So glad the weather forecast is looking good for your beach break, Allie. Looking forward to hearing about all the little positives you encounter over the coming days.

Managed to get to see my GP this morning. He wants me to wait a couple of days before resorting to anit-biotics, as he thinks it might be a viral infection causing the problem. He has given me a script I can have filled on Wednesday if I decide it’s necessary and he’s given me some stronger painkillers to take at night, so that I can hopefully get more sleep. Overall, I think the pain has lessened a little and the pressure in the sinus has eased a bit too, so things headed in the right direction.

Yes, I have no doubt there will be some wine creep while I’m in France – well, champagne creep, as that’s the area we are visiting. We go on Saturday and return on Monday, although OH and I will leave home on Friday and stay with our friends’ on and also stay with them overnight Monday, heading home on Tuesday morning.

Okay, so positives for today then …
1) Don’t feel as wretched now as I did all w/e and although my face is a bit puffy, the pain and pressure has eased a little.
2) After a glooming damp morning, the sun has put in an appearance.
3) My planters all look like they are doing well and the little pansies I put in last week are beginning to bloom – such jolly little ‘faces’.

Allie, this sounds wonderful. I wish this forum had photos with posts because I would love to see the blue herons, belted kingfishers and beach roses. An unexpected bonus of reading here is the vicarious travelling! Have a lovely break 😀

Thank you, KristenLouise, and other posters who are nature lovers, too! I would dearly love to have
a peak in on other’s travels, and most especially your English gardens…KazzUK has taken me on a tour
of her walled garden via skype, and it has been so much fun. You have a more temperate climate
than I do, so I’m extremely curious about the growth habit of Sunny’s winter clematis, or small
pansies that grow in the Fall. We call them johnny jump ups! Occasionally they can be found
in March poking through the snow, where they have naturalized in sheltered spots. I’m giving some
thought to layer planting some bulbs if I can find planters that won’t crack being over-wintered on
the balcony, in the sub freezing temps. Concessions are that we do have a spectacular display of
turning leaves in Autumn in New England, however. My favorite time of the year 🙂 🙂 🙂

I’m afraid I’m having a negative couple of days, what with holding my son while he vomits and a recruitment freeze suddenly threatening the job I thought I had lined up, but all the more reason to find some positives!
1. We’ve been having trouble finding someone to do some work around the house, but a tradesman came this morning and he is going to send us a quote so hopefully we can get that sorted.
2. I just put a cardigan on, and I feel warmer now.
3. I’m reading a book called ‘Brilliant Green’ by Mancuso and Viola (forward by Michael Pollan!) about plant intelligence. For instance they can warn each other of danger (like being eaten by an insect) by releasing smells so that nearby plants can, for example, make their leaves poisonous to repel the attacker. I love this line about plants not having a nose like animals: ‘ plant’s sensitivity is not concentrated in one area… imagine having not one nose but millions of tiny noses scattered all over our body.’ p53

Natalie, are you a fan of Michael Pollan? Wen I first became interested in healthy eating, I
read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food”. What he had to say about our food
supply was very revealing. We are so removed from the source of our food, and everything available
is presented in neat, sanitized packaging, that we seldom stop to think about how it’s produced!
Very interesting about the plant world!

Weighed in last night as a loser, regaining my blip from celebrating my 60th, good red wine and good beer and cake may not be loser friendly but they sure taste good.

1. Back to being a loser
2. 5 stone in all, 3 since April, set a target of anther 2 stone before xmas.
3. My exercise increase has gone well and I am now walking better.

Sumo, a birthday blip is just that, a BLIP! You are really focused on increasing your
fitness levels, and I congratulate you for that. We both know that if you put in the work,
you will be a svelte gentleman by the first of the year…GO, SUMO!!!

P.S. At 5 stone down, we may have to find a new username for you, however!

I think the user name is still appropriate, it tells me where I came from and where I will end up if I lose focus.
My Rugby & Judo days are over, where I used to control my weight by excessive exercise.
It’s strange how much harder it is to control ones weight by food input than just doing a few extra hours working out?
The younger me would look at my current work outs and think what’s the point, I now look back and think the arrogance and beauty of youth?

Doing well Sumo!
Alliecat I loved Michael Pollan’s books. Fascinating. I have a friend (a nutritionist who used to be vegetarian) who won’t eat or even cook meat that still has bones because it reminds her too much that it comes from an animal! It seems the wrong way around to me, I like to know where my food comes from and I’ve always talked to the kids about stuff like that. It seems disrespectful to the animal that was killed for you to pretend the delicious meat just magically appeared.

Last post vanished into the ether. Ah well.
Many congrats Sumo on the weight loss so far, enjoying your birthday, and getting back on track!
Sunny I hope the sinus problem is clearing up.
And wishing a speedy recovery to your son, Natalie.

Some positives:
1) I nearly have my head round the Greek alphabet – two weeks to go to our holiday.
2) Have enjoyed a lovely sunny morning in the garden.
3) Enjoying all the successes that the newcomers are posting (well done wendleg et al). Sometimes maintaining feels a bit boring – even though it is an achievement in itself!

1. My son was feeling better today.
2. With him back at school, I was able to get to the doctor, the grocery shopping, and other errands.
3. For $2, which goes to funding music education in schools, I bought an air microphone – like an air guitar which was also available – essentially an empty packet. Shower-like sound quality! Extra long air cord for twirling! Available in clear or transparent.

Good morning! Just sat in an airport waiting for the flight to take us home after a very enjoyable holiday but thought I might just post here before I get on the scales tomorrow ….. doubt if I’ll be able to find any positives after that! So to my positives…..
1. Just had a lovely holiday mainly in Spain and Portugal. Lovely weather and lovely fish!
2. Started the day with a healthy BSD friendly tuna salad so this is Day 1 of my return to the fold.
3. Really looking forward to being in my own bed again. Hopefully that will be first positive for tomorrow!
Hope everyone is well and positive

Verano, welcome back! You were missed.

OOH Verano I am looking forward to some delicious fish in Malaga and Seville during the school hols.
Positives for me today
1) I had a session of aqua gym tonight..starting back very gently but it was good to get moving again after an imposed convalescence period in the summer.

2) This is Week 3 day 4 and i have just had a delicious salmon fillet with coconut and chili crust with lots of veg followed by a Greek yoghurt and chia jam. OMADand feeling full. Weigh in this weekend.

3) The sun is still shining here
4) Tomorrow is Friday !!!

All the best to everyone xx

Good morning! Nice to be back Violinist and I do like your new thread. There have been a few ‘alcohol’ related threads over the last couple of years with a particularly frank one started by Liz, but don’t remember the name. Sure somebody will!
So to my three positives ……
1. Stood on the scales this morning and had a really pleasant surprise with just a 3lb gain, which is a miracle given three weeks away including some cruising!
2. Now have a new plan.
3. Washing on, just first of several loads, but at least it’s a start.
Wendleg I had amazing sardines in Portugal with lots of olives as a starter BUT I needed bread and wine to go with them!!! I’m sure you will have wonderful fish in both places and great tapas,especially in Seville.

Happy friday Verano and all!
You did really well V!

I read Canadaliz’s alcohol thread. I see she hasn’t posted since May. Do you have any idea how she is?

Good morning! Violinist I never really followed Canadaliz’s thread just dipped in occasionally so cant help you with that one. I’m sure somebody will have more information. Hope she’s ok.
My positives ….
1. One day back on plan and my holiday gain, which must be water, is two thirds gone!
2. Managed to stay away from posting yesterday apart from in the morning. I think I have been spending too much time ‘researching’ and ‘reading’ and not enough time ‘doing’ so I have decided to check these forums out just once a day. Time to ‘do’!
3. Positive of the future. This afternoon I’m going to catch up on my ironing whilst catching up on ‘The Bodyguard’. Can’t believe it’s as good as everyone is saying. Will report back tomorrow!
Have a good weekend.

1. At my brother-in-law’s birthday lunch, my husband’s aunt commented on how I’ve clearly lost a lot of weight, and also complimented me on other non-appearance things.
2. Crispy pork belly. I’m not that fond of German food (brother-in-law’s choice of restaurant) but I do love crackling!
3. After four days of this extra-gluten diet (four slices of bread a day to test for Coeliac Disease) I’ve had no stomach cramps and no mouth ulcers. I’m hoping this means I don’t have that serious issue. Also, contrary to all expectations, my weight is down. I’m wondering now if I’ve been reacting to something else in more highly processed foods like biscuits and Cruskits, rather than gluten from the wheat.

Hi everyone!
Thought it time I acknowledged my positives 🙂 and as it has been a BUSY few days with no time to read or post here . . . Ill take the liberty of adding a couple of sneaky extras 🙂
1. Have finished my current wardrobe cull, bookcase contents recycled – (the read ones discarded to be donated – and those in waiting now on the shelves) – all the above is packed to deliver to family and their friends in a little country town a 5 hour road trip away 🙂 Leave in a few days and SO looking forward to the planned 2+ week road trip . . . . where I will also be visiting my sis-in-law – with some donations to drop off to her . . ., then taking her with me to see longtime friend who is in care another 5 hours from there – she has a bag of goodies! And the lst leg to see friends severely affected by the drought with a hamper wrapped as a Christmas gift. Nothing fancy just some essentials, some odds and ends stuff, and a supermarket coucher to ease the $$$s situation just a little.
2. Have had issues with sciatic nerve causing great discomfort. Chirp helped a little . . , massage therapist did wonders but still tender from the “going over!” . . . Both seem to conclude that, because Ive lost my “padded” butt, Im now sitting differently in the car seat and “reaching” for the accelerator . . . have adjusted seat forward a knotch and hope that eases the situation . . . after all I have some long haul driving ahead 🙂
3. Found someone with “mushroom compost” to offload and bought 10 bags delivered for a bargain price! The young man even lifted two of them to strategic points in the garden for ease of me spreading the contents about. Have distributed already – (otherwise the plants would have had to wait another three weeks Those out the back will have to wait because my back and keg just wouldnt/couldnt cope with any more strenuous exercise! Everything has been given a deep soaking drink before me leaving on my “jaunt!” Spring is here and everything showing new growth – the garden is beginning to look amazing! (Some new shoots were burnt by a late frost last week . . . I hope they dont take a backward step with the shock of that. With not much rain expected anytime soon and my household water recycling system not being used for 2+ weeks I hope the soaking will keep the “dampness” topped up . . . till I return.
4. With so much having been cleared, cleaned, tidied and re-organised . . . house feels and looks amazing . . . more like my new “HOME” which is what it will feel like when I get back 🙂

Wonderful to see so many positives being posted and great to have you back with us here, V. It makes good sense that you have decided to ‘Do’ rather than ‘Read and Research’. I have no doubt that you will soon be back on track and in control. Lovely to get compliments isn’t it Natalie? I’m like you – can’t resist a piece of crunchy cracking! Sounds like you’re in for an action packed road trip, WoodDucky and I’m sure your garden will be coming on leaps and bounds by the time you get back. My garden is getting a good soaking at the moment thanks to the English weather, but it needs it very much.

I’ve had a rough week, starting with acute sinusitis, then anti-biotics that made me sick, followed by dreadful aches and pains in my lumber region, which I eventually figured out were probably due to my not having eaten for three days and so had not had any salt or magnesium intake. Luckily there was some relief from heat, so with the use of a wheat pack it was possible to get some sleep, although the longest I have been able to sleep at any one time since last w/e, is three hours. All of that and four days of constant use of painkillers has completely screwed my system, however I’m slowly making my way back normality – little by little.

Sadly, all of this means that we had to pull out of our trip to France this weekend, but there was no way I could have coped with the journey, let alone walking around the city and visiting champagne houses. Real shame, but unavoidable. We had been looking forward to this little sojourn with our friends – hopefully another time.

Anyway, on the upside – and there has to be one right – is that I can find some positives …
1) OH has been a gem, keeping me supplied with ginger tea, collecting my prescriptions, etc.
2) OH bought me a heat pad to help with the back pain issue which arrived today. Have to say it’s wonderful – think it is going to become addictive!
3) Getting back in the stride of things and starting to catch up on laundry etc.

Hope you all have weekends filled with positives and look forward to reading about them soon.

Hi guys
WoodDuckie, I was wondering where you’d got to! Have a wonderful roadtrip!
Nathalie, Nothing like your weight loss being noticed to spur you on is here?
Verano, good to have you back, inspired and ready to go! I shall be joining you as I’m fired up having found a bread substitute for weekend should I need it. Also thanks to Sunny for her recipe on the Take a look thread, and Cathy’s quick mug version.
My positives….
1. Bread substitute sorted which may seem strange, but I feel I’ve been freed from a bread trap! I know I’ll stick with bsd now fully committed.
2. Had a skype from our Allie on Thursday night. Picture this …. she was sitting In the middle of a lawn where she could get a WiFi signal on her laptop, high up, overlooking her beloved Cape Cod, with the wind whipping her hair around like crazy just so she could share with me the view! Crazy lady! But that’s just typical of her generosity and warmth! The weather was very dramatic and there were white caps on the surf. Stunningly beautiful.
3. Baking and cooking and cleaning getting ready for my houseguests next weekend. It’s the first time in 2 years that us 5 girlies have got together so we’re all excited. 2 have given up alcohol and the other 2 don’t drink much either so I’m feeling very positive that I’ll abstain also!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, all.
Kazzxx

Good morning! As usual your posts have brought a smile to my face. Natalie it is such a good feeling when your hard work is noticed and the compliments flow. It makes all worthwhile. Wow, WoodDuckie you have been working hard but there’s nothing like the feeling you get when you look at those pristine wardrobes. I need to take a look at mine now that autumn is upon us.
Sunny so sorry to hear about your illness but glad that you are on the mend now. France might be on the back burner at the moment but I’m sure you will do it again in the future.
My positives ……
1. Completely up to date with my washing. I didn’t get around to the ironing with ‘the Bodyguard ‘, so that’s a joy to be savoured soon! Nonetheless I filled my afternoon with……
2. …. a ‘Sawgij’, yes it really is back to front. Imagine turning the box over to the base and looking through at the image. Sorry not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, its a jigsaw with no great clues about the finished puzzle. Challenging but keeps my hands and mind busy so a definite positive.
3. Made a lovely lunch yesterday. I had some chicken broth in the freezer so added a small amount of chilli, ginger and lemon grass and poached half a cubed chicken breast in it. I forgot to add coriander but it still made a really lovely soup almost like a Tom Yum broth. A quick, easy and satisfying dish. Might add a few mushrooms and/or broccoli next time.
Kazz good to hear that you are back into the ‘zone’ too. Maybe this calls for a new thread to capture the renewed enthusiasm?????

WoodDuckie, you didn’t say you got rid of books you’d read, did you? How could you! I can hardly bear to throw out books I didn’t like, let alone those I loved. My husband is the same. Which is why we had to buy three more bookcases recently. Luckily I also use the library and e-books or we wouldn’t have room for the bed.
SunnyB that sounds horrible and I’m glad you’re starting to feel better. I used a heat pack when I had chronic shoulder pain, it really helped.
Verano I recently tried adding mushrooms to my chicken broth, but I didn’t like how it make the usually clear honey-colour to a murky brown with a more earthy taste, and lost the freshness. On the other hand, I loved mushrooms added to my cream-of-cauliflower thick puréed soup. The earthiness was perfect there.

1. Today we went to a medieval faire, and I happened to have a suitable dress I’d recently bought from an online costume shop (and altered for my height – or lack thereof!) just because I liked it and my family is in to fantasy stuff. I felt very much part of the whole medieval thing in my green velvet dress with gold brocade front panel and floaty sleeves.
2. In the tourney, one of the knights was wearing green and gold like me so we had Sir Goshawk to cheer for.
3. Did I mention the family was into fantasy stuff?… we were all there. My husband’s father, brother, and cousin with all associated partners and children. Thirteen of us in all, ages one to seventy-something; sometimes all staying together, sometimes not. Lovely to spend the day together.

Nathalie, sounds like fun! Maid Marion springs to mind! My cousin and his wife are into a similar type of thing enacting famous battles so there he is kitted out on his horse in his cavalry uniform!
Verano, a specific thread is a good idea! This time last year leading up to Xmas was my most successful period and I’m keen to do it again. Like you, this year I’ve been treading water. I’ve weighed myself this morning and am up on my lowest weight by 11 lbs. 😔 I’m still 28lbs lighter than when I began. I’m now anxious to crack on and pull out all the stops. I’ve also got a new journal to write in. What shall we call our thread? It feels like we’re embarking on a roadtrip! “Verano & Kazzee on the road again” …… maybe? I’ve got a clear 8 weeks until I’m away for a long weekend in a bunkhouse in Edale!

Well done on getting the laundry done so quickly, V! It always seems to take me ages to get sorted after time away. Natalie – that sounds like a really fun day out and it is always good to stash away those special memories of time with family. Sure you can get those 11lb sorted before the w/e away Kazz and I’m sure you’ll be giving it your best shot.

I’m feeling much more human today, still tired and one or two slight aches and pains, but at least 90% better than a few days ago. Have started to eat more or less properly again, although the meals have to be smaller – no bad thing I guess. Just realised that it is a son-in-law’s birthday tomorrow and of course with being out of action for the week, I’d forgotten and done nothing about it. Will have to make a dash to the supermarket tomorrow to get him some JD!

Quiet day at home today, but think I can dredge up some positives:
1) Managed to spend the whole of last night in bed last night – first time for a week.
2) First day I have been able to go outside and take a look around the garden. All looking good, although one small patio rose bought recently, doesn’t look well – hopefully it will pick up again, fingers crossed. My little autumn cyclamen are doing wonderfully well and have loads of flowers on them.
3) Looking forward to steak with mushroom and onions this evening.

Let’s have a really positive start to the week folks – looking forward to reading about it.

Good to hear that you are feeling better, SunnyB.

My positives
1) I didn’t have to go out in the rain today. And the garden has had a good drink.
2) Looking forward to a busy week of singing in the run up to our concert. My head is full of the music all the time – which I find very pleasing. Lots of romance and yearning from Brahms and Elgar.
3) Varying the cooking this week – mussels and duck breast on order. I need a break from chicken!

Have a lovely week one and all.

Glad you are on the mend, Sunny. 👏👏👍👍. I should have been out in my garden today, but have been playing Bikman podcasts instead! Most enjoyable and motivating! Thanks for the encouragement, I am raring to go!

Fear not sweet maiden! The books were not destroyed! They are being rehoused . . .at my dad’s cousin’s home initially in a little NSW country town where they have – at least 6 avid readers!!! . . . then they are passed on to the Senior Citizens Group who have their own library system – separate to the council library – which provides reading material while awaiting special books on loan from the library. So I know they are going to be appreciated and much loved yet to come!!! I have maybe 40-50 crammed into shelving and book cupboards still to read . . . and in my tiny cottage . . .? I have no more room for more cupboards! And I MUST keep the coffee table reference books . . . bird ID catalogue, gardening hints, housekeeping/stain removal hints books, nan’s recipes . . . knitting/craft/crochet ideas hard covers . . . Atlases, dictionaries, scrabble references passed down from dad . . . 3 Im currently reading plus 8week BSD . . . . . , The Road Less Travelled in door pocket of car . . . LOVE my books too!!!! So make sure when they are adopted they go to good homes 🙂

1. I had my last day of volunteering at my son’s school library because I’m starting work next term (I hope!) and he’ll be going to High School next year… I enjoyed volunteering but there is a real feeling of freedom when walking out of any workplace for the last time!
2. I resolved a difficulty today, and it was kind of funny. I bought some face powder last week and I couldn’t get the stupid thing open. You unscrew the lid, take out the powderpuff, and then there is still a circle of clear plastic over the loose powder. I tried to prise it off with fingernails and with my nail scissors, only resulting in a few ballistic chips of plastic. I tried unscrewing it and looked for sticky tape holding it closed. There was a pattern on it that looked a bit like holes, but they weren’t holes. I showed my husband and he couldn’t get it open either, though to be fair he was rather distracted playing a video game at the time. Today I took it back to the shop to ask. The first girl couldn’t open it, so she took it to ask another woman, who showed us the circle of clear tape covering the holes. She pulled it off. The holes were holes after all! And the plastic isn’t designed to be removed.
3. My new waterproof mascara works – no panda eyes!

Good to hear you are the mend Sunny.
Just a quick note for Kazz. Had no internet this morning and am busy now but yes let’s start a new thread from tomorrow if that’s ok with you. Glad you enjoyed Bikman he’s a good speaker, must take another listen myself. I’ve only got 6 clear weeks but no reason why we have to have a finishing date, it could run to December 24th!! Let’s just run with the enthusiasm while we have it. What do you think?

Know what you mean Natalie, leaving behind something that has been part of the normal routine can be liberating – bit like the BSD!
Today has been the first in ten days, when I have felt able to behave normally and venture out, this has reaped some positives …
1) Beautiful clear blue skies and sunshine – okay, a little chilly, but I like autumn. A proper check in the garden shows that there are some lovely healthy new leaves on the winter flowering clematis and the little patio rose I was fearing for seems to be okay. Seems that it was just the blooms and one stem that really suffered in the high winds and heavy rain. The leaves on the rest of the stems are a healthy green, so fingers crossed it will survive just fine.
2) Dropped in to see my daughter, had a good chat and arranged to lunch next Monday, with her and two of her friends.
3) Have made quite a good start on catching up with housework this morning and it feels good get a few things straight.

Hope you are all having a good positive filled start to a new week – will look forward to reading all about it soon.

I called into the free books shop today. (We have a charity in town where people donate books and you can pick up 3 free books each time you visit. – Strangely while books come home with me none have made it back to the store.) Anyway I picked up an old fashioned cookery book for egg and cheese recipes. – It suddenly occurs to me that I have all the options of baked cheese, and cheese sauces, and soufflés. – There is one nice recipe. Scoop out the flesh of an aubergine (egg plant for those on the other side of the pond) and replace with a soufflé.

Finally they are rolling out the option of a fiber broadband service to the area. -I should be connect sometime next week. So hopefully the next time I chat to Allie via Skype it will not be a still picture.

After all the wind and rain it has been a nice sunny and dry day and looks like the rest of the week will be the same.

Books? Books! Books – my house is overflowing with them! I used to struggle with getting rid of them, but I now have a rule that I keep reference books, but if I haven’t enjoyed a work of fiction, it goes to charity. If I have enjoyed a book, however, (or found it rewarding in any other way) it is deserving of a permanent position on my shelf, ready to be reread! Books are, however, just about the only thing I hoard – apart from photos – but sadly o/h hoards anything and everything! He’ll pick up a tatty bit of string off the beach and bring it home “in case it ever comes in useful”😣🙄😆

My positives (being greedy again – 5 today):-

1. Today is my daughter and SiL’s Silver Wedding Anniversary – crikey, seems like only yesterday o/h was walking her down the aisle – hard to believe it was 25 years ago! I ordered flowers for them, and when I picked them up from the florist this morning I was stunned at just how beautiful they were – I’d asked to include all the flowers she’d had in her wedding bouquet, which were all white and green – and the florist had excelled herself, they are just stunning. When I delivered them, my daughter burst into tears (happy ones)
2. Such a glorious Indian Summer day today, the world looks very beautiful – just as it did 25 years ago, when the sun shone on the happy couple.
3. My son has just bought a new house, and is renovating it himself (with a little help from us – o/h mostly)! But, all the demolition work is now just about finished, and the rebuilding has begun. Today his dad has rebuilt a partition wall that he wanted moved between 2 of the bedrooms in it’s new position, unknown to son, who is at work. He’s going to be thrilled when he sees it! Well done o/h!!
4. My elder granddaughter had a free afternoon from school (studying for A-levels) and chose to come and spend it with me. We’ve had a lovely afternoon, just chatting, drinking tea, and catching up on all her news.
5. Whilst I have been happily maintaining for over 16 months now, and certainly don’t need to lose any more weight, we are leaving on an extended holiday (10 weeks) in a couple of weeks time, so I’d made the decision to lose a few pounds before then to give me leeway for whilst I am away. So I went back to 800 on Saturday, and according to today’s weigh in, in the 3 days, I have dropped 3lbs! If I can lose another 4lbs in the next 2 weeks, that will give me half a stone wriggle room for while I am away – so I’m heading in the right direction. The plan is, hopefully, to come home at the end of November weighing no more than I did last week. Wish me luck.

I seem to be the first to post positives today, so I hope everybody else is having a good day?

Great to see you in first today, Theo and to read all your lovely positives, especially all the special family ones. It’s these that are truly precious.

My positives for today are ….
1) With several birthdays occurring while we’ll be away next month, I need to sort out cards and gifts. Have managed to tick off another one today. Three more to go, but hopeful of getting those in hand by the end of this week.
2) Another glorious autumnal day, started with a beautiful sunrise over mist laden fields and is still bright and sunny.
3) Today was the first in ten day, when I woke with no pain. These past days have made me humbly grateful, not to suffer long term chronic pain as so many others do.
4) Lovely long chat with Mum this afternoon, catching up on news etc.

Who else has some positives for the day?

Good afternoon! Another book lover here. I have been using a kindle for quite a while now but must admit I’m gradually getting back to the real thing. There’s nothing like the feel of a real book!
Theo that sounds like an amazing trip you have planned and I admire your forethought. Wish I’d put a bit more thought into my time between trips this year then I may not have ended up 22lbs up this year. But still have three months left to remedy the situation and possibly end up with a deficit after all this year. By the way Theo your positives are lovely. Everybody’s positives always make me smile.
So to mine for today …..
1. Granddaughters 1st birthday today so have had lots of fun. Made a lemon meringue pie, one of my favourites in the past, but I don’t think I could eat it now with all that sugar. Anyway, I didn’t try! Maybe that’s my second positive today!
2. Back in the zone now having had a few days to ease back into BSD after our holiday. Looking forward to good healthy food again.
3. Although we have been living in our current home for nearly 8 years I still have things I’ve not found a home for. Yesterday I came across a couple of watercolours we bought many moons ago in Hong Kong. So delighted to have found them again and so I’m now looking for a place to show them off to their best.
4. I think I have perfected roast chicken! Always moist and succulent. Gosh it’s only taken me 48 years!!!

Verano good work with the roast chicken! I am rather proud of my Christmas turkey.
1. Speaking of books, I just read a woman’s playful taunt to her partner “I’m going to swap you for a dog… then sell the dog.”
2. I got to see my husband in a business suit this morning. He wears a suit at work every day but usually wears casual clothes on the commute and changes when he gets there, a holdover from when he used to ride his bike to work. Now he has a long train commute but still prefers the comfort of casual clothes. (Also he is a creature of habit.) I do enjoy seeing him spruced up occasionally!
3. My weight continues to stay the same or slowly decrease. I am really happy about this even though I still have plenty to lose, as I was very worried about this extra bread I have to eat every day. But sorry to say I am really enjoying the bread!

So many glorious positives while I’ve been away!! I just love reading this thread 🙂 🙂 🙂 Lots of exciting
travel on the horizon, too!! Caron is off to Greece, Theo disappearing down under, wendleg heading to
Spain, WoodDuckie going on the road, and last but not least, Sunny returning to Turkey! hope it doesn’t get
too quiet here! Are you taking your ipad, Sunny? I may go into SunnyB “withdrawal”. I hope you all have
a splendid holiday, wherever you’re headed! I like your style!!!

Positives for me:

1. Beautiful, wild and windy out on the Cape, but no showers except on the trip out. On arrival, mother
nature supplied us with a stunning double rainbow out over the ocean (ghosting effect)!
2. I collected some miniature bi-valves, beach stones, and small white seagull/shorebird feathers, to
be turned into a collage on one or two of my handmade greeting cards. I almost got blown over trying
to pick them up 🙂
3. Excellent BSD dinners enjoyed at our favorite northern Italian restaurant! I didn’t touch any of the
beautiful handmade pastas or bread. Pinot Grigio did get past my defenses, though.
4. Inspired by your traveling spirits, I’m looking into accommodations for a long weekend away in Oct.
to take full advantage of New England’s leaf display. I just need to find the dates when there will be
“peak” display…I had a quick peek into autumnal color in the UK, and it seems that Wales is where the
most vibrant color can be found? Is “leaf peeping” an activity where you are? It certainly is my favorite
time of the year…I think I get a bit drunk on all the colors!

V., you’re BACK, in every sense of the word..Aren’t you disciplined to have all of your holiday laundry
taken care of! I think that only picking up 3 lbs over a 3 week period is pretty phenomenal. (I’m not
doing the weigh in until friday) Time enough then to access any damages! My clothes don’t feel any
tighter, so I hope that that is a good omen.

I hope everyone is seeing lots of positives today 🙂

Good to have you back, Allie, and with lots of lovely positives too. So pleased you enjoyed your trip – wild and windy is always exciting by the sea. Double rainbows are really special – we get them sometimes in Cornwall. The other phenomenon I saw a couple of years ago was an “upside down rainbow” (actually called a “circumzenithal arc” I believe). Have you ever been lucky enough to see one of those? It’s just like a colourful smile in the sky!

O/H and I went leaf-peeping in the Fall in New England many years ago, and it was well worth the trip. We were lucky enough to have wonderful crisp sunny weather too, so the colours were at their best. Would love to do it again sometime, but the world is so huge, and there are still so many places I haven’t been to, things I haven’t seen or done………………..but one day.

Natalie, I agree, nothing quite like seeing one’s man dressed smartly. Mine rarely wears a business suit since he retired, but quite often wears a dinner suit (tux to my friends across the pond) to functions, or a morning suit to weddings etc, and I love to see him dressed up.

My positives:-
1. It’s my gorgeous elder granddaughter’s 18th birthday on Saturday, and I have spent a lovely afternoon trawling through photographs of her right from the day she was born to the present day. I have picked out my favourite hundred or so (out of literally thousands) to make a giant collage to be displayed at the celebrations and for her to keep as a memento afterwards. I probably need to whittle it down a bit further though, otherwise it will take me forever to print them all out and arrange them. Goodness knows why I have left it until the last minute!!
2. Had my haircut today ready for our big trip, and really pleased with it – looking really sharp.
3. Spent a lovely hour with my 93 year old mother today, reminiscing about my dad (been dead 20 years next month, but still missed every single day). We ended up laughing so much as we remembered all his silly antics – he was always life and soul of the party, and the first one to tell a joke against himself. Gosh, he was a card, never happier than when making people laugh – I’m smiling now just thinking about him. Mum still sometimes gets tearful talking about him, so it was great to be able to laugh.

Good to see all the positives being posted today.
Natalie – it’s quite thrilling to be caught off guard and see your OH in a slightly different light from the normal day-to-day view isn’t it.
Theo, I’m so pleased to see you so upbeat and full of positives. Grand children are very precious and like you, I love to be able to do something special for ours. I had no idea there was such a thing as an upside down rainbow, but now that I do I’d love to see one, I quite envious.
Your trip away sounds beautiful, Allie and I’m so pleased you are looking to plan another for next month too. Whenever I’m on a beach, I love to scavenge for shells, pebbles etc. – brought a couple of little such mementoes back from the Maldives last year. While in Turkey I will be dipping into the forum occasionally, so won’t be completely absent – sweet of you to worry I won’t be around.

Another wonderful autumn day here today, which I have filled with all sorts of things from general housework to the voluntary admin stuff I do for our village hall. Anyway, my particular positives for today are …..
1) As it was a pleasantly mild autumnal day, I popped out to the local garden centre this morning, for a couple more plants and returned with a dwarf Japanese anemone, another cyclamen with tiny flowers and a lewisia. These I planted in to an old bidet, along with some crocus and dwarf tulips. Thoroughly enjoyed the couple of hours I spent pottering in the garden, planting, weeding containers, pruning, feeding and watering. It was really quite warm in the sun out there, admittedly a little chill in the shade – lovely though.
2) Made a great slow cooked beef stew for this evening. OH mentioned last time I made one, that it would have been nice to have some dumplings, so this time I made him some, which he was delighted about. Also made myself some using almond flour, ground flax, little xanthan gum, baking powder, finely chopped herbs and grate cheddar. Only made a couple of small ones, but they worked really well and tasted good too. Would certainly make them again.
3) Started to gather together things ready to pack for our Turkey trip – that’s always an exciting time.

Keep posting those positives everyone!

thank you, Theo! What wonderful positives that you are sharing today 🙂 Your very talented granddaughters
sound so lovely! While we were out at the beach, O/H pointed out a gorgeous bearded collie (on leash) to
me. He had the same coloration as your beautiful boy, and I thought of you instantly. I hope that you’ve been
able to come to terms with the loss. We lost both of our remaining siamese around the same month that you
went through such shock and loss last year, but I was so concerned about you and your family, that I never
thought to mention it…it was wholely related to old age conditions, so nothing remotely similar to what you
were going through. We all hoped that traveling would help the grieving process for you. I feel that we just
have you back, and now your off again 🙂 Australia/NZ is breathtaking. Fascinating critters to commune
with too! xxx

Alllie

1. Lovely sunny day outside, I spent an hour weeding and snipping.
2. I took12 lavender cuttings for the mini greenhouse tray, I’m planning a hedge. Four that I took a few weeks ago are doing well in bigger pots.
3. The dramatic flowers on the passionfruit vines are turning into little green fruit hiding in papery packets.

Lovely positives, Theo, Natalie, SunnyB. So glad you had a good holiday Alliecat!

1) Enjoying the sunshine and garden here too. I love it when summer extends into September. And it is looking good for sunshine in Greece next week….
2) Have switched off the “activitiy” alarm on my phone. Every time it was alerting me to get up and move, I was miles away doing housework! So decided to cancel it for the moment. (I know I could have taken it with me…but my phone is not my boss!).
3) Excited about the new camera I have bought. A real treat. If I master even a fifth of what it can do, I shall be very pleased. But most important for me it has a fantastic zoom and gives great blurred backgrounds. I am sure there are technical terms for it but you know what I mean!

Natalie – how I envy your green fingers. I have never been successful in growing anything from cuttings and seeds. Any seedlings I’ve grow get to leggy and cuttings simply curl up and die! Your lavender hedge sounds wonderful and it seems you’re well on the way to achieving it without any real expense other than time.
caronl – I love photography too. OH bought me a great new camera with lots of gizmos for Christmas last year and I took over a thousand photos while we were away last time. Love using the different settings and filters etc., but like you, I’m not likely to get to grips with all of them – already have some favs. Enjoy your new camera and hope you get some great results.
Simple positives from me today, they are ….
1) I’m so enjoying these misty autumnal mornings and cool but sunny days.
2) Almost caught up on laundry – always a good feeling.
3) Only two birthday gifts left to sort out for the time we are away.
Told you they were simple!
Have a lovely positive packed day everyone.

Great to read all your positives. This is a wonderful read to start the day as it always puts a smile on my face.
So to my positives……
1. Finally gave up on the ‘sawgij’ it was soul destroying. Life’s too short to do a back to front jigsaw!
2. So, as a glutton for punishment I’ve now started a round jigsaw. It’s only 300 pieces but it’s a raspberry and blueberry tart so all very red! Will let you know if I beat it!
3. Really enjoying this ‘Indian Summer’. I love the sunny but crisp days of early autumn. In fact, apart from spring, this has to be my favourite time of the year.
Have a good Friday.

1. I’m doing an online course on the Dewey Decimal System and I’m really enjoying it. Complex number building today. I got all the practice examples correct, and have confidently submitted the official homework for marking.
2. My daughter borrowed my clipboard (which I was using) for an assignment – creating a genuine-looking Italian restaurant menu (for Italian language class). She got a mark of 95%, and now I have my clipboard back.
3. Salmon for dinner isn’t my favourite, but eating fish makes me feel virtuous.

Good to see positives from both of you Verano and Natalie. Especially pleased to see positives from you Natalie, as I know you are struggling a bit right now. I too have salmon planned for dinner tonight, but I actually quite enjoy it. Making a ‘cooked’ mayo type sauce to go with it – basically hard boiled eggs blitzed with olive oil, lemon juice, capers and a couple of small gherkins. You can add in herbs or spices to vary the flavour – thinking of including a little smoked paprika this time.

Like you, I’m enjoying the autumnal weather V, cool misty mornings and bright crisp days. There is definitely something special about the ‘swap-over’ seasons isn’t there, with their variety and noticeable changes in the plants and trees. Really noticed the trees are beginning to turn today.

Positives from me today are …
1) Decided to cater OH and myself a three course meal tonight – nothing fancy or over taxing, baked camembert with crudités, salmon with asparagus and baby sweetcorn with above mentioned sauce and a mini chocolate fondant with clotted cream to follow.
2) Looking forward to a quiet w/e and starting to get packing sorted for our Turkish trip.
3) Got the final birthday gifts sorted today and now just need to get them wrapped and posted – phew!

Right now, I’m going to get in the kitchen for a little prep work and then I’m going to have bit of a pamper. Enjoy the rest of your day and have a w/e packed with positives everyone. Will be looking forward to reading about them.

Hi, everyone! I hope we all have activities to look forward to this weekend! We’re traveling @ 1 1/2 hrs
north, to meet my cousin and his wife at a museum that has a collection of russian icons, and then
a late lunch/early dinner. Half of our genes are Ukranian, so we share an interest in russian art.
A beautiful indian summer day is forecast, and we’re hoping to see the first changing leaves en route!
#2 Found gorgeous fresh wild salmon and tuna at the fish market this morning!
#3 Thanks to Sunny’s advice, my orchid pink phaleonopsis is putting up a second round of blooms..
Two flowers are opening, and 6+ buds on the new stem. I’m hoping for more. When it comes to
house plants, I usually have a black thumb, so this is exciting 🙂 I do well with cyclamen too, once
I learned that it’s necessary to water them from the base! It must be glorious to have a more temperate
climate where they can be planted in the ground. My deep window sills seem to be a place they
like to be, so when they are available again in Dec. I’m going to find a nice full plant to enjoy.

I hope you all find positive things to mark the weekend, and 2 beautiful early Autumn days. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Looking forward to hearing your reports!

Morning Allie, was up at 12:30 am and then back to bed!