V, we’re just popping out to Turkiye for a couple of weeks, to start our next visa ticking. We’ll be going back in April as usual. Where are you off to … will this be your Singapore trip?

So let’s see, it’s positives time and I know there must be some ….
🧶🧶 now the festive distraction is done with, I’ve started knitting myself a snood
📦📦 visit to the Post office to send back a few unwanted purchases
🌹💐 treated myself to a bunch of roses, to help chase away the January blues

Hope there have been some positives in your day too.

Oh wow ….. flipped on to another new page!!! Definitely another positive to bring a smile to my face 🙂😀🥳🎉

Sunny didn’t realise you need a visa for Türkiye. Enjoy your trip anyway.
We were trying to get a visa for Cambodia, just one stop on a cruise, but it meant sending off passports to the Embassy in London. Our postal service is abysmal, and it was almost Christmas. I had visions if needing an emergency passport! So decided against that and will let the ship do it even though it’s much more expensive.
Sanity comes before cost sometimes!

So I only have one huge positive …..

☀️🧘🏻🌈 Just three days back into my new regime and also into my ‘headspace’ and I’m feeling so very much more at ‘peace’.
Last year, no, 2022, I took an annual subscription but really didn’t use it very much. I had an offer back in November, Black Friday offer, and I thought why not, even though I’d hardly used it.
I’m so pleased I renewed. It’s renewing me!

Hope today has had some positives for everyone else.

Turkiye’s visa system is the same as the one that now applied for Brits visiting the EU …. 90 days in any 180 days. The visa starts ticking on the first day of entry, which is why we’re visiting in Feb, so we can visit earlier at the end of the year.

Cambodia sounds like an exciting destination. Will look forward to hearing your impressions on your return.

So, my positives for today are ….
💪🙂 have started moving around more, with a couple of short exercise sessions per day.
🚘🛵 our car and youngest GS’s scooter both passed their MOT’s today
👍🏻🙂 put away the last of my Christmas gifts today, so everything now has a home.
💄💅 reviewed and disposed of some old cosmetics and skincare …. fresh start for the new year.

What were the positives in your day?

Sorry to interfer but Verano, do you know you can get a temporary visa on board the cruise ship. You still have to have all the usual documents but they do it there and then on the ship. Although I have just read that it is still your responsibility to make all the checks so you are probably doing the right thing. If you have already sent off for one then I hope it all goes well.

I guess I had better add some positives after that slightly negative comment.
Has a very uncomfortable but very successful mammogram yesterday
Going for a pedicure this afternoon
Doing well on the new stricter regime.

Sunny I see! I hadn’t realised Türkiye had the same EU rule. My own gut feeling is that that rule is in its last days. Spain, the Canaries and Balearics are all up in arms asking for it to be scrapped and even France for holiday home owners. These countries, especially those reliant upon the ‘sparrows’ must be losing so much money. Anyway, we will see.

S-g no not interfering at all. Yes, we’ve decided to let the ship do it. I spoke to the travel agent and she spoke to the cruise company who say we don’t need photos or paperwork. Think I’ll take photos anyway and can always download the forms if necessary. Definitely not stressing over it now stressed enough back in November/December! Last time we were due to go to Cambodia the ship couldn’t dock so didn’t need the visa after all. We will wait and see!

Positives …. today hadn’t been very positive. I’ve managed not to eat anything on my ‘naughty’ list which is good but have also failed to add in all the good stuff like water and meditation. Tomorrow is another day and all will be well!
Have a good evening.

Turkiye has been using this visa arrangement for several years now, V. They used to charge a fee for their tourist visa, but that was dropped a few years ago.
Sorry your day was a bit flat, V, but as you say, tomorrow is another day …. a blank canvas for you to put a mark upon.

Positives from my little corner today …..
🎄🙂 GS visited to help me put Christmas “back in the box”(es) and then stayed for dinner. Lovely to spend time with him.
😋😋 made myself a batch of herby almond crackers …. yummy!
I’m thinking that will do for me today. It felt like a day well spent though, so I’m ending my day content.

Good afternoon.

I’m determined to find a positive everyday. Really shouldn’t be too difficult …..

🥢🫚🧄 Chinese stir fry tonight with lots of vegetables and left over chicken

💅💅💅 Very nice pedicure today (sorry about the pics!) and that leads me to my last for today….

📺📺📺 …. whilst I sat waiting for my toes to dry I caught up with C4 Truelove, first 2 episodes. Try and watch it, it really is good. Apparently there are six episodes in all. Really looking forward to number 3.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. It may be cold but at least it’s sunny with, hopefully, no more rain!!!

Have been wondering about the series Truelove, think I might give it a go as you have recommended it Verano.

Positives in my little corner ….
🥂🍽 enjoyed our date night last evening.
🙂⭐ tidied ‘that’ cupboard in the kitchen today… you know the one, full of clutter and most of it largely unused and/or unnecessary. Good session of disposing of stuff, including putting quite a few things aside for the charity shop.
🌹🌹 the three rose bushes I ordered a couple of months ago, arrived today …. yippee!!! Now I just need to find homes for them 🤭😃

Hope you are all enjoying a positive weekend.

Hi SunnyB, I too am recording Truelove. If you have playback then The Couple Next Door was good and a bit cheeky but develops into a good thriller.

My positives

Feeling better in myself and hoping the yoga is helping with stamina
Losing weight at a good rate
Excited about all the new knowledge I am finding with the help of friends here. Dr Bikman, Jason Fung, Insulin IQ to name a few.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Hello.
I started The Couple Next Door but was a bit cheeky so gave up . Should I go back to finish it?

Well it’s been sunny but frosty and cold here today but my first positive is ….. it’s not raining!
Very quiet day today which is good and also positive.
Have spent a good part of the weekend reading which has been quite thought provoking….. in a positive way.
Looking forward to a new week tomorrow.

Sunny, I love your positives, it is very healthy to review how fortunate we are…
V I am with you on the live the best we can…

** Grateful for the resources available to us to make sensible choices
** Looking forward to planting our veg and bits so I can harvest and can a good store..

Lovely to see all the positives being posted …. Good to see you here, SG, smp and V. Thank you for the TV recommendations, will take a look.

Positives here for today are ….
🌤 it didn’t rain at all today and there was some intermittent sun … supposedly we should be enjoying dry weather for several days now
🌹 ordered containers for my new rose bushes … should be here in a few days
🙂 quiet and relaxing day … who could ask for more

Hope you have all had a good weekend and are nicely recharged ready to face the new week.

Hello.

Well I just have one negative that I’ve turned into a positive today.

Last week at the start of the year I replaced my journal, which was full after 4 years, with a week to view diary ….. after just one week I ‘hate’ it!
So this morning I took the new journal that I bought 5 years ago, but have never used, and have pressed it into service as my ‘new journal’. I feel so much more at ease being able to see my progress on one page. Guess it’s the old adage …. if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!

Hope Monday has been a goid start to everybody’s new week.

As you say, V, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I’m using the Fung journal as I was looking for something different to help keep me motivated. I used to keep a spreadsheet which calculated cals and carbs, and I tracked weight, measurements and BMI. However, as I’d stopped weighing and measuring everything consumed, having an alternative to the spreadsheet seemed to make sense.

Anyway ….. positives for today are …
❄🌨 the snow which was falling when we went to bed last night, wasn’t in evidence when we got up this morning
🧶🧶 finished the snood I’ve been knitting
📱💬 lovely phone catch up with a long term friend last evening, with plans to meet up in the summer

Again, it’s been a quiet day with nothing spectacular happening, but a good day for all that🙂.

Hope your day has been a good one too … would love to read your positives if you have a moment to post them.

How was your day today? Mine has been pleasant and productive, giving rise to a few positives, which are….
😀👗 the dress I bought to wear at Christmas, but ended up too snug, now fits comfortably
🌿🌹 good gardening session with GS …. three roses planted and one very large and old lavender despatched
🙂🙂 enjoying the exercise sessions I’ve been doing each morning … today was pilates – felt really energised afterwards

Enjoy your evening everyone 🤗

Good evening…
Some positives this week for me:
*Grateful my friend of 30+ years was relatively unharmed in a car crash yesterday….
*Had a decent nights sleep last couple nights when I seem to be in a phase of insomnia recently..
*Looking forward to baking some gluten free and diabetic friendly recipes for myself…

🥂🍰🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNNY🎉🎉🥂

Hope you had a wonderful birthday🎉🎉🎉🎉

Thank you for the birthday wishes, V … it has been lovely.
🍾🥂 wonderful birthday weekend away with OH, who arranged for a big bouquet of flowers in the room and for me to have a massage and facial at the hotel spa.
🍽👍🏻 managed to keep a good handle on what I consumed during our weekend break, so no huge indulgences.
🤭📱 accidentally left my phone at home on Friday, so the weekend turned into an unplanned tech detox.
🎉😀 rounding the weekend out with a chilled evening at home.
Has been a really wonderful birthday and I’m ready to refocus for the week ahead.

Hope you have had a weekend choke full of positives too.

Quiet day, but I’m sure there are some positives to be found ……
🛏🌙 put fresh linen on the bed this morning, so looking forward to those tonight
💍🎉 heard a Turkish friend has just got engaged
🌅☀️ beautiful sunrise this morning and sunny all day
Hope you’ll be posting a positive or two soon🙂

Hello!

Just one positive for me today…. counting down to our trip and ordered some small ziplock bags which came today. The bags are brilliant for small numbers of vitamins etc. They hold 30 quite happily so that’s one thing ticked of the list!

While I’m here just want to say that I have gone back to my meditation app and after 12 days I’m really starting to feel the benefit. Can’t believe how much more relaxed I am. Whether it’s a placebo or not it doesn’t really matter …. it’s working for me!

Hope you have some positives too …. one will do!

Verano, I am sure meditation changes something in the brain in quite a few ways. Calms you down, helps memory and some neurons that have become separate as we age can re-join giving us more working brain cells.

Had a bad day yesterday BUT
1. Car broke down but at least it was within 100 metres of a garage and we just cruised in.
2. Going to cost €2000 but at least we have the money unlike so many people who are struggling and something like this would have knocked them for 6.
3. Luckily I have no medical appointments and no social events so no need of a car for a few days at least.

Always look for rainbow rather than moaning about the rain – I just made that up.

V, sounds like you’re really getting into the holiday prep now. Glad your meditation is proving beneficial. I’ve allowed mine to laps too, so something I should be looking to get back to as well.
SG, well done on finding the positives in what was a less than ideal situation with your car problems. Liking your rainbow analogy!
My positives for today are ….
🎁 gift posted yesterday by a friend, arrived with me today … well done post office!
☀️ a bright sunny day, even though it was very cold
🍽 date night dinner planned and have managed to keep it low prep, so I don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen
Please do share a positive or two, we love to read then.

Another uneventful day, that said there must be some positives, so here goes ….
🌸🌸 brought a hellebore bloom indoors, so that I can fully appreciate its beauty …. their natural habit is with the flower head hanging down, so it’s hard to see how lovely they are.
🙂🙂 made plans to meet up with friends we haven’t seen for awhile …. getting together in the summer, date is in the diary.
📞📞 nice long phone chat with Mum, caught up on all the parental news.
If there were positives in your day, do share them with us.

Happy New Year everyone and I hope you had a lovely birthday SUNNY!
VERANO,thanks for reminding me about Truelove! I saw ep 1,need to go back and catch up with the next few episodes. Great cast isnt it!
Did you enjoy the snow that fell Monday night? I was awake and loved watching it fall so silently. Looked so perfect,a carpet of white stretching out untouched. By 5 a.m. there was just one set of pawmarks. Later covered in car tracks and footprints. It was a nice interlude but I dont want a return visit😄 i was surprised no children came out to have snowball fights and make snowmen. We would stay out for hours as kids and go home with freezing hands that hurt so much when they thawed out by the fire!
I listened to Couple Next Door on audio last year but cant remember it very well,so cant advise,V.
Only one pozz from me..I am in a lovely hibernatey mood..escaping from Jan gloom with a pile of books received for birthday and Xmas. Im content to stay cosy and wait for spring,have a few naughty hot chocolatesin the meantime! The way time goes so fast,it will be here very soon.
Keep warm and well wrapped up,N Hemisphere peeps!..brrr,its cold and frosty out there! Enjoy the sun,our S Hemisphere friends,and think of us shivering! xx

Yowser, good to see you posting and sharing a little of what’s happening with you.
V, thought I’d let you know P++i throat cream is on offer on QVC as a mega size jar at the moment (£0.00 p&p). I’ve placed an order so I have some in stock.

Positives for me today, are ….
👍🏻🙂 after an exhaustive search, I finally found the skincare I bought last month and put ‘somewhere safe’!!! Just in time, as I was about to run out of both serum and daytime moisturiser.
🔪🥣 did all the prep I could for tomorrow’s date night dinner. Should be a nice easy one to finish off now.
Just the two for today I think …. enjoy your evening everyone.

YOWSER. ….. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Pile of books sounds great. I’ve gone back to reading ‘real thing’ now, love the feel of turning pages!

Thanks Sunny but I have one huge pot! So not buying anymore at the moment.

So to me … absolutely no positives.

Trip that took many, many weeks to plan is now off. OH just not up to 7 flights etc. etc. so had to cancel.

So, another story. Sure I will find positives, just not today!

Hope the coming week is great for everyone.

Right at this moment just very disappointed. So really can’t find even one positive apart from the fact that I’m still here and able to deal with the issue!

Oh, V … how dreadfully disappointing. I know you were very much looking forward to your vacation, so to have to cancel must really hurt. Can imagine in the wake of that, finding a positive is a huge ask. Hopefully in the days ahead, it will be easier to find those positives again.

While I’m here, will report a couple of positives …
🙂👍🏻 as a day patient, Dad had a successful minor surgical procedure yesterday.
🎉😀 plans for celebrating eldest GD’s 18th next month are now in place.

Those two will do for now. If you have a positive please let us know about it.

Hi there, V sorry to hear about your trip. My husband refuses to fly any distance even though he was an aircraft engineer – should that be because he was an aircraft engineer and didn’t trust commercial flights. Also, we had to cancel our Norway/Iceland cruise last year due to my surgery so I know how disappointed you are. Maybe you could look at something closer to home. You could come and housesit for us in April/May when we go away 🙂

My positives are not very exciting.
Just glad to be free of medical appointments for another 2 weeks when I go get my eyes tested.
Glad we can keep snug and warm in the cold weather – we have an electric blanket for night-time.
Doing well on the plan, both weight and diabetes related.

Thanks for the offer s-g you made me smile and there haven’t been many smiles in this house lately! Yes house-sitting sounds good but unfortunately/fortunately we have plans for the spring. Just keeping everything crossed now that we go. Europe this time so no longhaul involved.

So to some positives now I am feeling ok ….

🐓🥕🧅 Huge pan of chicken soup bubbling away on the hob. Nice homely warm feeling.

💇🏻💇🏻💇🏻Hair cut and coloured last Friday which always lifts the spirits.

🧘🏻🧘🏻🧘🏻 Headspace going really well. Apart from 2 days I’ve been really consistent this year and definitely feeling better. I’m actually learning to take more notice of what and how I’m eating.

Anyway, that’s my three for today.
Hope everyone is have a positive time.

Glad I made you smile V, we are with a company called Trustedhousesitters.com and we had registered our dates. We think we have someone interested but it is very slim pickings.

My positives
Managed to do 30 mins of aerobics without getting out of breath
Cutting insulin units again tonight as my BG is running too low
Hubby was at the doctors today for a check up and all is well.

Have a good week folks.

Verano, glad you are recovery from the disappointment of your trip cancellation and are starting to look forward to your springtime vacation. My meditation has lapsed, so your posting about yours, has given me a nudge to get back to mine.
SG, good news that your breathlessness seems to have resolved and that you have been able to reduce your insulin. Also good news your hubby’s check up went well.

Okay, my positives for today ….
🙂🙂 accidentally left my building society book in the post office and the assistant kindly phoned me to let me know, so I could return to collect it.
📮🎉 posted off eldest DD’s birthday gift … her birthday isn’t until beginning of Feb, but wanted to get it sorted in good time.
🌿🌱 have made plans with GS for a gardening session at the weekend, as it looks like the weather should be okay 👍🏻

Whatever you have been doing today, I hope there was at least a positives or two to brighten your day.

Sunny I had forgotten just how beneficial meditation is. Yesterday I had a really unexpected reaction and was actually quite tearful. I have no idea why but it felt like quite a ‘relief’. You must get back to it if you have the time.

Just one positive for me today. I realise that my head is back into the same place it was when I first started BSD. So I have a very modest, doable, goal of 1lb a week with any extra being a bonus. I’m finding the lack of stress from a long term goal and a timespan is really helping me to stay focused.

Hope positives are flowing your way.

Mishy mashy day today for me.
Hopefully tomorrow will be full of positives … no actually it will be. Grandsons coming for birthday lunch….. with parents! Really looking forward to it!

Good evening!

Well lunch wasn’t what it should have been, only half the family made it!
But my positive ….

🎉🍰🎉 Celebrated grandson’s birthday but just not as many of us as hoped because of road ‘hell’. Nonetheless it was a lovely afternoon.

That’s me for today.

Hope everyone can find at least one positive …. one is better than none!

Sorry not to have been around for a few days. Friday was a wash, as I had a migraine which took all day to resolve. But the weekend did present a positive or two, so here goes ….
💖🥂 date night was deferred to Saturday and was an especially good one … lots of laughs and some dancing too.
🌿🌱 very good gardening session with GS yesterday, achieved all I wanted to, plus a bit more …. and it’s always nice to catch up with him.
🍽🥣 lunch with DD and GS today … belated birthday treat, as she was ill when it was my birthday … was good to spend time with them.
Hopefully there have been some positives in your day, so do tell us about them.

Just dropping in with a few positives for today …..
🧳🧳 wrote the packing list and started packing for our upcoming trip …. feels good to get some things in the bags.
👗👖 tried on some outfit options for Friday, when we’re attending a 50th birthday party. Still not sure what I’m going to wear, but at least I know which options fit me 🙂👍🏻
🎁🧧 wrapped gift and wrote card for our friend who celebrates his 50th on Friday.
👗👗 repaired the dress I wore for date night last week, as part of the hem had started to come down.

They’re all small things, but still happy to have had a pleasant day 🙂👍🏻💖

Well done Sunny, thought you were going to say something else about what happened to the dress on date night :):)

My positives are
Back on track
Lost some more weight so nearly back to my pre-slip up weight
Beautiful sunny day at 17 degrees.

Have a good day/week/month.

Hello

S-g glad you’re back to ‘positivity’ the alternative is just self-destruction!

Sunny you are away this weekend. Enjoy!

Just one positive for me ……stayed on track and reached my goal for January. Looking forward to embracing February with a similar modest, attainable goal.

I’ll post positives as and when. Just at the moment my Headspace has me quite zoned out …. it’s good!

Hee, hee, SG … no 😂 …. the dress survived date night! Glad you are back on track and moving on from the little slip up … knew you’d pull things back really quickly.
V, great to read that your month worked out well and you reached your goal for January. Hope you stay chilled from your Headspace.
Sooo, to positives from my little corner, not been an eventful day, but ….
🧺🧺 got most of the laundry done, just one more load to go.
🙃🙂 OH came home for lunch today, which is a pleasant change …. looking forward to some proper time together over the next couple of weeks.
🤐🤐 have been fasting since last evening and hoping to get through to mid afternoon tomorrow …. all going well so far👍🏻.
If there have been any high points in your day, it would be great to read about them so do share!

Not much to be positive about BUT….
opthamologist appointment went okay and no signs of diabetic neuropathy – but need further tests
managed to get shopping done as there were no sign of the rioting farmers
because we were late I gave hubby the opportunity to have lunch out – local supermarket restaurant or the new Burger King – he opted to come back home and I had soup. A positive as I really didn’t want to eat out although I had looked at the menu at BK and planned having 2 plain salads 🙂

SG, glad your eye appointment went well … 🤞🏻the follow up tests go well too.
My positives for today are ….
☀️🌿 sun actually shone for awhile today and I discovered three dwarf iris in bloom in my garden
🦈🦈 made some tasty salmon for dinner, with a miso and herb butter
🎉🙂 OH finished work today until after we get back for our trip
Has been a pleasant day … Hope yours has been likewise.

Quick hello to wish you Happy Hols! Sunny. Have a great time.
It’s been lovely and sunny here today. Saw my first daffodils and some lovely crocus. Feels like spring could be on its way!
Keep positive everyone and pop in as and when to share.

Thank you for the good wishes, V. We’ve been away overnight for a friend’s 50th birthday and off on our travels on Monday …. so, a few positives from yesterday…
🙃🙂 our friend commented on my weight loss and asked if I was okay …. double positive, my change in weight is noticeable and he was concerned as to why I looked slimmer than last time we saw each other 18mths ago.
👠👠 the shoes I wore to the party, fell apart in the rain on the walk back to the hotel!!!! OH managed to put them back together this afternoon.
🎂🥪 despite all the buffet food at the party being carby, I managed to consume an absolute minimum (a quarter of a sandwich, a third of a wrap and two pieces of sushi) and no sugary elements.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone.

Hi there

Sunny, I have been seen at a buffet taking all the fillings out of sausage rolls, sandwiches etc.
Positives
Weight is still going down
Hair appt on Tuesday
Lovely lazy Sunday afternoon doing a bit of painting and watching something on Netflix – but running out of ideas.

Hello. Thought I’d pop in and post a few positives….

Annual blood tests results all good yesterday.
Meditation still going strong.
Daffodils all looking pretty healthy so looking forward to a good ‘show’ next month.

Hope you have some positives in your life, share if you can.

Well two weeks have passed since my last post so have popped in just to say ‘hello’ hope you’re all well.

My positives ….

☔️🏨 Had a few soggy days in East Yorkshire. The weather might have been iffy but being waited on was lovely.

👦🏻👩🏻🧒👱🏻‍♂️friends joining us for lunch tomorrow which is always lovely.

📖📚✍️ Reorganising my three ‘journals’ tomorrow to make life simpler and less reliant on ‘counting and keeping tabs’ on everything I do. It’s not been working for me this year!

Have a good week and if you have a positive please share.

SG and Verano, thank you for keeping the positives thread active whilst I’ve been away and taking a bit of a tech break.
Figured it’s past time I contributed some positives, so here’s what I have at present…
📝📝 while we were away, we got the final legal stuff for the villa completed …. has only taken 3yrs!
🙂🥂 on our return to the UK, we had a couple of days with my folks and took them out for a meal to celebrate Mum’s birthday. Pleased to say they are both well and mobile.
🥂🎉 went to eldest GD’s 18th birthday bash … lovely evening, but we left when the karaoke started!

Hope your days are bringing positives your way too, do share one or two if you have a moment.

Welcome home Sunny!
Sorry I’ve not posted more but such is life! So no thanks needed really I did a shabby job Sunny!

🥂🍓🍉 lunch on Sunday with friends was ‘joyous’. So good to spend time with life-long friends.
🌷🌷🌷 No daffodil emojis but mine are blooming beautifully. Outside the front of our home we have a patch of grass, very very small field, with some mature trees. We planted daffodils many years ago beneath one of the trees. Every year they flower and we know spring is just around the corner. Because it’s ‘common’ land everybody else gets to enjoy them too.

Think that’s about it for me today. So glad you’re back Sunny to remind us to post!

I just adore daffodils, V, they are so cheery. I’ve quite a good display of the dwarf ones in a couple of places in my garden at present.
Positives from me today are ….
🤞🏻🤞🏻 OH has had a stomach bug, but recovering and managed some soup and a roll … his first ‘meal’ in about 48hrs.
🌱🌿 jumbo container of plant food arrived, looking forward to spring and putting it to good use.
🌱🌹 also on the plant front, think I have two rose cuttings rooted🤞🏻took them from a bouquet I had for my birthday last month.
🚗📝 finished planning our next road trip to Turkiye today, including booking hotels …. 6wks ’til we hit the road🙂
🏥🏨 friend in Turkiye went home from hospital today, his problems are not completely resolved, but he now has an action plan going forward.

Take a moment to share one or two of your positives, we love to read them.