Morning Crackers,

Just a very quick pop in as I'm packing for my trip home, I'm back on the 18th - hopefully carrying no excess luggage on me! I've managed to maintain my new pre-Christmas weight with walking and maxing so I'm looking forward to a 'few' well deserved treats, with my Mother on our overnight visit to Bath and whilst catching up with my friends and family.

LMV - thinking of you.

Hello Crackers. It has been more days than I realised since my last post. I put this down to the dreadful cold which has hung on and the painting which I have worked on regardless, partly because I can sit down for some of it and do as much or as little as I feel up to at a time.
LMV, my condolences on the sudden loss of your cousin. As you say, after three bereavements in August, one would think there could be no more in such a short time. I hope you found some time to reflect on and cherish your anniversary despite your time of loss.
BM, it is good news to see you here and I so admire your strength when you have to cope with so much in the way of health issues and the stress of being so far away from family.
The painting has been a much larger job than I anticipated but I have completed about 90% of what I can do for now. I have had to do it all myself. One of my sisters said she would love to have helped but because she has fairly recently had treatment for carpel tunnel in her wrist is now wary of creating more damage. The other who has just retired end of October is simply very busy. That left me, myself, and I! The colour that I painted the panelling changed from the Hague Blue. When I began to paint, of course, I had to first use a primer over the old varnished wood. It was suggested that I have the primer tinted which had not occurred to me.
The tint was made by using the 'Hague Blue' lookalike at half strength. It turned out to be a very lovely blue that looks like the historical blues one sees in early American homes. I really liked it and came to feel that the other colour was perhaps too intense for my room. However, I have a small can of it that I am using as an accent colour and have done a first coat on a bookcase which was also a varnished wood. I am well pleased with how it is turning out. In the rec room there are cupboards which I have also finished painting in a very warm cream colour.
I still have doors to paint and bits of touch up so will be kept busy there for some time. MITM, what a good memory you have. Yes, Peter is the one who has a daughter to whom I gave books. She is an only child and he clearly dotes on her- he was not long at my house before showing me pictures of her on his cell.
Because I have felt so dragged down by this cold, I have not felt like braving the malls for Christmas shopping. For the first time, I have done the bulk of my shopping on-line. I was able to get some very good buys during the Black Friday sales. Still I feel rather behind on my preparations. I still can not fathom it but somehow I misplaced Christmas cards I bought last winter in sales. Truly, I am not that disorganised and untidy but I have not been able to turn them up. I then had to buy new ones, none of which seemed as nice as I remember the lost ones. I have got the ones to distant places off but still have many to do more locally. I have also done a couple of volunteer shifts for the Salvation Army's kettle fund raising and have another tomorrow. I have not signed up for quite as many as usual, again because of not feeling my best.
Next Thursday my writing group will have its Christmas meeting and luncheon. We all committed to write something on a Christmas theme to share. My piece has two parts; I have finished the first part but still am working on the second.
Today has been very windy, about -3C but it has felt much colder. Tonight some snow is predicted though not a heavy amount it seems. More and more birds are coming to my feeder and seem very hungry so am putting out extra food- I don't mind as they are such a pleasure to watch. Today there was a bird I had not seen yet at the feeder this fall. It does amaze me how they actually find a feeder which is after all quite small.
Off for now. Regards.

Merry Christmas Crackers.

I'm swimming in a sea of sugar at the moment and very much against the current! Looking forward to getting back on the straight and narrow come the New Year. BM - sorry to hear you are under the weather again. LMV let me know how the new DVD is? BRACKEN - well done on the weight loss. I too bought a size smaller jeans last week, as it dawned on me I finally have thighs I like (thanks to the Max) and my jeans I bought in September were now too loose on the legs - so I ordered the size down on the Tuesday from the UK, they were on my doorstep in Austria Thursday morning! Nearest airport to me is 3 hours away, I was very impressed. However having not exercised in over 2 weeks and the amount of sugar that has passed my lips, I may put them to the back of the wardrobe until the New Year!

Be good Crackers - see you on the other side of Christmas!

Hello Crackers and a Happy New Year. The number of days since I have posted have crept up in large part I think because of dealing with unrelenting weather. Canada as a whole is experiencing very cold weather and temperature records have been falling everywhere. In my area we have had many days below -20C, some days into the -30's with the wind chill. That said, we did have three days of milder temps this week although today is wild again with freezing rain this morning followed by snow and the beginning of another below normal cold for at least the next nine days. It can be more than frustrating. I missed my Christmas writers' group meeting because of the snow and a luncheon at an old friend's who always gathers a number of us who started out riding together. I did manage to get to the 'open house' at the stables where I used to board my horse, although the last bit of that drive on gravelled roads was not much fun. The roads were very bad on Christmas day and I was reluctant to drive but my intrepid brother came for me in the morning so I had a nice time with him and family and one of my sisters and family. He brought me home and I was invited to another sister's for dinner but mid afternoon more snow and blowing so I missed dinner. However, it calmed down in the evening and I was able to go there with my sister who was at the morning celebration. With all the snow I have been very fortunate that my two neighbours who have snow blower machines have been clearing my driveway for me. There are two cedar bushes on the one side of my driveway that my resident sparrows shelter in. One day after a huge snowfall, I realised I had not seen them at all and when I went out I could see that the bushes were so covered in snow they were virtually encased. I dug out part of the snow and they soon emerged and flew to the feeders.
After feeling painted out before Christmas (although not finished in my basement) I have returned for the past two days to the job. My workmen have not been able to fit me in yet but both of them say they hope to be able to get here later next week. At the moment I am painting a French door and asking myself why I didn't get a more ordinary door. My sister has made me some templates of bristol board to fit around the glass which is a great help but it is still very fiddly. I keep telling myself that it is good to get this painting done while I do not have to worry about taping because the existing flooring will be replaced along with the ceiling tiles.
LMV, good to hear that your celebrations went off so well, especially the birthday of your husband. With your recent stellar achievements on diet and fitness, I'm sure you'll take care of recent and lovely indulgences. I would presume you'll be active in Australia too. I previously commented on your words about Nutshell. At the moment I am reading Sweet Tooth by McEwan and finding it very engaging. Interesting characters, suspense, good plot and his usual interesting commentaries on the state of society.
BM, I was happy to see that you could drop in and let us know how you are. I hope your gastro issue is resolving.
MITM, I hope you are not being overwhelmed with the demands for your schlipfkrapfen!
Off now to try and do a little more painting. Regards.

Beck 'Think thin Thursday'
Remind yourself that your body doesn't know what you don't eat and only knows what you do eat. Extra is extra, regardless of how much extra you didn't eat.

Oh my body sadly knows exactly how much EXTRA I ate 2 days ago..... Still feeling rubbish! But I've done a second Max for the week.