DVD will be coming out soon) and the scales very nicely agreed to shift this morning, ever so slightly in the right direction again hurrah!
Be good Crackers!0 -
Lovely to hear from you MITM, happy for you your New Year started on a good note weight wise.
I am delighted to report a 7.2lb weight loss this week (Monday to today!). I am in no doubt a good deal of that is water weight etc but I am still very happy with it. It still feels like a gazillion pound to go, but I will lose it 1lb at a time. There is no rush to be at my goal weight but I AM going to lose a lot of the weight by this Summer.
Have to get ready, it's my monthly cut and colour appointment, I've had enough of my short bob, so I want to grow it a little longer so I can put it up during the day.
Wishing you all a great weekend,
BM x0
