Sweet dreams SUNNY and safe journey home xxx
V..OMG!…this isnt going to help my battle to lose weight… a new bakery at Aigburth Vale…! I darent walk past as i know my Carb Monster will just shove me through the door 😵‍💫😬🤨 the goods look amazing….
“Mon Petit Chou
Food & drink
Micro-Patisserie and Bakehouse by Betty. 367 Aigburth Road. Thursday-Sat 10am-3pm ❤️
http://www.monpetitchoulpl.co.uk “
Other bakeries available of course! X
Ps Yay! A new page for December! X🎉🎉🎉

*~ Helped Beau with his Xmas shopping today,he gets flummoxed by it,but we got most of it sorted.
Back home now and enjoying the low winter sunshine streaming through the window. Have to confess to having a hot chocolate and two crumpets,but they were just right on a cold December day! XX🥰
Keep warm and be happy,chums xx!
~° ♥ »☆~★♥.•° ♥ »☆ ~~★♥.•° ♥ »☆° ♥ ~~° ♥ »☆~★♥.•° ♥ »☆ ~~★♥.•° ♥ »☆° ♥ ~

Hi.
Just a quick note.
Yowzer …. just keep walking quickly past that cake shop with you hand over your nose so you can’t be tempted by the delicious smells!
Hope you got back safely Sunny.
We leave tomorrow. Hope to post a little more when we arrive home.
Stay positive!

Have a great time VERANO!
My happies for today..
*~ Not quite dark yet but a big full moon showing in a lilac and purple sky. Beautiful.
*~ Received two early xmas cards today and a festive tin of shortbread! 🥰
*~ also in the post,two new bras. One red,one green,very christmassy,never owned a dark green bra before. Hope they fit!
XXX
☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️

Brrrrrr…its c-c-c-cold out there. Very blessed to be cosy at home.
We are ok now,but teatime today DD arrived in work for evening shift,plugged her laptop in and got electric shock. Has been in A and E for a few hours,now on way home,all ok. What a fright that was. Very grateful to the staff who looked after her in the hospital and v thankful that the outcome wasnt so much worse xx 💕

Finally home and trying to get used to the temperature here!!! After a busy morning, thought it high time I posted some positives….. thanks for keeping the thread rolling, Yowser, you’ve got us on to a new page.
🙂 Good to be home despite the deep chill …. at least the aga is behaving and slowly warming the house properly.
💖 was lovely to spend a few days with my folks after we got back from Turkiye. DD also there, so a good family catch up.
🚗 son drove us home and stayed overnight, so more lovely family time …. and he’s confirmed he and his family are coming for Christmas. Looks like it will be a veritable houseful this year🙂
👍🏻all unpacking done today and almost all put away, so Christmas can come out of the lift tonight.

Stay warm and safe everyone

On with some positives a little early today ….
✍ wrote all our Christmas cards last evening … one major festive season task completed.
👍🏻braved the chill and ventured out to post off a few parcels and cards today 🤞🏻 some of them get to their destination before Christmas.
🎁✔ getting lots ticked off the christmas gift list. There’s still a way to go, but it feels doable.
We get our covid boosters tomorrow morning and later on I plan to get the Christmas decs put up … two more things to be ticked off the list.

Hope your festive holiday prep is going well. Try not to get stressed and remember to look for those positives along the way too.

Yowzer hope DD is fully recovered now.
Sunny … I’m impressed!
Well I’ve been pondering 2022 as you suggest Yowzer but must admit the negatives seem to be outweighing the positives so far… BUT … it is a ‘positives’ thread so here we go.
❄️💨⛄️Despite the miserable cold we have just had our heating serviced so we are warm … at what cost who knows!!!
🥂🎉🍓Having a family lunch for 20 on Sunday. We love entertaining, even though I can’t cater myself now, but we do have a great caterer so not much for us to do apart from ‘enjoy’!
✈️🛳🛟 Booked a cruise for next winter today …. something to look forward to and get us through these dark miserable days …. just 8 days before the days get longer!
🧴🧴I went away without hand cream. My nails have been really bad the last few years with vertical ridges. No matter what I’ve used I have had no joy. They say something good comes out of everything and yes … OH bought me some local hand cream in a pharmacy and hey presto in just a couple of weeks my nails are hydrated and the ridges have all but disappeared! Fortunately I can get it here. Just goes to show that sometimes the cheapest products do the best work!
Can I just have one more? I need to make a positive out of a negative … had a text with an appointment for dermatology next week replacing my appointment for one next May! I’m assuming that the consultant needs to see me sooner than May but not that ‘soon’, he can obviously wait 6 days so, I’m guessing, obviously not an ‘emergency’!
Fingers crossed.
Have a good evening and keep as warm as you can…. time for soup!

V, your 20 guests on Sunday puts our 11 for Christmas day to shame! Even so, I don’t yet know how we’re going to seat everyone! Nothing nicer than having a holiday to look forward to, so well done on getting one booked for 2023.

My positives for today are ….
💉 we had our covid boosters this morning and now have our ‘flu jabs booked for next Wed. 🤞🏻by this time next year, there will be a combined covid and ‘flu vaccine available.
🎄 didn’t get Christmas out of the loft, but did get a bit more Christmas prep done …🍯 made cranberry sauce and two lots of sausage based stuffings ready for Christmas dinner.
🎁 lots of ordered gifts arrived this afternoon… wrapping will commence soon 🙂.
Hope you’re festive prep is progressing nicely.

Quick positives post …
🙂 GS seems much more himself since I last saw him three months ago. Looks like his counselling and meds are helping.
🎄 yesteday he helped me put the Christmas tree up
🎁 gift wrapping commenced today… only got a few done, but it’s a start.
Weekend commences here … major stocking filler shop happening tomorrow. Whatever you have planned, enjoy!!

Hi positive people…. hope the run up to the festive season is treating you all well. I’m doing okay, haven’t hit panick mode yet🤭. Thought I’d take a moment to post a few positives this evening…..
🕔🎁 five hours of gift wrapping yesterday afternoon, still a lot to do, but nice to get a chunk done …. more to do tomorrow.
🛒 quick grocery shopping trip this morning and was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to find a space in the supermarket car park.
🙂🫂 lovely lunch with friends who visited today. Good catch up on news and arranged to met in the new year.
Looking forward to drafting the village news letter tomorrow and getting more gift wrapping done.

If time permits, hope you’ll take a moment to post a positive or two.

Hi!
Just lost a long post!
Hope all is well.
Will try again soon!!!!!!!!

In the meantime …. Hope you are all well and finding lots of positives!

Just popping in to wish you all ‘Happy Holidays’!
Try to relax and enjoy. I’ll try to post again before the new year but can’t promise.
So, relax, enjoy and stay positive!

Verano, good to see you posting. Hope you’ll have a lovely festive season.
My positives for today are …..
📰💻 drafted the village newsletter for January… just waiting for OH to proof it, before sending it to print.
🎁 another batch of gift wrapping done… should get it all finished tomorrow. Will be able to tidy away all the wrapping stuff and claim back the spare room again!
🌤 it didn’t rain today .. yay!!
Tomorrow we have our flu jabs in the morning, gift wrapping in the afternoon and visiting eldest son and family in the evening, to drop off gifts.
Not long now folks, soon be Christmas… only 5 sleeps to go!
Yowser, bit concerned not to have seen any positives from you in awhile … hope all is okay with you.

Hi everyone,
It’s been a very long time since I posted to this thread, but there were lots of good things today.
1. It was a bit of a tough day with the frigid temperatures, but it was good to realize how much better I’m coping with it this year than last due to a) being able to run my woodstove this year after finally finding someone to come and clean the chimney for me b) figuring out a slightly easier system for running buckets of water from the house for the horses – they have tubs that are electrically heated so it doesn’t freeze once it’s out there, but it was such a slog last year carrying buckets – this year I bought 6 buckets with lids and I fill them up in the basement bathtub and put them all on a cart so I can wheel them all at once c) taking delivery of some new overalls yesterday that allowed me to add an extra windproof layer on top of my other clothes, and d) my mom finished knitting me an oversized (by happy accident) woolly hat earlier this week that fits over top of the thick alpaca headband that I wear to keep my ears from being frostbitten.
2. We spend a lot of the winter normally under cloud cover, but when it gets as cold as this (it was -34C this morning but did warm up to -22 at noon) it clears up beautifully. With the fresh snowfall, I really enjoyed my time outside doing chores at noon. The hills are so pretty with all the snow glistening. Such a lift to the spirits too.
3. I found out today that our hard-won pay raise will be applied to my pay cheque this Friday! Our wonderful union went to bat for us and negotiated for over 6 months to get it for us, but then the employer has been dragging their feet about applying it. We’re still owed 9 months of back pay and probably won’t get that until the new year, but so nice to finally see the wage increase.
Hope everyone is enjoying the season so far!

Hello.
Hope you’re all well. It’s always disturbing when this thread goes quiet.
Hope everyone is enjoying the festivities.
I do have some positives….
🛫🛫 We managed to get away to the Algarve on Xmas Eve despite the Border Force strike.
🌤☀️🌤The weather here is a bit changeable but we had clear blue skies and temperatures of 20C today.
🥂🎉🍗 Lovely lunch yesterday not the traditional turkey but roast lamb and chicken….. delicious! I did indulge in a couple of roast potatoes and my favourite … Christmas pudding… but otherwise ate well without huge excesses.
Just one more positive please ….
👸🧚‍♂️🙋‍♀️ Having amazing one to one time with my granddaughter… what more can I ask for really?
Anyway , hope all is well with you Yowzer, you are very quiet.
Just want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy 2023..

AF, I really can’t imagine having to cope with those low temps…. I don’t really function in the cold, think I’m part reptile!! Glad your pay rise is happening.
V, pleased you have got the the Algarve and had some warm weather. I know you have had to cancel trips this year, so really kick back we’d enjoy this one.

A few positives from me …..
👍🏻🎄 lovely Christmas day, house full of family.
🍽🙂 not too much food left over, so less temptation to mindlessly pick.
🛒🎄 some sales shopping done today, to stock up with cards and wrapping paper in the sales, ready for next Christmas.
Simple things, but they all count 🙂. Hope life is bringing you some positives and that you’ll come and share a few with us soon.

Hi all,
Sending hugs to Yowzer. Are you OK? Arcticfox, I am full of admiration – I can’t stand the cold!
Good to hear you are having a lovely break Verano. SunnyB I am very impressed that you are buying for next Christmas. I suppose my left-over cards and wrapping paper have the same effect!
Some positives:
1. Like you, Sunny, a lovely relaxed Christmas with family. Everyone pitched in. This time we spread Christmas dinner over the whole day. Seafood starter at 13.00, truffle chicken at 17.00 and pavlova at 20.00. It suited us very well.
2. Son passed a difficult exam to our huge relief.
3. Actually spent some of the Christmas gift money on some useful presents JUST FOR ME. Guilty but pleased with myself!
4. Looking forward to a New Year. And will be joining wendleg and others for 8 weeks of back to basics!

Happy New Year to everyone.

Caronl, good to have you posting here again and well done on using your gift money just for you. Congrats to your son on his exam result.
A few positives from here ….
🚗 OH did some work on my parents car and they are delighted to have it working properly again.
🫂 parents left this morning and arrived home safely after a good journey.
🛏 after a week with houseguests, we have claimed our bedroom back, so looking forward to snuggling in tonight.
Almost new year and I’m starting to look ahead to taking control and starting on the BSD basics again, but also to plans for trips away, family get togethers and hopefully many more good things.

Thanks for asking,VERANO, sorry didnt get back to you sooner,DD is slowly recovering from accident.
SIL has been superb,doing everything for xmas,from decorating the tree to doing all the food prep and cooking.
Thanks for hugs,CARONL. I’ve got the horrid lurgy thats going round. Only had it two /three days so cant really complain! I know several people who have been in bed unwell with it all over xmas.
Hope everyone is enjoying Twixmastime and looking forward to 2023! !XX
~ “ May the dream of peace take flight across the world “~
🐝 ¨*• ¸🌼¸¸ 💞🐝*•.¸🌼¨*•💞¸🌼¸¸ 🐝 ¨*• ¸🌼¸¸ 🐝 ¨*• ¸🌼¸¸ 🐝

So good to hear from you Yowzer. Just hope DD recovers quickly. Hope you are well soon too.
Onwards and upwards!
And yes …. If only the dream of peace becomes a reality and takes flight across the world we will all be have peace and happiness!
Take care everyone.

Just dropping in to say Happy New year to you all 🤞🏻2023 will be a really good year for everyone. No new year resolutions for me, but I am planning to name this year a good one.

Some positives….
🚗 DD and SIL had a road accident on their way to us yesterday…. the positive is no-one hurt, no other vehicles involved and OH was able to go out and recover them, the car and their cats to our house, all safe and sound (well, except for the car which is very poorly).
🙂 saw eldest son’s band playing last evening, but left early to see in the new year quietly at home with OH, DD and SIL with a glass of my favourite champers 🥂… best of both worlds.
📷🖼 yesterday I started editing the photos of our vow renewal in October … first chance I’ve had to do so and it was really lovely to revisit the event.

Hope you will be posting a positive or two to share with us, to help lift any flagging post festive season spirits.

Just a quick drop in, to post a few positives…
🚗 DD snd SIL delivered safely back to Kent on Monday.
🎄 Christmas has been packed away again, clearing the way to focusing on what is to come in 2023
📆🌙 planning our first date night for this year for Saturday
Hope there are daily positives presenting themselves to you all. Why not join me in putting one or two here?

Good evening!
I got home on Thursday after a wonderful Christmas and New Year, including a party!!
Had a really relaxing time with family just sad that they live so far away. Anyway, I thought I should try and keep you company Sunny and hope you enjoyed your ‘date night’ last night.
Yowzer hope you are fully recovered and I understand your desire to cut down on ‘computer’ time I could do with following your plan!
I do have a few positives ….
☀️☀️☀️ Clinging on to the memory of warm sunshine!
🥗🍓🍗 Wonderful to get back to low carb after eating artisan bread, olive oil and olives with gay abandon and even the odd pasta meal. Oh how I enjoyed tagliatelle sitting on a terrace looking out over the Atlantic. I’m sure it made the food taste better!
🗒🖊📖 I’ve restarted my ‘to-do-lists’ . Today I had 5 to do or not to do, and I’ve managed 4 of the 5. Not eating chocolate was one but I had three dark chocolate gingers left so had them with coffee at lunch time. Chocolate is on my don’t do list!
Just one more…
🧺🧺🧺 Washing almost done just one load left ….. so next week I’ll be ironing!
Hope everyone had a good weekend. New week about to start so let’s try and make it positive.

Good to see you here V, lots of lovely positives. I know what you mean about trying to hold on to the memory of warm sunshine. Getting really tired of the grey and rain 😔.

🙂 On the upside, date night was really good … thanks for asking, Verano. Enjoyed the meal and company and there were a few dances in the living room too.
🧺 I too have been tackling laundry… Still a way to go to completely catch up, but getting there.
👍🏻🫂 have been surprised by a friend from France announcing he’s making a spontaneous visit to the UK, to include a visit to us later this week … Will be good to catch up with him in person.

Hooe your weekend has brought positives your way … please share one or two with us if you have a moment.

Hi everyone,
Verano and SunnyB, I hear you about the grey in winter. It’s been very mild here lately and we even had some rain this morning as well. But at least with all the snow it makes things quite a bit brighter than they would be otherwise. I hope we don’t lose too much of it too soon now with this mild stretch for that reason.
A few positives for me:
1. My house is cleaner than it has been in a long while. I had an energy advisor here this week and needed to do a thorough clean ahead of him arriving so the blower door test wouldn’t stir up too much dust into the air. It was the incentive that I needed to get on with it.
2. I’m going to get a report in a week or so that will tell me exactly where I need to do work on the house to make it more comfortable. I should qualify for some grants and interest-free loans as well. I’m really glad that the advisor identified exterior insulation and new windows as things I can do as I have some really dingy windows and siding that are at the end of their life. I can’t afford to replace them all at once on my own, but maybe with the grants that will be possible.
3. I am preparing a few meals for the freezer. While I’ve been cooking again for the last month or two, I haven’t been batch cooking at all. I’m doing this now on the advice of some more experienced (female) farmers, so as to have some meals put away for the busy season. One even recommended labelling them by month so that you don’t end up eating them ahead of time. Looking forward to being able to look after myself better this season!
4. I’ve started some flower seeds this week. Always a sign that spring is around the corner. These are some of the slow germinating, slow growing varieties, so it will be a while before I have some decent sized plants, but it’s a start. Once the first batch germinate, I’m going to start some herbs to use in the kitchen. It will be nice to have some fresh ones in pots on the kitchen windowsill to use. Might even do some little gem lettuces or something too. Fresh greens are just so expensive here now, and even the price of frozen ones have gone up a pretty crazy amount too.

Thanks for posting your positives Arctic. I’m hopeless at growing anything from seed, so very much admire your expertise. Hope your energy report proves useful.
My positives for today are ….
👍🏻 returned to my Ta-dah list today … first one compiled in almost 3mths. Felt good to note down what I’d achieved today. Not that there was anything amazing, just run of the mill stuff, but writing it down was a pleasing exercise.
🤭 managed a 22hr fast from last evening to this, quite happy with that given I haven’t done one for ages. Have only had some yogurt with walnuts, chia and a heaped teaspoon of peanut butter. Going to aim for 24hrs tomorrow.
📖🖋 started writing a reflection on 2022, in a lovely leather covered journal DD gave me for Christmas.

What positives dropped into your day today?

Good morning! Good to see you arcticfox.

Sunny what a great idea to reflect on 2022 and write your reflections in a pristine new journal. I have a lovely journal that I bought in 2018 but I’ve still not written anything in it. Maybe 2023 should become my year for ‘reflection’ too.

I really don’t have any positives at the moment. My do/don’t lists went out of the window on Wednesday when the cheese monster arrived! Today I’m getting back on track. Hope to have some more positives soon.

Have a good weekend with lots of positives.

Reporting in after a long birthday weekend …. it’s been a good one, so here goes with some positives.

🫂🙂 enjoyable weekend with my folks
🍽🥂 lovely birthday meal on Friday evening
🙂😄 visit from son and family on Saturday
🥂🍽 birthday lunch with DD and GS today

Still not ‘in the zone’ with BSD eating, but tomorrow is s bew day and a fresh chance to make a difference and start a new approach.

Popping in to wish SUNNY a very happy birthday! 🥳 xx keep the celebrations going!
Will leave a few pozzys while Im here…
*~ Enjoying spending just v small amounts of time online and being a bit more active instead
*~ Quite liking January,yes it can feel a bit gloomy after the bright lights and colours of the festive season,but theres so much to look forward to..the longer evenings slowly arriving,watching for the springtime flowers to pop up….Pancake Tuesday soon ! 🥰 …and Beaus and SILs bdays just around the corner.
*~ Been out for late lunch with DD..shes still recovering from leccy shock..her heart rate,pulse and BP have been very high,too high..improving,then one step back again..another colleague had elec shock same office exactly 4 weeks after DD.
Anyhoo,lovely food! VERANO i can recommend Pippins Corner,Lark Lane, for a tasty brunch or lunch,piping hot food,plenty of choices,and v cosy place this time of year. It snowed while we were there,just long enough to look nice drifting past the windows,but short enough to melt away fast.
*~ Getting a lot from my book Heavy Brain…helping me to stop looking for the quick fix,address the emotional reasons I overeat when I do,or starve,or yoyo,or turn to booze or technology.
Highly recommend this book,its really changing my perspective a lot.
Keep warm and wrapped up coz brrrrr its chilly out there!
❄️❄️ ** No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” – Hal Borland ** ❄️❄️

Hope your DD will be fully recovered soon, Yowser. Her company have a lot to answer for, with two employees suffering electric shocks. Unlike you, I loath January and this year have really been struggling with SAD, but I’m trying a few cooing strategies and hoping it will soon pass.

Anyway, there are some positives to report, so here goes …
🤐 have just finished a 44hr fast and for the first time in months, actually feel I’m in control of my diet again😀
🌨❄ we’ve only had a very short snow shower and it didn’t settle … phew! I’m not a fan of cold weather generally, but really hate snow.
🍽🥂 date night dinner planned shopped for and dessert already made.
🤸‍♀️💃 eldest son has decided that this spring he’s giing to bring his family out to Turkiye to visit with us while we’re there.

So, even with SAD there are still positives around and recognising them is therapeutic in and of itself. Why not look to see what positives are dropping into your days too?

Hi.
Hadn’t realised it’s nearly a week since I last posted. Sorry not to help this thread continue!
Anyway, here now.

Sunny belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Glad you had a good one. 44hrs … amazing! I’ve never been one to fast. I think having had T2 I’m worried that, although my blood sugar has been in the normal range for years, I might not react well to long fasts.

Yowzer .. well what do you say ? One electric shock may have been an ‘act of g-d’ two are just totally unacceptable. Obviously they need an overhaul poste haste! Hope DD is completely recovers soon.

So to positives….
Need to prepare dinner so will come back tomorrow

P.S. Yowzer we were due to go to LL today for a Turkish lunch but afraid Dniester stopped play!! Try again next week!

Hello.
Just want to pop-in and say “Hi”.
Hope everyone is well.
I’m so-so ok. No real problems but it’s difficult to find the ‘positves’!
Anyway here I go …..
🌗🛏️🛏️ I’ve discovered that when I wake up in the middle of the night 4:2:4 works. Inhale for the count of 4, hold for 2, exhale for 4. After several goes I’m asleep! So I guess it really works.
🛫⛱️🛩️ Planned a trip to see son and family in March …. really looking forward to that.
🥗🥂🎉Lunch with grandsons next weekend to celebrate their birthdays! Just one week apart, plus two years!
Yes, so when I think about it I do have positives …. maybe we just have to think harder, scrape the bottom of the barrel.
If we really try I’m sure we can all find those ‘POSITIVES’?

Hi Verano, Good for you that you keep finding the positives! Some positives from me:
1) Heading to the UK this week to see my parents and some UK friends. It feels good to get over regularly and (touch wood) Eurostar has been a really good service.
2) Have been enjoying the bright blue skies of the last few days after quite a period of grey skies and drizzles. The crisp cold feels good and natural in January. I just need to make sure I don’t slip on the frozen hail!
3) The garden is beginning to wake up. Snowdrop leaves and bulbs are poking out. And the vibernums will be covered with flowers soon. I love the days getting longer and seeing the sunshine finally reach our garden again.

V, thank you for your increased posting here, I’ve been a bit low and appreciated reading your positives, which have help to keep this special thread live too. Really hope that nothing gets in the way of you trip in March and that you have a lovely birthday lunch with your grandsons.
Caronl, hope you enjoy your UK visit, especially time with your parents.

My positives are …..
⚖ not a great BSD week, but am counting no gain as a plus …. 🤞🏻hopefully I can make this week a better BSD week and show a loss this time next week.
🙂 lovely visit with OH’s cousin and wife yesterday.
🌿 got out in the garden today and made a start on tidying it up. Felt really good to spend time out there, even if it was for just about half an hour … only stayed out there until I couldn’t feel my fingers🖐
🛏 looking forward to climbing into fresh sheets tonight.

I’m sure you must have a positive or two, so please take a moment and post them here for us to share.

I’ve had a rough start to my week at work, so thought it might be difficult to find some positives, but then I thought of a few:
1. It was a brilliantly sunny day made all the brighter with the fresh snowfall we received over the weekend.
2. I made an asian broccoli slaw salad for dinner that I haven’t had in a while. I had forgotten how delicious it was.
3. I had to report the person causing me problems at work to the union again, but the labour relations person responded really quickly and compassionately, making me feel that they are really on my side.
4. I applied for a job tonight. Even if I don’t get it or even get an interview, it felt good to finally be doing something about my work situation, and now that my resume has been dusted off and updated, it should make it even easier to apply to other jobs as they come available.

Arctic, a sunny day makes such a difference doesn’t it … an instant mood lift. The broccoli salad sounds interesting, would love to know more. Glad you are making progress on the work front, sounds like you’ve had a testing time, so hope it all gets sorted soon.

Positives from my chilly corner ….
🌿 another little gardening session today … again, only long enough for my fingers to freeze, but was lovely to be out there.
📞 nice long phone chat with an old friend.
🙂 can’t think of anything more specific, but it’s been an okay and fairly productive day.

Oooh, SunnyB, gardening! Even with frozen fingers! We had more snow today. It was looking like an early spring for most of January here as it was so mild, but we will be back down to -18 C by the weekend, so a ways to go before it is gardening season here. I have some specialty flowers started under grow lights and will be babying them along for the next 10 weeks or so before they can be planted out.
The broccoli slaw I use is just pre-packaged from the supermarket, with black beans, pepitas, green apple and chopped red pepper added. Then tossed in a dressing made from soy sauce, sesame oi, rice vinegar and ginger. Very simple and makes a quick but nutritious dinner. I always have lots of leftovers for lunches too.
Not many positives to report for today as it was a bit heads down at work, but I have a couple:
1. tending to my little flower seedlings, I found some more germinating after I had written them off. The others look to be growing fairly well at the moment, so fingers crossed that continues.
2. It was warm at noon today so I pulled the horses rugs off, which they really enjoyed, but then it snowed in the afternoon and they stood out in it and got a bit wet. I had to towel them off before putting their rugs back on this evening, but it gave me the opportunity to work on some fun training things that I’m doing with my young, very clever one. He is learning to pick things up and pass them to me, so we worked on that for a bit with the towel. He much prefers picking up my gloves though.

Arctic Fox i shall follow your example and get some seeds planted on my return from the UK! Drying off the horses sounds like a real work-out. V and Sunny-B, so good you are posting despite the grey clouds. They will pass. x
Positives?
1) No further weight loss in last 3 days, BUT my waist and (vaguely) cheekbones are starting to emerge,
2) About to do my music homework for choir tonight. Good to get restarted after the Christmas period.
3) Found a nice scarf for my mother’s birthday by pure chance. Just what I was looking for – and in the local newsagents. Sometimes local shops rather than the internet can be the solution!

Best wishes for Wednesday and coming days. Will not be posting till next week while on my travels to the UK.

Hi everyone!

Caron your post reminded me that I must contribute to this thread more regularly.

Well finding positives today has been easier than usual……
🥗🍓👫 Lunch at home with friends. Poached salmon, Greek salad, hummus, tzatziki etc. Good to be able to control the food we eat!
🧺🩳👗 Washing almost up to date. Just need to iron before I start packing next week. I always find it difficult to pack summer clothes when it’s so cold outside.
🌖🌖🌖 Days are really lengthening. Great to get to 5pm before it gets dark so that’s making me feel very much brighter.

Hope the week is being kind to you.

Really appreciating the input on this thread … so good to see more frequent posts from you all.
Glad the horses are doing well, Arctic. Will give that salad dressing a try, although I’ve never seen that broccoli salad where I shop, I’m sure it will work with other options.
Caronl, hope you have a wonderful trip to UK … Will look forward to hearing about it when you’re back.
I too am happy the days are getting noticeably a little longer, V. Your lunch sounds good. Personally, I’d be more than delighted to be packing for sunny weather, but I’ve got awhile to wait yet.

Positives for today are….
😀 lovely social get together at the pub last evening.
🍴🍴 currently doing a feng shui 27/9, so tackled the cutlery draw today. Moved several things on, either to other homes in the kitchen, or disposed of completely. The draw looks wonderfully tidy now.
🧘‍♀️ slowly reestablishing daily meditation, already sleeping better.

Looking forward to seeing more positives posted here, so please join in

Just using this post to give out calls of gratitude as well as positivity.

So grateful I went to the opticians and he saw black dots in the back of my eyes and told my doctor.
So grateful I had a doppler within 2 weeks after seeing the optician and he diagnosed a blockage in my carotid artery.
So grateful for the surgeon who operated on me on Monday and removed a large obstruction which was almost to the point of closing off my brains blood supply completely within days.

Positive I will now regain my full health and continue to live a full and happy life.

OMG! SUNSHINE GIRL,sooooo glad youre ok! Thank goodness for our marvellous doctors,surgeons,opticians! 💜💕❤️
Phew what an unexpected but amazing start to your New Year xx
My positives…this made me laugh today..I saw a campervan with this logo on the back..
“ Having an adventure before dementia”..have seen it before but had forgotten about it..what a good idea!
Aside from that just grateful for longer days already,spring still to look forward to,,my hairdresser in labour as i type – cant wait to welcome her baby girl into the world!..
off to lunch out now,still havent decided where….life is sweet!
Love n hugs,have a fab weekend everyone! Xx

S-g so good to see you posting. It’s great to hear your ‘positives’ and let’s hope you have a speedy recovery now. Your calls of gratitude make my positives seem so foolish but here goes anyway ….

Sunny reading about your 27/9 Feng Shui, which I’d forgotten about, prompted me to make a start on my bedside table drawers.
🪡💊🧴🧷So this morning I emptied out my creams/medicines/pedicure bits etc.etc. I tipped away all those spare buttons that come with blouses/shirts that you keep but never use! All the odd bits of ribbon that I thought might come in handy. The odd remnants of creams that I’ll never use.
🙊💄👀 Then I went into the make-up drawer….. oh dear! I finally got rid of all those lipsticks that never really suited, the eyelash curlers that just left a ‘crease’ in my lashes and all those tiny little ‘sample’ tubes that have probably dried up with age.
🧺🧺 Finally I washed my make-up bag. I felt so righteous that I made a healthy salad for lunch!
We have a busy weekend ahead. I hope the weekend is positive for everyone.

Sunny, yes the salad works well with cabbage or shredded kale too. The broccoli slaw is just grated broccoli stalks, I think so would be fairly easy to do as well.
S-g – welcome back and glad your surgery went well.
Just a couple of positives for me today:
1. So far I’m loving my new compression tights. Only the first day with them on but my legs feel less heavy with them on.
2. I have nine little basil seedlings up so far. They are a blend of different varieties. Still waiting on the parsley, but they do tend to take a while to germinate.

Verano, no ones positive or problems are greater than anyone else, just different. I am looking forward to the day I can be without pain, without daily treatments and without the clips and stitches in my neck. My positive for today is just that I am alive and I want to remember to be grateful for that moving forward.

S-g yes you are absolutely right. After a life threatening trauma our focus does alter and being grateful to have come through is just one vital part of the recovery. The clips and stitches will go, and the pain will too. In time the memory fades. These are such early days for you post-op but you will get there.
While I’m here I’ve had a busy weekend …..
☀️💐☀️ On Saturday I saw the first early daffodils in bloom …. Spring is on its way!
👫🍗🫓 Out with friends we had an amazing Sri Lankan meal … I’m hooked!
🧺🧺🧺 Ironing all up to date .. whew!
Just one more…
🎉👦🏻🎉👦🏻 Birthday lunch with our two grandsons born two years and one week apart.
Lots of joy has put a spring in my step.
Have a good week full of positives.

Apologies for bring missing from the thread for awhile, but huge thanks to everyone who has been contributing.
SG, really pleased your surgery went well and that you’re home recovering. Hope you’ll soon be in full health and taking life by the horns.
V, it is wonderful to see spring flowers beginning to put in an appearance… I discovered a few dwarf iris in bloom on my garden yesterday. Glad you’ve been having a lovely social time with friends and family.
Arctic, I love basil … always think of it as a summer flavour. I’m hopeless at growing from seed, so I admire your success.
Yowser, thanks for sharing that quote … one I certainly want to live by. Was nice to see you posting again.

Okay, so my positives for the last few days …..
🍽🥂 a lovely date night on Friday… food was so-so, but the company was great 💏
🎁 have organised cards and gifts for February birthdays
🌿🌱 gardening with GS yesterday …. very productive and the garden looks so much better for a few hours tidying.

Feels like there should be more to report, but can’t think of anything else specific … glad to say my mood is improving and is more level though, so am taking that as another plus.

Hope to be reading lots more positives from you all afain during this week.