Hi all lovely 😍 to hear all your positives!
Verano, the following is a simple way of explaining my mums cooking, use spice as you like it and my mum measures in pinches tsp and cups and I’ve never timed the process 😀 so not particularly precise but absolutely delicious.
🍛First positive sharing: my mum makes the curry from scratch, no secret recipe. Just does the usual sweating, browning onions garlic in olive oil, then a little salt, paprika, fresh green chilli (curry power mix (has haldi, paprika and chilli in, if no fresh chilli) ginger, cooks that slowly, then some tomatoes tinned or fresh and pop in your choice of veg or chicken till cooked, add some butter then some water if you want a sauce for chicken bring to the boil. Simmer add coriander cook for a minute or two. Ready to serve. You could also make the curry and add a grilled piece of fish.

Lamb or mince version you put uncooked meat in a big pot with all ingredients as above (onions, garlic, ginger, paprika, salt, green chilli also uncooked) add water just about covering the meat, bring to the boil then simmer till lamb is cooked and soft, minced meat will cook quicker. Wack the heat up to evaporate any water, lower the heat and add some butter coating all the meat. You can add some veg if you want at this point peas, cauliflower? For lamb add some water if want a sauce. Mince no extra water.
Serve your home cooked curry with cauliflower rice. (Normally she would serve the above with a roti, sweet yellow rice all big no no BSD options)

🥳 I am on the NHS diabetes prevention scheme! I have a coach calling me next week followed by group MS team meetings from September every two weeks for 6 weeks than once a month for a total of 9 months. They will cover diet, exercise but also stress management, emotions & mindfulness.

⚖ I have lost another pound taking me up to a 10lbs loss over a 3 week & 2 day period. I almost gave into children crisp packets and sweets but instead I had some goats cheese and reminded myself what I have achieved so far.

Apologies for the extra long 📫
Have a great weekend everyone 🥰💜🧘‍♀️

Sounds nice, EclecticRajistani.Well done for resisting the junk – and losing another pound.
I love curries, and enjoy cooking them too. I’m doing chicken in cardamon, cashew and chilli sauce tonight. I use skinned thighs, with the bones in as I think that gives the most flavour. Just like your mum, I cook off the onion and garlic in oil (olive or coconut) with salt. Then I brown the meat, add bay leaves, any whole spices (cardamons, obviously with this recipe, and some cloves) and any other veg I’m using. I have a courgette, so that will be finely diced and added. Sweet peppers are good, Florence fennel, pumpkin – anything you like really.
The nuts and chilli go in when the veg is nearly done. Then I add any ground spice, and turn out the heat. I have a thick heavy pan, so it stays warm a long time and allows the flavours to mingle. You could leave on the lowest heat for an hour.
Nut butters or creamed coconut are good for adding richness, protein and flavour, as well as thickening sauces. They won’t separate as cream or yoghurt can, when heated.
I don’t like cauliflower, so I use brown rice (cooked the day before and kept in the fridge, to create resistant starch). I cook mushrooms and spring onions in a little oil and then tip in the rice to warm through, then add fresh coriander and chopped fresh spinach. (Or do the same with onions and peppers) That makes a decent size portion out of only a little rice.

Eclectic and Squidge thank you very much for your curry tips I’ll give them a try.

Hello!
Big positive for me – I’m now in the ‘normal’ weight range. Eat curry, people – it works! (Actually I think there’s some evidence that spicy food can help a little with weight loss.)

A really easy dish for those who like Indian take aways is tandoori chicken (or you could use lamb, or tofu). I use skinned chicken thighs, or a whole, skinned chicken. If a whole one, you might like to spatchcock it, by cutting beside the breastbone and opening it out. Make slashes in the thickest part of the meat, then coat in tandoori powder mixed with a little yoghurt to create a paste, making sure it gets in the cuts. Leave in the fridge for 2 to 24 hours. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and roast for the appropriate time for the size of pieces. To get a slightly more authentic look and taste, BBQ it, or grill it for the last few minutes of cooking time.

Serve with a green salad, raiti, lemon wedges and (once in maintenance) onion bhajis, made with gram flour (ground chickpeas).

Good afternoon!
Great news Squidge, that certainly is a positive.
🌻 I’ve had a strange weekend but a peaceful one. I almost feel ‘normal’ again for the first time since February so I guess that’s a real positive. There’s no particular reason I just feel at peace.
🌹 Making a pot roast chicken tonight which I know sounds ‘wintry’ but it has been quite cold here today.
🌴 My repotted trees and palm seem to have settled down in their new ‘homes’ and are growing beautifully.
So that’s my quota for the day. Hope everyone has had a good weekend.
P.S. Has anyone heard from California girl, Julia? California seems to be having a double whammy at the moment with CV and wildfires.
What is happening to this world? Thick snow in Australia!!

Oh how delightful SQUIDGE!! You must feel on top of the world, 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
VERANO I think i know what you mean by almost feeling normal again..me too..the worlds behaving oddly, like you said,but I think Im adapting to it better now,or at least starting to…🤔
hope you enjoy yr chicken,it sounds delicious 😊
Keep going ECLECTIC! Youre doing so well……,In a great place mentally i think. It helps so much when youre in the right head space….ONwards and downwards! X
My positives for the weekend..
*~ Yesterday, I was looking in the window of a cheesecake shop..their cakes and other goodies are fab! VERANO! I think you might live not far away…D****’s? Anyway didnt succumb and go in and buy..just ate thru the window….. with my eyes😄😄😄😄 Hehe!
*~ Then bought the most lovely loaf further down the road,but didnt eat,gave to DD and SIL…* modest bow..*
*~ when I passed the bread over earlier today,DD and SILlooked so happy together,Bless them,did my heart good to see them.
*~ I also bought some really lovely lettuce..just had a ‘ lettuce sammich’.*
(*quorn slices with lettuce leaves wrapped round*! V v v nice 😋😋😋! )
Takecare,keep safe,enjoy the new week ahead! XX
Ps I second this quote!.I never met a chocolate I didnt like! 🙂🙃 💜💖

Big thank you to all those posting positives this weekend and apologies for once again being absent. Have had a full on hectic weekend, but back no to report positives….
🌞 My parents’ visit went well, they are fit and healthy and it was good to have some time with them.
🌞 They got home safely today, despite heavy traffic.
🌞 We can sleep in our own bed tonight … bliss.
🌞 Made some purchases for the garden … couple more containers and a few plants.
🌞 Garden projects to do over the next couple of days… hope the weather will co-operate.
🌞 Have had a very chilled day today, including a great meditation session.

I am trying to work out how SunnyB can have parents who can visit and then drive themselves home safely, and a grandson who is going to college…how many generations of child brides? I saw my son today “in the flesh” for the first time post-lockdown…I may not apparently be alone here in planning to move, and it was so helpful to have his 6’2″ height and strength to get on with the sorting and stuff. We then had a very tasty roast pork loin supper. And a very interesting chat, from films to politics.

Good morning!

Yes, it feels good to have reached the milestone of no longer being medically overweight – even though my nickname is still very apt! I tried on my ‘test dress’ the other day. (Does everyone have an item of clothing they use to test how close to target they are?) It doesn’t fit well, but I could do it up, which was motivating. Oddly the stomach area was always where it got tight first, but now it’s most (very!) snug on the hips. Could that mean less visceral fat? Good thing if so.

Verano, it’s feeling very autumnal here, so warming, comforting food is welcome. Expecting changeable weather I planned different types of meals for the next few weeks, and will switch them round to suit the conditions.

Yowzer, I like to use lettuce leaves to hold fillings which some people would put in bread. I’m doing that for lunch today – a BLT. I actually prefer that to the bread version.
Well done for enjoying cakes and bread without eating them!

I’m glad you had a good weekend, SunnyB and hope you do get decent gardening weather this week.

Sixturkeys, it must have been lovely to see your grandson. I’m glad he was able to visit.

I’m feeling ready and motivated for the week – hope it’s a good one for us all.

Hi 6T, I’m very lucky to have parents of 85, who are both fit and well, as well as capable and independent. Neither of them take medications and I’m hoping their resilience will bode well for me in my aging process. My grandson will be 18 in December. I’m somewhere between at 64 🙂

Good afternoon!
Hello. Well another week starts and just smiling when you get out of bed leads to a ‘positive’ day.
Yowzer, yes I know the cheese cake factory well ….. but I hate cheese cake!
Well my first positive……
🍗 My pot roast chicken was lovely and we have enough to use again tonight with stir fry vegetables. Ready to go….just need frying!
🧀 Had cheese and Ryvita with cucumber and mayo for lunch today but really should have had a shake. So what’s positive…..really enjoyed it!! We have to live!
🏖 Starting to think about packing for our holiday ….. holiday ….. who would have thought a ‘holiday’ would be possible this year. ….. anyway apartment living will be a little easier as I can clean when I get there!!!
Hope that Monday had been a good start to the new week for everyone.
P.S. Sunny do you have any news of Julia?

Hi folks! Happy Monday!🎉🎉🎉
SUNNYB! How lovely to have fit and well parents in their 80s! So,four generations in the family! Bodes well for you too 👍🏻 Great genes! X
VERANO,I used to be the same! I didnt like cheesecake until I was probably in my forties or fifties. Oh how I wish I still didnt like it! 🙄 ….oooh holiday,exciting!!!! X
SQUIDGE,I love everything about autumn,but not so much the evenings drawing in.
SIXT..how lovely to have a big tall son,i love my daughter but a 6’2” hunky son as well wd be fab,specially as my Beau is only an agile and nimble 5’9”…..and very slim,he can eat anything ..gahhhhhhhh! X
My positives..
*~ This is only really a positive in that it might give you a giggle..
I just walked into my bedroom,and theres a – lemon!- on my bedside table. No.Idea. why or when I put it there…
Another Senior Moment. I cdnt believe my eyes. 😄😄😄😄
*~ Getting very excited as tomorrow I’m having a Waitrose delivery! Never had one before,may never have one again,but I feel quite thrilled about it hehe!
*~ Enjoyed today,nothing special happened, but I’m very grateful for an uneventful,peaceful and happy day 💖
“ No matter how good or bad you think life is,wake up and be thankful for life. Someone somewhere is fighting to survive”

Squidge, when I’m on holiday, I designate a garment that fits comfortably on arrival, as my ‘test’ garment. Then if it starts to get snug as the days tick by, I know I need to reign myself in for a few days, so that I don’t gain too many pounds.
V, I’m trying not to think about packing yet, in case it jinxes things and Turkey is put on the quarantine list. Enjoy planning for your trip though. Sorry no, I haven’t heard any news of Julia, fingers crossed she is fine. If so hear anything, I’ll post here for you.
Yowser, your bedside lemon made me smile😄. Another great quote too, thank you.

So let’s see, what are my positives from today …
🧚‍♀️ Great night’s sleep last night, back in our own bed.
🧚‍♀️ Village newsletter printed and delivered to the distributor.
🧚‍♀️ Popped to local garden centre, to get a rose bush my Mum saw at the weekend. She was very tempted to buy it but didn’t, so I’ve bought it as her Christmas present.
🧚‍♀️ Also got myself a new plant while I was there 😄 …. well, it had to be done!
🧚‍♀️ Planted up the wall trough planter I got at the weekend. Looking good with miniature roses, fuschia and pansies.
🧚‍♀️ OH has now drilled additional holes in another planter for me, so I’ll be planting that up tomorrow.

Hope your day has brought positives your way. Don’t forget we love to hear about everyone’s positives, so please do share.

Verano, real food will always win over meal replacements for me. Totally agree we need to live, and nice food is part of that.

Yowzer, your lemon incident did make me smile, as it seems so very random. Enjoy your delivery.

SunnyB, good idea for keeping yourself under control during the holidays. Once I’m down to my target weight, I’ll be getting rid of my biggest clothes. I did that when I got to target before, but allowed myself too much leeway. Even so it helped, because it was realising I was selecting clothes according to which were least tight, rather than best suited to the weather, which made me determined to do something about the pounds creeping back on.

My positive today is that we went blackberrying. I wasn’t going to, as blackberry and apple pie has a lot of carbs, and if I made it we’d eat a lot of it, but then I thought of adding them to strawberries and cream – and it was really, really nice. There’s something about foraging for food that really appeals to me. I’m hoping the miles we walked to get them will have burned off a little of that cream!

Hi friends,happy Tuesday!
SQUIDGE..Strawbs,blackberries,apple and cream,yum! X😋And going blackberrying sounds such fun…
SUNNY the tip about yr holiday outfit was inspirational! X Dead useful idea,even if staying at home.
Im going to use that tip! Im up and down with weight coz of good days and bad days foodwise…will hang up sthing and have that as my barometer for a while,am fed up with the scales,going to shove them in the cupboard for now! If outfit goes a bit looser then a bit looser again,I’ll be happy!After all,if youre comfy in yr clothes,really the scales arent so important.
*~ Had a nice morning,it was almost like my “ old normal”….for first time in months I went into my little health shop and got a takeaway coffee and had a catch up with the girl who works there…havent seen her since March. Was so good to see her again! Then into the hdressers and a nice catch up there while getting hair done and drinking my coffee.
Whenever I get a coffee,I think of my friend s Mum asking for a ‘ chipolata please’..( latte)
Shes renowned for getting her words wrong. She has also asked for ‘ a Cinzano’..when she’s wanted a cappucino!😄
*~ Woke to wind and rain but both kept off while I was out..thank you Universe!💜
* ~ Now waiting for my food delivery..a few items in there that I cdnt find elsewhere,so Im happy Ive found them at last…woohoo..!Excited! 🎉👏🏽🎉👏🏽
For anyone reading here and having trouble getting started on better way of eating/ getting weight dowm ,think of this..
A year from NOW,you’ll wish you had started TODAY! XXX 🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷

~ ° ♥ »☆ ~ ★♥.•° ♥ »☆ ~~★♥.•° ♥ »☆ ° ♥ ~ ~ ° ♥ »☆ ~ ★♥.•° ♥ »☆ ~~★♥.•° ♥ »☆ ° ~

Yowser, hope all the things you were excited about in your food delivery arrived okay and that you’ve been enjoying some of them.
Given the dire weather today and the subsequent halting of gardening plans, means finding positives might be a little more difficult today, but here goes ….
🌼 I didn’t have to go out in the high winds and rain we were treated to today.
🌼 Put together a cherry and vodka concoction …. figure in a couple of weeks time, they will be a nice little treat with yogurt or cream.
🌼 Got some laundry done.
Three’s enough, let’s not be greedy! If you have some positives, please do come and tell us about them.

🎶 What a difference a day makes…… 🎶
Well all change here.
Rain and wind = leaking roof!
Plans changed so no holiday in the near future ….. just ceiling watching!
But despite the disappointment life must move on ……
Yowzer hope you were pleased with your Waitrose order. Yes they do have some stuff I can only get from there too!
Sunny thanks and fingers crossed for Turkey …. it will be what it will be !
Squidge I have only recently started to have an odd shake at lunchtime, yes I prefer real food too. But strawberries and blackberries lovely!!!
So, despite everything, I do have some positives ……
☔️Rain stopped for a while so no leaks …..for a while ! But then started to rain again ….. Good news we are having a new roof in three weeks!!!!!
☀️Still losing a pound a week. Might not sound much but going in the right direction….. and as they say ….. the time passes anyway…..
💨 Miserable skies here but the positive is that we are inside, dry and warm …. have a good evening…..

Positives for the day
Managed to find a new house sitter for our Christmas trip (fingers cross nothing messes that one up)
Still hot here and swimming daily
On track with the diet and started to lose weight again – daughter now on so we can encourage each other.

Yowzer, the scales don’t tell the whole story, do they?
SunnyB, glad the bad weather didn’t blow away all your positives.
Verano, sorry about your leaky roof. Hope you can get it sorted without too much trouble.
Sunshine-girl, good news about the Christmas trip, and mutual encouragement between you and your daughter.

Positives
I made stuffed peppers last night, using a spicy mince mixture (cinnamon, cumin, chilli, ginger and coriander, plus onion and tomato). Husband wasn’t at all sure when I told him, but really liked it. Despite no carbs or pulses, it was very filling.
My fitness is definitely improving – and I’m nowhere near as stiff and achey in the mornings as I was when I first started doing more exercise.
Avoided a potentially embarrassing work problem.

Good afternoon!
Woke this morning to even more damp patches on the ceiling but hey ho the sun is shining now so all is looking brighter.
S-g I was thinking of you this morning when I read an article from a guy stuck in ‘Paradise’ on a PacifIc island due to the pandemic and not likely to get home until Christmas …. he says ……”Paradise is family and close friends. It’s the feeling of happiness that you only ever get when you are in their company and if you are with them, then the location is irrelevant “. I think you have made your mind up about your location and we probably have too …. think we are staying put for the moment!
Squidge I’ve never stuffed a pepper but there’s a first time for everything….have to admit, apart from the cinnamon, they sound lovely. Cinnamon for me only belongs in sweet stuff ….. just my funny taste buds.
So, difficult to find positives today but I’ll try ……
☀️☀️ Sun is shining so that’s always positive.
🥦🍣 Salmon trout, which I love, with cauliflower mash and asparagus for dinner tonight. Really looking forward to that.
✅ Email from a friend who has been very, very low during this pandemic so really good to see she’s feeling bright enough to start ‘chatting’ again.
Well, half way through another week …. how come the time is passing so quickly when we are doing so little! Anyway Thursday tomorrow hope it’s a ‘positive’ day for everyone.

S-g, hope your Christmas visit to the UK will happen unhindered. Good news about your new house sitters … fingers crossed it will all fall in to place this tone around.
Squidge, the filling for your peppers sounds lovely, but I’d have to use it for something else, as I can’t eat peppers …. they give me dreadful indigestion.
V, I’m very fond of fish so your planned meal for tonight really appeals. Glad your friend is feeling more upbeat now.
Positives from my little corner are ….
🍒 Much better weather today, which allowed me to do a bit in the garden, just a little tidying but it felt good to be out there.
🍒 Ordered a ring for OH as a wedding anniversary present.
🍒 Necklace bought for youngest granddaughter’s birthday arrived today. Think she’ll be pleased with it.
🍒 Heard from friend in India, that following treatment, his kidney stone has reduced in size.
🍒 Booked an appointment for some pre-holiday waxing …. that feels VERY normal in these strange times.
🍒 Treated myself to a pair of dressy white wide legged cropped trousers and a new yellow cala lily whilst out shopping this morning. Naughty, but the trousers were in a sale, so it had to be done.

Whatever you have been doing, I hope your day has been a positive one. Do take a moment to tell us about some of your positives, ‘cos we’d love to read about them.

I think Squidge’s recipe sounds delicious; please share the precise quantities of spices etc. i have always added cinnamon to butternut squash when roasting, it brings out a very subtle extra note. Don’t know what the potentially embarrassing work problem was, but sounds like a PHEW moment – I have known those… Maybe slightly indelicately, and errr, but few years post menopause, is there actually a need for “commercial” waxing? Has never been any part of my “normal”, so maybe what do I know? Somebody mentioned on another thread chorizo and halloumi salad, which made a very tasty supper so that’s a positive for me.

Sorry, 6 Turkeys, I’m not great with the measuring and I made this up, so don’t have a book to refer to. But as a rough guide…

For the two of us, I used two very large ripe peppers, cutting out the seeds and stalk. I fried the mince (about 4 oz) and one large chopped onion in a big dash of olive oil and some salt until the onions were just starting to get brown in places. Then I added approx I teaspoon of cumin seed and ground coriander, a couple of fresh chillies and half a teaspoon each of ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. Next was a squirt of garlic puree and about half a tin of chopped tomatoes – enough so it formed a thick paste like texture. I spooned it all into the peppers, and roasted at 200 degrees for about 30 mins. (Stick a knife in the side to check the pepper is soft). The skins blister and brown slightly, but the peppers should hold their shape, if lifted carefully onto the plates.

You could adjust the spices to your taste, even leaving one out if you don’t like it, or don’t have it. We like things quite hot, but it would still be nice with only a hint of chilli if you don’t. I served them with a blob of creme fraiche and lots of snipped chives. Yoghurt or sour cream would work too, as would parsley or coriander leaves.

I watched a TV program this evening that I thought was inspirational, and I just wanted to recommend it to everyone. It was on Channel 4 at 9pm this evening. Peter the human Cyborg. – A scientist in his late 60’s who is facing locked in syndrome, by facing it as a research project to help people who develop the same issue in the future.

I always feel down in the dumps at this time of year. – Its the time when you look up and suddenly realise that the nights are drawing in. – The time when you are picking blackberries, but its just a reminder of my mothers focus on preserving ready for winter. – To me its a marker of another year over more than New Years Eve, because, New Year comes after the Winter Solstice, so its on the upwards progress away from the shortest day.

I just don’t have the words to describe this mans life. The program covered from the point where he had to start considering and researching the process of using technology to maintain some quality of life starting with an operation to enable him to be fed through tubes and the waste to come out of tubes. Sadly the disease has progressed faster than they wanted so he has already had to move on to having an operation so that he breathes via a tube in his throat which means that he no longer is able to talk.

I am going to seek out an article on the program and save this guys photo to print out and put it somewhere to help me remember how lucky I am.

Jgwen I’ve just watched the programme you recommended,so pleased I did.Peter is amazing.Thanks for telling us about it.Dawn

To see someone who is able to be so positive about what he is facing is so humbling and puts everything in perspective.

I’d find that too hard to watch, I think (I read a novel from the POV of someone with this condition, and the details were heartbreaking and disturbing). I’m full of admiration though for someone in that situation who attempts to have a good life, rather than just give up.

Huge positive is not having that condition. As JGwen says, thinking of such things does put our own small problems into perspective. It also reminds me to try to make the most of the life I do have.

Hi everyone, love the recipes you are sharing Squidge. I have been weighing up the risk of flying to Greece in a week. Instead of delighted anticipation, I read about teenagers returning to Plymouth with the virus. Still I may go, as there is a week yet before I have to decide.
My positives
I ate Greek yoghurt for breakfast, no bread.
I have a huge cauliflower that I can roast for lunch to have with homemade ragu sauce. There will be plenty of leftovers for a few lunches this week.
I walked a challenging hill yesterday, and it felt great. Me and hubby will do this again soon.

VERANO,whats the latest on your leak?
SUNNY,lucky OH getting such a lovely annivy present!
DAWN,what an amazing programme and amazing guy.
Thanks for heads up about the prog JGWEN.X
Agree with SQUIDGE we have to make the most of the life we have,which of course is what this threads all about x
But I also think we have to acknowledge the times we do feel down,as JGWEN did. Things like the weather,the changing seasons,we cant do anything about them,so its healthy to be able to say,yes I do feel low right now,but Im still grateful for the blessings too,and most importantly,I know that these blues will pass!
My positives 🌷🌸🌷🌸🌷
*~ We enjoyed our Eat Out Help Out lunch yesterday. Two courses each and a drink each,total cost,£14.25. Even better,the restaurant wasnt busy and our waitress had perfected the art of serving food from a distance,bless her,she was lovely! And all the hygiene rules were well in place.
Glad we ate at 12.30 bc when we left at 130,a large crowd was queueing to sanitise hands,give contact details,etc
I raised a giggle from them by inadvertently following an arrow that led to the gents rather than to the exit!
*~ We then sat in a coffee place‘s courtyard,2 coffees for £2.75! Wow! Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!
*~ Lovely to feel a sense of back to normality even whilst being totally aware that we’re not there yet. It was all very cheer making!
Happy Thursday all,another week flies past…xx 🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻
‘ Yesterday is history,tomorrow is a mystery,but today is a gift,thats why we call it the PRESENT‘ (A.A.Milne)

Good afternoon!
JGwen I saw some trailers from that program but decided my mood is a bit low yet to watch it no matter how uplifting. Maybe in a few weeks.
So pleased to see more feelings of ‘normality’ creeping into the thread.
Yowzer damp/wet patches are drying out and we are just hoping that the tarpaulin does its job until the roof is replaced in a few weeks. So glad you enjoyed your lunch and coffee out …. ahh yes that sounds so much more like ‘normal’.
Sunny it’s great to be planning some treatments. I’ve had a few pedicures but can’t quite bring myself to have a manicure yet? The fish last night was delicious and tonight we are having a real treat…..
🥩🥩 Meat! We very rarely have red meat but tonight we have very, very slow, 6 hours, roasted lamb shoulder. Broad beans, petit pois and minted cauliflower mash as accompaniments …. yes really looking forward to that.
I realise my life at the moment is so shallow because the only thing that gives me any pleasure at the moment is cooking and eating! Still not that fussy to eat out too often but I’m sure that will change in time.
Anyway, not to end on a low note, I am going to dig out my latest jigsaw tomorrow and make a proper start on it. A couple of months ago I sorted out all the straight edge pieces but now I need to put my iPad down and get back to it. In fact it may be time to buy a few more, and some toilet rolls, in case of more lock ups!!!!!
Have a good Friday.

Hello ….. just want to say…. let’s keep going….. even if 3 positives seem like a mountain at the moment I’m sure we could all find one ….
Mine…..
Despite all and everything, nearly 51 years together, and we still speak!!!!
Have a good weekend.

Hi everyone ! I think it’s high time I contributed to the Positives thread now I am ( almost) a lady of leisure ! I haven’t had a lot of time to follow several threads this summer but it’s much less busy now .
So here is my list
1) We’ve only been married for 11 years , V, but we are very happy and the prospect of being together 24/7 is not a daunting prospect 😉 Lockdown proved a useful test period !
2) We are both well and no serious health issues.Hubby had an eye op which was successful. Hearing test and an appointment with a rhumatologist coming up so he will have had a full MOT !!
3) We have had a lovely summer despite the intense heat some days. Lots of lunches outdoors with a table spread with my lovely white linen tableclothes and lettuce ! 😉
4) Fermented veg continues to be part of my meals although noone else seems to want to try it !
5) Our local leisure centre offered aqua gym classes 3 times a week all summer and I love it . We continue 2 evenings a week now until mid October
6) I have signed up for Pilates starting next week. I have never done it before ( I do yoga) but I am sure it will do me good !
7) In 3 days time I will be officially retired ! School is likely to be very disrupted again so I am secretly glad not to be facing the prospect of balancing distance and classroom teaching. No more early mornings and driving in the dark !
8) Not just my official retirement date, September 1st will mark my 2 year BSD anniversary and I feel privileged to still be here , maintaining at a higher weight than I maybe could be but hoping to make a difference with a few changes I am making. Clothes are size 12/14 rather than 20/22..never thought I would wear those sizes.
9) I find it amazing that this forum has been so much more than a ‘dieting form’ and I have made lasting friendships. Birdy ( remember Birdy ? You must do !) Well she popped in with her partner on their way to their gite in France and she is delightful ! Bubbly , full of life and warmth…exactly as she comes across in her posts ! I felt as if I had known her for ever ! She will hopefully pop back in to the forum when she gets back to the Uk after her holiday ( and quarantine period)
10) My very first September break is planned . It was one of my retirement gifts ( 3 nights in a lovely guesthouse in the Dordogne).We have extended the stay to take in a few more villages and markets, hopefully away from the crowds.Looking forward to it .
11) It’s about a 2 hour drive from us so I won’t get overly stressed in the car.

12) No prospect of travelling further afield at the moment and I certainly won’t get to see my boys but they will soon be together ( after a period of hotel lockdown for one of my sons on the way) but they have worked it out. I love it when my boys are together.

13) I have sold lots of clothes on Vinted here and have found some lovely preloved items.I accept I can’t afford full price for the brands I like now but it’s not a problem.I try not to buy so often but that is work in progress !

14) I still have a serious earring habit ( Birdy can testify.oops ) but there are worse habits aren’t there ?

15) My study is an absolute tip with piles of books and worksheets to sort and put in the recycling bin. I must have text books going back to 1990 !! I tell myself it will be a satisfying Autumn activity when the days are cooler !

16) Betty our cat ( no longer a kitten) is thriving and has proved herself to be a formidable hunter so I reckon no mice will dare darken our door ( or snakes or lizards !!) Yikes she is quick !

17) My family in the Uk are all safe and well . My sister in Greece has been enjoying looking after her new grand daughter after my niece and her husband went to visit and have decided to stay on till Christmas.It’s wonderful to see daily photos and videos as the baby grows ! 7 months already !

18) Our farm shop has been a regular supplier of the most splendid veg …courgettes, aubergines, peppers and I love having it on the doorstep.

19) I haven’t been foraging lately but I am stll enjoying making up my eco household products.Mozzie repellent with avocado oil and essential oils ( citronella, lavender and geranium) was very successful and much appreciated.

20) I hope I can continue to contribute to this thread.It is full and humour and warmth and we definitely need that in these challenging times. Sunny is busy planning her upcoming trip to Turkey but hopefully someone will step in to keep the thread going.

Lots of love everyone xx

Hi wendleg, Lovely to read your positives and glad you are both keeping well. Great to hear that you met up with Birdy too and that she is well. I’ve missed her on the site.
My head has been in a strange place for a few weeks – in the run up to a surprise visit to my parents in the UK, just before quarantine kicked in again. It was the first time I had seen them in 6 months, so lovely to see them, but so hard not to be able to give them a hug! And then the worry before during and after about possibly contaminating them, despite all the precautions ….
So my big first mega positive is that I have seen my parents and they remain well. What else?
– The rest of the family has also stayed well so far, despite a few corona scares.
– I am lucky to live in a beautiful place so a staycation still feels like a holiday. I have been enjoying the woods, the beach and walking in the dunes.
– Friends are returning from their holidays, and my choirs start rehearsing soon – albeit in strange seating configurations. Looking forward to that enormously.
– Trying to get focused on a few projects – sprucing up around the house, and planning a short break in Alsace (if it stays low on the Covid front).
– I remain very thankful for the things that are going as well as they can in the circumstances. Touch wood.
I hope you have a lovely break in the Dordogne, Wendleg. And Sunny in Turkey. And that the ceiling is drying out Verano! Best wishes to all positive thinkers here. Lets keep on keeping on….

Hi everyone and thank you! Some great entries to catch up on..xx
Happy Holidays SUNNY and WENDLEG
CARONL I know..I cant quite come to terms with no hugs given to/ received from….very hard isnt it,you see family,friends and neighbours emerging slowly from lockdown and yr immediate reaction is to go in for a hug..but you cant..
VERANO howz the jigsawing going? And hey how fantastic ….fifty one years! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
PATRICIA wow,well done on that challenging hill! X 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Some Saturday positives from me..
*~ I just realised that one of my favourite authors has a new book out and have ordered it on Ebay..woohoo cant wait for it to come!
*~ Im listening to the Top Twenty of 1976,some great songs,and I’m remembering what a hot hot summer that was of fun and parties ( and I was young enough then to enjoy soaking up all that endless sunshine)
Got radio on loud,wearing my headies,so I dont disturb the neighbours …dancing in the kitchen,its getting me thru the chores!.
*~ A new jumper arrived today in the post,looking forward to wearing it on the approaching autumn days!
Remember this:~ You are not a drop in the ocean,you are the entire ocean in a drop ~ XX 💜💖💜💖💜💖💜

Good afternoon,
How brilliant to see so many positives!
Wendy I have really missed your contributions but given that when you post, you have so many positives they are worth waiting for. Glad all is well with you. I’m intrigued by you mosquito potion, not that I’ll be needing it soon but I’m guessing you use with a burner?
Lovely to see you Caron and great that all is well. Fortunately our ceiling I’d drying with just one obvious patch so something to feel positive about.
Yowzer, yes we had a big party last year, so just glad it was 2019 and not 2020! My OH was due to have a birthday party in September but we cancelled back in May knowing that it was unlikely that people would be wanting a full on face to face bash! Not picked up my jigsaw yet!
Don’t worry Wendy with over 4000 posts on this thread I’ll do my best to keep it going, in the absence of anyone else, when Sunny is enjoying a holiday (what are they!) in Turkey. It would be sad if this thread bit the dust.
So to my positives……
🥙🍗 Ok so food again! I was not in the mood to cook last night so we had a take away from a Turkish restaurant, which I’m sure you know well Yowzer, in LL . Always great food until last night. Chicken kebab dry, tasteless and looking like the cheapest chicken they could buy. So what’s positive ….. I realise that after 6 months of home cooking using the best ingredients we can afford my own food is far superior!
🌶🧄 Still food! Tonight I’m making a lamb stir fry. Vegetables all ready to go just need to cook!
🍵🍗 Not to break the theme ….. made a huge vat of chicken soup today. I made lentil soup earlier in the week …… winter is obviously on the horizon!
Wendy I sympathise with you and your study ….. I just close the door so I can’t see the mayhem. Many years ago when my daughter came home after leaving university we made a deal …… keep your door closed so I can’t see the mess and you can live anyway you want ….. just don’t expect me to clean! It worked! We never argued about her room.
Have a good Sunday.

That’s an impressive list, Wendy! So glad everyone has some positives to share. Still speaking to our other halves is a good one – especially after lock down. In fact I think we all deserve points for getting through it.
I’ve been having a mad gardening frenzy the last few days. Absolutely shattered – but in a good way. I have lots of little cyclamen coming up, including a white one which I grew from seed from my Granny’s garden, so it’s special.

Hi everyone ! I am keeping to my commitment to check in with my positives !

V, I just daub the mosquito repellent ( avocado oil as a carrier oil with geranium, citronella and lavender essential oils) on my exposed bits.It smells wonderful and does seem to work. You can’t put essential oil directly onto the skin. I have recycled a little glass jar with a dropper and it’s ideal. I don’t have an outdoor burner but I have a citronella plant found locally and stategically placed on the table and it is doing well.I hope I can keep it alive.

Talking of plants we also bought an Asian coriander plant at the same farm and it has easily tripled in size.

I added the leaves to my prawn and courgette curry tonight.

Another positive.I sold another dress today, dropped it off at the depot and picked up a parcel. It’s a lovely brightly coloured cardigan from my favourite brand. Preloved of course. Unfortunately this is where I feel the irresistible urge to find matching earrings ! My latest purchases were aubergine earrings and a pair which have Rupert Bear on. I am 62 going on 6 !!!!! Etsy is a wonderful source of crazy creatons. I even found earrings which reproduced Greggs sausage rolls !! ( No, I didn’t buy them !!!) I wear nothing which ressembles a sausage roll   !!

Popped into the bio/health shop and got a splendid cauliflower , also lemons , cabbage and fennel ready to ferment over the weekend.
Also got some smelly Gorgonzola cheese for hubby. Not my favourite. I like pecorino !

I am staying away from my beloved dark choc, nuts and Greek yoghurt for now and feeling ok. I do like my coffee with a dash of crème fleurette though ! It’s like single cream. and is pasteurised. I can’t stand the taste of UHT cream.

I downloaded Aseem Malhotra’s 21 Day Immunity plan onto my Kindle, basically because I respect his work and campaigns to denounce the food industry and also because he is my version of Sunshine Girl’s Doctor Gorgeous !! 😉 😉

My (ex) colleagues go back to school on Monday and have been ringing me up saying how envious they are . I actually enjoyed my work although the kids could be challenging at times !

I have booked a meal at a local restaurant for hubby’s birthday which is before we go away. It wll be with a small group of close friends.

I have taken advantage of a cooler day to get my ironing done. I have finally finished laundering the bed linen used when guests were here.

Betty hasn’t murdered anything today ( as far as I know !)

That’ s it for now
I will be back soon ! Hope you all have a lovely weekend !

Good to see all the activity on the thread …. Wendy, thanks for the inspiring list of positives and V, I’m pleased you plan to make sure this thread is kept current whilst I’m away.
Have had a few busy days, so apologies for not contributing recently, but here’s a few now ….
🎠 Lovely evening out with friends on Friday.
🎠 Couple of reasonable days weather wise, which has allowed me time in the garden. New planter sorted and spare plants have been find a home too.
🎠 Very pleasant date night yesterday – made a very yummy aubergine dish not tried before, but it’s one I’ll be doing again.
🎠 OH blitzed the kitchen fir me this morning, so I didn’t need to tidy it from last night.
🎠 Finally given in and luggage is now out and stuff for packing is being collated.
🎠 Did some pre-packing ironing this afternoon. (Haven’t worked down to the bottom of the ironing basket though Verano!)
🎠 Made arrangements to meet daughter for lunch on Wednesday.
🎠 I had mislaid one of my cameras and been looking for it for a couple of days. After an extensive search this afternoon, I found it in a vanity bag with standby skin care products … go figure! Pleased to have tracked it down, but goodness knows how it got stowed away there though.
🎠 A little flock of long tailed tits visited the garden this morning.
🎠 My cyclamen are beginning to bloom…. they are so pretty, very delicate and dainty, like little fairies. (I know, fanciful right!)
Will to my best to get here a few times before we start our trip away on Saturday but pleased, if you have some positives, please take a few moments to tell us about them.

Hi Everyone,sorry haven’t posted as often as I intended over last couple of weeks.Anyway I’ve found a few positives:
1.Husband on holiday this coming week so nice to have a late(ish) night for a change.
2.We did some work for my mum in my dad’s garden this morning and it’s looking neater.
3.Should hopefully be able to see my dad in care home again soon (have only been able to see him once since April and when we turned up for last visit it was unfortunately cancelled as 4 patients had tested positive for covid)
4.tesco click and collect ordered for tomorrow,lots of healthy stuff.
5.Have arranged to see a friend for coffee on Thursday,have been friends since we were 9 and haven’t seen each other much at all this year so will be nice to catch up.
6.Daughter back at school Thursday so will be nice to get back into my old routine a bit after 5 months!
Last few weeks have been a bit ‘off and on’ with Fast800 so I’m going to delay weighing myself for another few weeks.
Hope everyone has a good day tommorow.Dawn

Good afternoon !
Things are pretty tough here at the moment but I’m determined to keep this ‘positive’ thread going in spite of there being only a few posters at the moment.
Thanks Wendy I’ll try your concoction a soon as I go anywhere with mossies …. not likely soon!
Sunny so glad to hear your trip is likely to be going ahead ……. ENJOY!
I have to admit the fact that autumn is beginning tomorrow doesn’t sit well with me so even more reason to find some positives…….
1.Well can’t find a ‘fish’ emoji but having a lovely dish tonight ….. hake with tomatoey puy lentils, a Mary Berry very easy recipe, with green vegetables.
Sorry but I only have one positive today but please help me out by posting your positives …… they always make me smile …. and that would be good just now.
Have a good evening.

HI SQUIDGE,well done on the gardening,does yr heart and soul good to get close to the earth!x
HI WENDY, i wish we could do photos here,wd love to see Betty the cat!x
HI DAWN I hope you see yr Dad soon,that must be so difficult for you all 💜x
HI SUNNY enjoy the Excitement of looking forward to yr hols and all the holiday prep!x
HI VERANO! sorry things are tough V..hope you enjoy yr dindins tho,it sounds delicious X
I know where you mean re yr takeaway..have only eaten inhouse there and its been pretty tasty. Disappointing to hear that yr meal wasnt up to standard x
*~ We were out today,It was a mixture of cheery and scary…Felt normal but maybe too normal too soon?. In places,too many people,too close together. Several new eateries opening,Perhaps not the best timing but I wish them well.
We saw the magic mystery tour bus go past ..full for the first time in ages i think.
Saw some gangs of girls w suitcases,looks like the hen parties are slowly returning to the city.
The economy needs all this….but is it all a bit too fast?
*~ Our favourite Peace cafe was just an oasis of calm,and nearly empty…our first time back!… even saw the little squirrel thats always in the trees outside..I had a decaff coffee ..Recently found I can no longer drink coffee,makes me jittery for hours
*~ And at least it didnt rain..like it does on so many Bank Holidays!
*~ All in all,like I said..cheering yet scaring too… I like Madelaine Albrights quote..“Im an optimist who worries a lot”…guess that just about sums me up too!
*~ Looking forward to next time out…towards the weekend ..and having a coffee outside the new eatery in Greenbank P…have you been V?
*~ Oh well guys,summer is over..
Alas,the summer we never really had! Cue the atmospheric autumn,the vibrant colours of the falling leaves. Making comforting Scouse,soups and stews. Apple pies with all the windfalls. Collecting conkers to keep the spidies away! Smoky bonfires and warm jumpers. Getting the woolly hats,scarves and gloves back out of the drawer! Hot chocolate after a chilly walk in the the park. Yayyyyyy….Bring it on! X
Huge hugs to everyone xxx
🐿 🍁🍂🍁🧣🧤🧦👢🦉🐿🦔🍁🍂🍁🦊🌿☔️🍁🍂🐿🐾❄️☔️🥧⛹🏻⛷☕️🍵🌲🐿🍂🍁🍂🦊🧙🏻‍♀️🤶🏻🐾🍁

That was such a lovely evocative image of Autumn, Yowzer ! Lovely !
It is decidely fresher here too .

Here are a few positives from me
1) I didn’t have to get up this morning to go into school for the back to school meetings and didn’t feel bereft
2) I cleaned our stone floors ready for a delivery of 2 preloved sofas and an armchair on Wednesday
3) Hubby got help from friends to move the old one out and stored for anyone who might need it .
4) Hubby had his hearing test and as we expected he needs a hearing device so we have to research those. The positive thing is that we will no longer have these weird conversations. I will give you an example..

A few weeks ago I was driving up to the house and saw something shining in the road. Once I had parked I went back to check and announced to hubby that I thought it was a key fob.
Hubby’s response ……………..
PEACOCK ! What PEACOCK ??

5) His eyes are fine so I have to be grateful 😉
6) We went to LIDL for a quick shop and I stocked up on coffee, duck breasts, Manchego cheese but NO choc and no nuts !
7) I put my washing out and it didn’t rain
8) I restart my yoga class tomorrow morning which will be lovely
9) I sold another dress on Vinted
10) My son and his partner have just one week left in hotel quarantine and are fine.
11) I am back into my routine of fasting from Sunday evening until Tuesday lunch and it still feels manageable after getting out of the habit over the summer.
12) Birdy is safely back in the UK and is quarantined . I wll try and get her back onto the forum.I know she is missed.
13) Two weeks until our September break .
14) Hubby bought a chain saw and hasn’t yet chopped his leg off
15) I am awaiting delivery of earrings . Now let me tell you the ones I found in my search for aubergines ( to match a gilet with a veg motif )
……Greggs’s sausage rolls in a bag and I am NOT joking ! If you don’t believe me check here ..
https://www.etsy.com/fr/search?q=greggs%20earrings&ref=auto-1

…….A muddy welly and a bottle of beer
……..Typhoo tea vintage advertising
……..2 ash trays with cigarettes ( yuk yuk , they were very realistic)

My earrings of choice were much more tasteful
……a Banksy image of a little girl with a red balloon
………. a selection of ratatouille veg

Have a lovely evening /morning everyone xx

oooh I nearly forgot
Rupert Bear earrings too, coudn’t resist !!

https://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/238995295/boucles-doreilles-rupert-bear-vintage?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=rupert+bear+earrings&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1

V, really sorry you’re doing it tough, hope things will get better soon, really pleased you managed to find a positive to post, hope 🐟 your fish dish was yummy.

Dawn, hope you’ll get that visit with your Dad soon and enjoy your coffee date with your friend.
Yowser, thanks for that romantic description of autumn … it is a favourite season for me … a nip in the air, rather than the trail chill of winter.
Wendy, how exciting to be getting some ‘new’ pre-loved furniture.

Thought I’d post a few positives for day too …
💐 Printer transferred to the other editor if the village newsletter.
💐 Found a great app called Bliss, which allows you to mix your own tracks for meditation, using their stock sound effects. Good news is although they ideally want you to sign up and pay a subscription,
there are also plenty of free options available too.
💐 Dry sunny day allowed for more laundry to be done.
💐 Have arranged to have lunch with daughter and grandson on Wednesday.

Will do my best to get here most days between now and Saturday, Verano, can’t promise though. Keep posting positives everyone, it does us good to identify what’s good in our lives and inspires others to do the same.

Thanks Yowser and Sunny.Some positives for today.
1.Have managed to keep under 800 cals so far and have no intention of eating any more!
2.Have joined Countdown to Christmas thread and am quite excited about it🙂
3.Got lots of housework done today so may spend some of tomorrow reading pile of magazines I’ve accumulated over the last month.I probably would have got them read before now if it wasn’t for the games I keep getting tempted to play on iPad! (I’m with you there sunnyB! )
Dawn

Oh wow Im so pleased! For once ive stayed logged in for several hours! For some reason,i get logged out within minutes..is it just me?
DAWN i too have joined the countdown to christmas thread!Yayyyyyyy! Lets give ourselves a lovely healthier slimmer body for Crimbo!
WENDLEG ive thought a lot about the Rupert Bear earrings,i love all things RB related!
Yr hub will be so happy when he gets his hearing fixed..my Beau had an assessment and bought a really good hearing aid
Has transformed things for him – and me! Its pretty inconspicuous as well.
It will be so good when yr OH hears better..and you dont have to keep repeating yrself coz he hasnt quite caught what you said
Night night and sweet dreamz everyone xxxxx

Definitely Yowser.If I can get down to my goal weight I will have so many things to wear in my wardrobe which don’t fit now it would be like all of my Chrismases had come at once😀

Exactly the same here DAWN so lets do it! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 X

Off to bed now full of positive thoughts🙂Lets hope we all have good sleeps with no weird dreams! Dawn X

Good afternoon!
Well it’s September. I really do quite like autumn but it’s the thought of another six months without sunshine or holidays that doesn’t sit well with me, and I think that’s part of the reason for my gloom at the moment.
Anyway need to move on.
Well it’s September. So given we are two thirds of the way through the year I thought it was time to take stock. The scales are showing a 7lb gain this year which is not as bad as it might have been given lock up etc.
The positive ….. I have four months to end the year with a loss overall! I can do that.
Anyway need to move on.
Well it’s September. The silly season should be over but we start the month with a great idea… ‘ put all Type 2’s on a soup and shake diet! I wonder if this will be ‘mandatory’ ! Will it work? How many people even care enough to reverse their diabetes? Those who do have probably already found the BSD/keto way forward for themselves! How sustainable is such a diet? My fear is that the government will pay for all these shakes and soups, give insufficient dietary advice/help and then when it fails we will hear the old cry ‘ people have no willpower, they only have themselves to blame for their weight/diabetes’. I would much rather see the emphasis on low carb real food dietary advice/education than soups and shakes. Sorry rant over.
Anyway need to move on.
Well it’s September. It’s great to see the enthusiasm of the new threads. I realise we do still have time to make and reach some new goals in 2020, a year we probably all want to forget, but one which will never be forgotten!
So as sunshine-girl says let’s just keep on keeping on ………….