Thank you, Krysia! Where you are in maintenance is where I hope to be in time. If I might ask you a
question, is it true that you’re a pilates instructor? I’ve recently discovered that I’m now capable
of executing planks, much to my amazement. I’ve been giving some thought to joining a class,
and I wonder if you have any expert advice on what sort of a class to seek as a beginner? We seem
to be around the same chronological age, although I feel decades more youthful these days. (age:69)
Your advice would be much appreciated 🙂 Hope your husband is doing well?
Best,
Allie

Allie – well done for executing the plank. You really must be increasing muscle strength as it is not the easiest exercise to do. I am 69 also (70 in a couple of months) and feel so much younger than I felt when I first started the BSD in 2016. Actually – like you – I probably feel like a 50 year old now.

Pilates is brilliant for improving strength and flexibility. A beginner’s class is a great way to start. Class size should be 12 as an absolute maximum. Smaller would be better as your teacher needs to check on your alignment and that you are doing the exercises correctly. Your teacher should also be insured and be trained by a reputable training body that provides continuing professional development for its teachers. It would be good to speak to your teacher before joining the class to check that it is ok for you.

Husband is doing well but breaking his hip has left him feeling a little bit down as he can’t yet do all the things he did before (like riding his motorcycle). I must admit that I am not sorry that the motorcycle is staying in the garage at the moment.

That is invaluable advice, Krysia…thank you so much! I will take a closer look at pilates, and interview
the instructor first. I did read about the importance of proper alignment, and the overall suggestion
that if you are executing the plank maneuver correctly, it shouldn’t produce any undue stress on the
shoulders. I’m sure that I could benefit from professional guidance, however. I’m very commited to
the concept of core strength, and I’d like to maintain it long term. Being able, at long last, to move
effortisely through my day is something I never want to lose 🙂 I’m with you on the motorcyle remaining
in the garage. I’d have fits if my husband took to that form of relaxation! Extra special to know
another BSDer who is looking at the end of their 6th decade, too!
Thanks again,
Allie

Not far behind at 62. My answer to the motorbike thing, was to refuse to get on it and after a while the interest waned, he stopped riding and it’s now been sold. Happy days.

Sunny, do think this is a delayed midlife crisis thing? I appreciate the “need for speed” also, but who
wants to pick insects out of their teeth? 🙂 🙂 🙂

Good grief, I meant “effortlessly” What use is spellcheck anyway? What a dunce!

My positive is finally the changes are starting to occur in the area of my spare tyre.
I noticed in the mirror yesterday that my regular working trousers are starting to reach the baggy to the point of silly point. So am taking advantage of the snow today to spend the time having a clear out of the piles of clothes in my bedroom. –
I was so determined that eventually I would loose the weight that my wardrobe remains full of clothes that used to fit and the larger sizes live in a pile in the middle of the room. Am working my way through the pile stuffing it into bags to take down to the recycling centre.

Haha, JGwen! I remember you making reference to “the pile” before, so I’m happily
picturing you packing up the discards for recycling. You’ve done extremely well, and
have much to be proud of. I’m fairly certain that there are clothes in the aforementioned
wardrobe that will look great on you now, too 🙂 Have a great snow day!

I haven’t been awake long enough to get my positives in order, but I’m sure I’ll have
some as the day progresses 🙂

Sadly the spare tyre is too large still for anything in the wardrobe – I need to get down at least one more dress size before there will be anything in there, and most are two dress sizes away. But I am getting there, down two dress sizes so far, means there’s 4 black rubbish bags worth of work clothes and jeans heading to a new home once its safe to drive. – I am not sure if its a positive or not, but I can’t wash and wear my teeshirts any more. – They used to be tight enough that any ceases where smoothed out just by wearing them, but are so baggy now that they look a creased mess without ironing.

Has been a snowy day here with more promised tonight, so that’s a bit of a negative for me, however, there are some positives too.
1) 15yr old grandson has been no problem at all and has been a pleasure to have stay.
2) After yesterday’s lunch out, including a red wine and a cocktail last night, blip upwards on the scales was only 0.2lb this morning.
3) Relaxing day today, with just a bit of laundry and a bit of vacuuming done and not a lot else!

Well, we had a couple more inches of snow overnight and my grandson’s school decided not to open today, so I didn’t need to do the school run this morning (that was a positive, as I hate driving in snow and ice). Other positives are:
1) Sunny and bright here today, although there is still laying snow and the temps are low, sunshine lifts the spirits regardless.
2) Getting serious about organising the things we are going to take on our trip to Turkey. Have started putting things together ready for packing, but not quite at the stage of putting things in bags yet.
3) Daughter had a lovely birthday w/e – she deserves it and I’m so happy she has had a fun packed break.

Looking forward to reading positives from others soon – get posting please folks!

Hello, everyone!
JGwen, that is very gratifying to hear that the spare tire is going at long last 🙂 Bravo!

Sunny, are you sending extra snow my way? I hear that we’re suppose to be gearing
up for the 4th Nor’easter in 3 weeks come weds., unless it takes a turn and goes out
to sea this time. Happy you had a lovely weekend 🙂

Marie, I must have read about your weekend with your uncle on a different thread,
but it touched my spirit that this lovely man wanted to please you with your favorite
angelfood cake. It must have given him so much pleasure to find this for you. I
wouldn’t have deprived him of the happiness it gave him either and would certainly have had
a small piece, too! Best news is that your BGL is normal today!

I’ve just had a glance at the calendar, and realized that at this time last year I was
sitting in the waiting room outside of the operating theater with my heart in my
throat, waiting to hear that my husband had survived surgery for colon cancer, since
his risk factors were high for an additional heart attack, or a broken chunk of plaque
breaking away from his arteries might precipitate a stroke.I’m feeling especially
blessed today, as he’s doing very well at present. No one can predict what tomorrow
will bring, but I know that I’m healthy enough to be the best that I can be, whatever
life has in store. Additionally, I now have a whole group of wonderful friends that have
come into my life by virtue of these forums, which I couldn’t even have imagined last
year at this time….Why wouldn’t I be dancing a jig in celebration???

Thank you all for welcoming me into this experience 🙂 🙂 🙂

Sorry, not me Allie, if I had it my way there would be no snow period!!!! Hope you don’t get soo much and that spring will soon be in full bloom both there and here. Keep dancing that jig, you have much to celebrate with your husband doing well and you successfully maintaining for close to a year now.

Like you, I so appreciate the wonderful people on the forum and all the advice, support and caring. It’s amazing how the BSD has made us a cohesive unit and how quickly one feels invested in the group as well as the BSD WOE. Long may it continue.

I’m going to start posting my positives again on here and will do them when I get in from being out tonight. But I just wanted to come on to say Allie, what a moving anniversary for you to recall. I hope you and your husband continue to be blessed well into the future. Xx

I’ve also been wondering how Theodora is doing. I hope she feels able to come back to you here soon.

Hey Marie123 – looking forward to having you join us in posting positives again. Think we are all hoping Theo is okay and will soon be back with us, but the tragedy with her dog was a huge blow to her and I suspect it will be a while yet before she is ready to return to us. Anyway, hope you have had a good day Marie and will be postings your positives this evening. Thought I would pop in and post mine for the day.
1) Got the village monthly new letter drafted and ready for print today.
2) Laundry up to date – first time in a good while!
3) Ordered OH’s birthday present – one more thing to tick off my pre-holiday to do list, so a double positive.

Marie, it’s comforting to know you’ll be back on this thread 🙂 , and I won’t have to search for you elsewhere
on the forums! You bring you own brand of grace to wherever you post, so it’s always nice to know where you can
be found! ( I really don’t like it when your laptop needs servicing!) Thank you for your kind words.

Sunny, you make me feel guilty about the several loads of laundry piling up around here! Thank god I’m not
responsible for ironing, too. I’m waiting for morning to see what Mother Nature has in store for tomorrow…
Suppose to be 11-15″ of the white stuff…May I hitch a ride to Turkey with you?? I hope you received your new
batch of kefir grains to take with you on your trip 🙂

Theo, our thoughts are with you…You’ve been through both trauma and shock, and I hope you will soon be
able to feel the sun again. Grief and loss have their own time table, so return to us when you can. xoxo

Allie

As always it is wonderful to read the positive thoughts on this thread. Life can be so challenging at various times and it is easy to feel weighed down by it and forget how lucky we all are. SunnyB we will miss you while you are away. Gosh it is came around quickly. Allie – planks! What a champion you are. Verano, Malaysia! How fabulous.

Here are my positives –

1. Really enjoyed a wonderful week at the beach, warm weather, warm ocean, lovely family, great food, good books, out in nature – it was very restorative after four months focussing so intensely on BSD. Also my dog’s first trip to the beach and he was simply embodied joy and happiness.
2.very happy to be home in my now beautifully painted little house and I’m very grateful I can afford to pay someone to do the tough work of painting old wooden sash windows and second storey eves and gutters.
3. lovely friend coming by for drinks this evening
4. My back is noticeably on the mend at long last.

1) my bed, it’s so comfortable. I could put this every day, I am always grateful for it
2) my dog leapt into the car for the first time yesterday. He’s so funny
3) excited by plans for new bit of garden

Thanks SunnyB and Allie for the warm welcome. Meant to start posting last night but came in late and fell asleep on the couch. Hadn’t even had a drink!
My positives for yesterday
1. Had a lovely walk with my OH along the sea front yesterday afternoon. Either it’s been so bitterly cold or we’ve both been so busy we haven’t shared a walk for a while so it was good.
2. It was beautifully bright and sunny here
3. I wore my new mittens and my hands were so warm. Bliss. (Thanks to Esnecca who advised me to get some mittens for my painfully cold hands).
Jackie – when we were kids my family always said if we each had to rescue one thing from our burning house mine would be my bed. As true now as it was then – even if sometimes I forget to sleep in it!
Allie – Hope the weather is kinder to you than it’s forecast to be.
Flick – you’d think it would be the beach, warm weather, warm ocean I’d be jealous of but it isn’t – it’s the beautifully painted house – sigh. Glad to hear your back is on the mend.
SunnyB – I love it when you mention the village newsletter – it always makes me think of a Miss Marple (St Mary Mead) – type village somewhere. No, don’t tell me the truth!

It’s most unusual for me to be up to date on the laundry, Allie. Guess all the stars were aligned yesterday and it just sort of happened! I try not to have to do too much ironing, by drying a lot of stuff folded up on top of the Aga, so it can just be put away. I’m taking some of my own fresh kefir grains to Turkey, as I have loads – it was just that travelling with the dried ones would have been simpler, but I’ve decided to try taking out some of the active fresh ones, as reactivating the others wasn’t happening. By all means come and visit us in Turkey – you’d be very welcome. I’ll still post on the forum occasionally while I’m away, Flick, just not as often as I do usually. Will certainly be checking the threads out periodically to try to keep up to speed with what’s happening with everyone. Sadly the village is not quite a St Mary Mead, Marie, but I’ll not completely scrub the image in your mind by giving you more detail.

Today’s positives are:
1) Actually bagged somethings up ready to take to Turkey – packing has officially started – yay!!!
2) Unusually, I’m ahead on prep for dinner tonight. just waiting for OH to put in an appearance, so I can start cooking.
3) Took some more things that are now too big, out of the wardrobe to get rid off.

Looking forward to reading everyone elses positives later, hope you have all had a great day.

My positives:
1 I’ve had a lot of photographs taken recently and they’re great. Wow.
2. My husband’s also had a lot of photos taken and they’re great too. Woohoo.
3. I’ve been catching up with the new series of A Place to Call Home on iPlayer this evening – it’s one of my secret pleasures – love it.

Hope everyone is having a good afternoon!
I’m getting a little weary of hoping for a glimpse of Spring with all the snow in New England, so took matters into
my own hands today, and bought 3/3 1/2″ pots of primroses, purple, hot pink and white,and have arranged them in a
rustic basket with sphagnum moss, and surrounded them with handmade Ukranian easter eggs on little stands.
So cheery, and my own little attempt to motivate Mother Nature into getting it in gear 🙂 Can Easter be only a little
over a week away? No chocolate will be finding its way into this house…. !

Love this idea!
1. It’s a beautiful spring day.
2. I have a wonderful husband supporting me on this journey. (He’s even making me celeriac and apple soup for dinner tonight!)
3. Just had confimation we can pick up our new puppy this weekend. 🙂

That’s the way to do it, Allie – if spring won’t come to you, go out and bring it home! You arrangement sounds beautiful. For an extra positive, Allie, I’m relived to see Theo’s posts today. It will be a while before she’s is in a better place, but so pleased to have had an update from her.
A new puppy. dwalters – how exciting! And great that you have your OH’s support on your BSD journey.

My positives for today are:
1) Finished my Booking Sec Report for the Hall Committee today and started drafting the next one.
2) Printed the village newsletter.
3) Out this evening with OH and then going to friends for the w/e.

I feel your pain, Allie. I too am sick to death of snowstorms and freezing temps, so am moving forward into Spring even though the weather insists on being wintry. In aid of that:

1) I bought two pairs of cute sandals.
2) I’ve started Spring cleaning and have boxed up tons of old DVDs and books to donate to the library.
3) I read the paper on the dock by the river and enjoyed the beautiful view and air as though the wind weren’t cold.

More snow and blustery weather for you Allie and Esnecca!! They are saying it is worse this year than it has been for a LONG time (I think someone said since 1928) — spring just HAS to be waiting in the wings. Good idea with the flowers Allie — it sounds beautiful.
I wish I could send some California sun but we are also getting slammed by a big storm. The difference (and my positives) is that we desperately needed the rain and here it is in Miracle March!
Take care in all that snow! I’m going to go home later and gleefully empty the rain gauge! Finally some rain to measure!

I DO remember your unparalleled weather, Julia, apart from the winter rains. Being able to never need to look at the
weekend weather report when deciding to either wander about in the redwoods, drive to Half Moon Bay and crawl
around the rock formations on the oceanfront, or head north to Napa with a picnic basket containing a dungennese
crab, some sourdough, and a chunk of artisanal cheese enhanced with a local bottle of red, are among some of our
happiest memories 🙂 It’s somewhat a bit of culture shock to accept the cost of housing in northern cali, but
nothing beats being able to spend so much time outdoors! Whenever we have a 70 degree, unexpectedly low humidity
day here on the east coast, we always call it a San Francisco day. I wish I could remember why O/h decided to
get his MBA on the east coast, rather than at Stanford!!! I hope you are all recovering from the fires, and that FEMA
stepped up to do its job. It’s always great to hear from you 🙂 !

Allie

Today’s positives
1) Did a good turn for a friend
2)Had a great walk with my OH in the sunshine by the sea
3)Went to see a live screening of the National Theatre’s Julius Caesar – a great production

I like my scales this morning, they tell me that I have finally broken through the less than 5kg to go to my original target barrier after weeks of hovering just above it. – Of course looking in the mirror I know that I have more than 5kg still to loose, but one step at a time.
I glanced in the mirror the other day when wearing my dressing gown and suddenly realised how much more it wraps around me instead of struggling to meet.
The local odd job man didn’t turn up on Friday as arranged, so I have time to calm down before he comes up to do the next job as arranged and can go through the problems with their work calmly. —— He brought a friend with him to help put replacement roof sheets on the horses barn and hay barn after they were blown off in the storms. – They managed to leave a number of 6 inch long screws on the floor of the barn and the yard, and put some of these screws through the wall of the barn where there was no wood backing, so the point was sticking out about 5 inches proud of the wall at eye height for the horses. And they borrowed some of my tools and didn’t bother to put them back where they got them from. I probably burnt up a lot of extra cals with the amount of stomping involved in searching for dropped screws, and finding my socket set and ladder so I could climb up and take out the dangerous screws. 🙂

Certainly determined to find the positives in a bad situation there, JGwen! How irritating and frustrating that the workmen were so thoughtless.

We have been helping friends to remodel their garden, so a very physical day in the fresh air yesterday, which resulted in a very sound night’s sleep. Enjoying spending time with our friends and being useful. Looking forward to tomorrow and seeing my son and his daughter. Lots to be grateful for this w/e.

Thanks SunnyB, but I wasn’t working hard to look for a positive, having the space and time to work out a way to calmly explain what was wrong and why it was a problem is genuinely something I am glad happened. –

Coping with a NT male who was so full of how big and special he was because he had spent a day climbing ladders to fit roofing sheets to an existing building….. and was doing the usual tradesman routine of …..whoever built that building in the first place did it all wrong, they shouldn’t have done it like this….. I would have done a better job and have done it like that….. In the summer you should hire me to take the whole roof off and redo it my way…. while biting my tongue about the flaws in his work would have been stressful. This way I have the space and time to calmly work out a way of trying to get my point of view across.

It’s been a lovely day
Taken donkey to Palm Sunday church service
Had a lovely horse ride
Worked in the garden for the first time this year
The clocks have gone forward so an extra hours light at night – bliss!!

OH and I hosted a mid-birthdays lunch yesterday for 20 . (His birthday last week, mine this week). The warm glow carries on today so three positives:
1) How lovely our friends are. Thoughtful, caring and fun.
2) that BSD food is so tasty. Coronation chicken and aubergine lasagne went down very well! And there were some leftovers for today.
3) Despite the prosecco and birthday cake (…) I have only gained 0.3 kilo. Though I am watching what I eat today like a hawk!

Have a good day everyone.

Have been on a long w/e helping our friends remodel their garden. Pleased to say it was a very successful w/e and we left them with just the turfing to get sorted out. However, I am now disgracefully full of aches and pains, which just goes to show I need to address my level of fitness for sure!

My positives for today are:
1) Rewarding w/e with friends.
2) Saw son and grand daughter yesterday.
3) Got a decent batch of admin done this morning.
Hope everyone is having a positive day and will be posting later today.

😡

Hi Allie, whats wrong?

Allie, that looks none too positive – what’s got you steaming?

The above is just a test…I found a list of emoticons and the corresponding codes, so thought I’d given
them a try! (feeling very constrained by just a smiley face and exclamation points 🙂 ) It sounds like everyone
had a great weekend, and I envy you Sunny, for being able to get out in the glorious garden. It used to be
my favorite place to be for 7 months out of the year.

Madmare, please tell us more about the donkey???

My positives for the weekend are:
1. At long last I got a new, wafer thin computer that I just love, and no longer struggle with the dyslexic posts
where letters end up in the middle of sentences 2 lines above. Heaven!
2. Had a chance to get in another 1 1/2 hr Skyping session with Kazzi yesterday, and because of the
aforementioned new and easily maneuverable laptop, I was able to show her the full size flowers that
I make from sugarpaste!
3. I made up my mind to officially begin “Spring cleaning” this week, since I neglected it totally last year
when I was spending weeks in an out of town hospital. By mentioning it here, I now HAVE TO do it 🙂
First order of business: Get up on the step ladder and take down 6 drapery panels, and launder and iron
them. Then on to new bed linens (still rather be out in a garden, however!)

Verano, I’m very interested in your exotic travels, and hope that you’ll be checking in soon 🙂

Have a wonderful week, everyone…and send us your positives!

Allie

Phew, Allie!! I was worried something dire had happened and you were raging about it. Anyway, good to know all is fine and in fact more than fine – if you ignore the house work thing that is! Was good to be outside in the garden, but will be pleased when the body recovers. Hope the weather there will soon allow you to get out in the garden soon too.

I’m sorry, Sunny! I should have chosen a more benign symbol 🙂 🙂 🙂 Especially since it sat there for
15 minutes while I took a phone call. Time to pop the dunce cap on for while..good grief!
I hope your body recovers from the strenuous activity very quickly. We don’t want anything to interfere
with your holiday!

Seems 27th March wasn’t a good day for positives being posted. I was at an Aunt’s funeral, but a positive from that was catching up with family members I rarely see. A couple of us agree that we need to arrange to meet up under happier circumstances, so I’m going to see if I can get something planned.

So anyway, positive for today are:
1) Despite a grey wet start to the day, the sun is shining brightly here at the moment.
2) Handed over the bulk of my booking sec. duties today, so I am free to get on with the packing etc.
3) A couple of days with proper hydration, has today seen the scales drop back to where they should be – phew!

Hope to see some other positives being posted today.

I was “chained to the utility room” yesterday, Sunny, catching up on multiple loads of laundry, as well as
roasting and steaming vegetables for the week. The life of a “char woman” it seems is never done! All
of that is a positive thing, though repetitive and boring, to say the least. I’m feeling virtuous today, however.
Then there is the ironing that such endeavors have created…..
But first things first! Sun is shining, so I’m off to fill my lungs with fresh air and have a nice long walk.
After that, I’ll fling myself on the floor, and do some planks 🙂 Water is a wondrous substance, and reliably
reverses any weekend indulgences, doesn’t it? Have you family joining you for the Easter weekend? I do
miss the days when Easter was the time that we honored our Ukrainian side of the family. Not much
smells as great as a ham in the oven!

Sound like you had a very productive day yesterday, Allie. Has the snow gone yet? I’m still impressed with the planks. After walking and planking, you’ll be feeling even more virtuous!

I too have some ironing to get done, as I need to get some things sorted for taking with us. Have just been writing a To Do List on which this task features, as well as making up spare beds, in case our son uses the house at all while we are away.

Not sure if we will be seeing family over the Easter w/e. Might have our grand son for an overnighter at some point, but nothing definite. Like you, Easter is not so family centric as it used to be and OH refuses to drive anywhere on Public Holidays – it’s a mental block about traffic! Anyway, my main focus this w/e will be getting ready for the holiday though, as we’ll be leaving home a week on Saturday and right now it feels like there’s heaps to do before then, although I know things will rapidly be checked off the list once I start paying attention to it.

Enjoy the fresh air and exercise, Allie.

I have my countdown lists, too, Sunny, when we head out for a holiday. When I can tick things off, I don’t have to
take them “to bed” with me, and always sleep better for it! I saw a flock of cedar waxwings while out on my walk
today. Are these birds that you see in your garden in the U.K.? Here, they usually travel with red-winged blackbirds.
Harbinger of Spring is always the Robin, for me. The snow is gone, leaving a sea of dead winter grass behind. Soon
the redbuds on the trees will begin to plump, and the 1st week of May is when the leaves on the trees begin to unfurl.
I’m done with this long winter. I didn’t realize that you’re only @ 10 days out from your holiday! I’m going to have to
start preparing for “Sunny withdrawl”, something I’m not looking forward to at all. 🙂 I’m going to enjoy your posts
until then, however.

Allie

Know what you mean about getting things on lists, so you can sleep, it’s exactly how I am too when there is a big event looming.

Think we only get waxwings visiting for winter in the east of the UK, so not in my little corner. Have been seeing lots of robins and a couple of little wrens though. So pleased your snow has now gone, you must be relieved to see the back of it at last. Like you I am tired of the long winter and so am really looking forward to some warmer weather in Turkey, that’s for sure.

Don’t worry, I’ll still be dipping in occasionally even when I’m away, so shall be keeping an eye on what’s happening with everyone on the forum and making the odd post here and there.

Well, today has been varied on all fronts, including the weather, we have had sun, rain and even a little sleet early on. Anyway, managed to find quite a few positives including:
1) Have ticked a few things off my pre-holiday ‘To Do’ list ….. and added a couple more.
2) My car passed it’s annual inspection – always a relief.
3) Lots of daffodils and primroses out along the roadsides – spring might really have begun in earnest.
4) Just booked the final two nights accommodation for our trip home in July and OH has at last sorted out the insurance for us to take the car into Turkey, so everything is in place now and we are good to go.
Does anyone else have any positives to post?

Hi SunnyB
Thank you for keeping up the positives! My three for the day:
1) Enjoyed some gardening, adding colour to the garden and (less positively!) working out which plants have really not survived the winter!
2) Made a start on sorting out my wardrobe. I am so happy that size 18 and 20 can go and that size 14 now fits.
3) OH has finished painting the hall, and I really like it.

I’m a little late to the party today, probably because of the time difference here in the U.S. I would so love to see
daffodils and primroses in full bloom, Sunny, but they are slumbering under the soil here. As night follows day,
they are sure to come, however 🙂
I’ve found that I have neglected out of town and out of state friends because of the amount of time I put in
blogging, so I rectified that situation yesterday, and had the most wonderful catch-up phone calls with
my dearest friends. Order has been “restored”, and plans to get together are on the horizon. I’m feeling a whole lot
less guilty today 🙂
Caron, so nice to see you posting here with Sunny and I. Congratulations on the size 14’s. That’s fantastic! Onward
and downward, everyone. I’m about to place orders for Spring clothes, comfortable in the knowledge that size6-8
will fit!

Morning All,
well, April showers have begun early here in South East Wales, but at least the weather is warming up. A couple of positives from yesterday –
1) Despite getting very, very wet, I spent all day out on site finishing off a survey that I have been putting off for weeks, so pleased to get that one out of the way and ticked off the list.
2) Met up with 2 girlfriends last night and went out for dinner to a local pub which couldn’t have been more helpful for accommodating my BSD choices – hold the chips and have extra sauted courgette and leeks – no problem. Haven’t had such a good gossip / moan / laugh for ages.
3) Started planning a short break away to Antwerp with my sister-in-law for July sometime, which will give me another reason to shed a few more pounds before then.
All the best,

Good to see Caron and Treelady posting some positives – it was getting a bit lonely around here! Great news about the size 14’s Caron and I’m sure you be finding a need for 12’s very soon. I was a little surprised by the 6-8 sizes, Allie and then remembered that would be US sizes, so 8-10 here – same as me. Sounds like you had a lovely evening Treelady and having a trip planned for July will give you something lovely to look forward to on these drab rainy days.

You still have the spring flowers to look forward to then, Allie. Imagine how joyous it will be when you see the first ones unfurling their petals. I bought some dianthus last week, but haven’t had a chance to plant them up yet and it has been persistently raining today so far, so not likely to happen today either. OH has been out trying to completing a job he’s been working on for the last few weeks, so I have been merrily ticking things off my ‘To Do’ list – it’s a lovely feeling!

Okay, so my positives for today are:
1) Packing is well underway now and no worries about weight restrictions – wonderful! At this point the whole thing is getting very real and the excitement level is rising. A week tomorrow, to us leaving home and temps in Turkey are already up in the low 20’s/
2) Booked a table at one of our favourite restaurants for tomorrow evening, by way of celebrating OH’s birthday.
3) Looking forward to a relaxing evening with OH.