Party

So there is a rumour going around that I'm a little bit bat crazy. Well, I'm hoping this will put your mind at ease - that I certainly am. It was my lovely Libby's 6th birthday, and it was George's 6th birthday just a few days early. (George is my neighbours Spinone doggy). So of course I decided we should have a joint party. I made a doggy birthday cake, iced with pate - yummy, doggy biscuits and human cupcakes. We (that is the dogs) played pass the parcel. They were very underwhelmed and I did most of the unwrapping (yes, hard to believe). But they both loved the toys that were unwrapped at the end! We also played hide and seek the biscuit. Again, not so successful, I think they couldn't smell the biscuits too well. However, we all (dogs and humans alike) had a great day. Some of the humans even got a little drunk! My lips are sealed.

Thank you for all the messages about my blog. Seems you like it and look forward to it so who am I to think of stopping. In fact the only complaint was that it was sometimes a little short. I'll try to write a bit more but I don't want to bore you! 

Now I don't usually use this platform for complaining (do I?) But I've got a couple of bees in my bonnet which I need to share! Firstly, people not indicating when driving. What's going on? It's driving me crazy. Especially when their lack of indicating affects my journey. i.e. they don't tell me they are turning off when the are, and I could have pulled out! I'm not psychic.

Then secondly, littering. This seems to be the real pandemic at the moment. People who do this need to be shot. It's so rude. Who do they think picks up their rubbish? Keep Britain Tidy, you lazy louts. It's moronic. 

So as I'm sure you are aware the government starts an Eat In scheme on Monday throughout the whole of August. Go out, eat in (the restaurant/pub/bistro etc) and get food and soft drinks for half price (up to £10 off per person). This is a great idea and will encourage people to leave their homes and support the hospitality industry. And who doesn't love a bargain? Me! So this won't do my diet any good. But I must say I'm not devastated. I'll just try to be good on other days lol. So you can search on your postcode to see who is participating within 5 miles of your home. I did mine - I have 4 venues, I did my friends postcode (she lives nearer the town) she had 17! Then I did my mum, she's outside Newcastle. She had 73!! Now this doesn't mean that Scottish eateries are not participating because the majority of them are, it just means we genuinely don't have very many. 4 versus 73!! Crazy.

Have a lovely week. Go out for dinner (Monday - Wednesday) and we'll talk again next week.

Keep faith. Sometimes when you think of giving up, it suddenly becomes right.

Cheesecake

I was desperate to bake though I was fed up of cake. So after watching James Martin on This Morning I copied his raspberry and chocolate cheesecake. Rather than cream cheese it has mascarpone and creme fraiche. It was nice enough, though cheesecake is not a favourite (with the exception of my Bailey's Irish cream one!)

So I started at 15st 5lb. Got to 14st 7lb (12lb loss). Now since I've come off plan for a bit (a big bit) I've settled at 14st 10lb. Now this is good. The nutritionist told me that it's best to lose some weight, then maintain, then lose some more. Just going straight for my 5 stone loss isn't good and just means I'll probably put it all back on. My body will fight to get back to what it thinks is my normal. So you trick it, do it a step at a time, so I get a new 'normal'. Fingers crossed it works. I do need to remember to still weigh myself daily. It's so easy to slip.

I've found a new game for my phone. I'm not a big game player (a daily word game, occasional brain training game and the odd Tetris) but this one is addictive! I literally hate to put it down. Who knew? Ha ha. Anyway on Monday night, after a mammoth session, I couldn't sleep. So I googled! (I know, I know, still on my phone). I thought I'd share my nighttime Google with you -

Tortoises - did you know it's not illegal to buy one (I thought it was) but they must have been bred in captivity! They're about £100 and the kit is another £200-500. And whilst cute they are not that easy to look after.

Watermelon sugar - might have a rather rude meaning (new song by Harry Styles) but I think it's more likely just gobbledegook.

Ciabatta bread mix - I used to buy this a lot to make my favourite pizza, but it's completely out of stock, everywhere! It is available on a few unique websites but postage was stupid. If anyone sees it in the shops please let me know.

Shopping on Amazon - yes I bought something. Some bone shaped cookie cutters for my homemade doggy biscuits. They were £1.46 and this included p&p. And they were delivered on Wednesday! Crazy mad.

I'm not sure about the future for this blog. Now it's not posted on Facebook my reader numbers have dropped. Thank you for reading and sticking with me. Let me know if you want me to continue. I want to write if more than my mum and husband read it lol xx

Time heals almost everything. Give time a little time.

Next steps

So I'm getting back on plan, though I do have a couple off pounds I need to lose again, after having a few weeks off. I've had both my children home but they've left now. Hubby is back to work so hopefully it'll be easier to stick to my low calories. Onwards and upwards, again.

I was so chuffed to get a hair appointment yesterday, first day of Scottish opening. My hair has been dyed and cut and blow dried (see below). So very excited to have lovely hair again! And it's grown so long over lockdown. This blow dry will last me 2 weeks... No way I'm washing it sooner!

So the picture? This ring I saw in the jewelers in 2011 and I really liked it. Now we can't just go buying diamond rings when we fancy (unfortunately) so I needed a plan. Had I just asked hubby to buy it for me he would have replied with a sod and an off. I thought about going down the eternity ring route - last ring he'd ever have to buy me!? But in the end I negotiated that he buy me the ring and keep it, until I'm a size 12 and it would be a massive incentive to lose weight! He agreed, and it's been in his bedroom drawer ever since. But that's now 9 years and the ring as an incentive obviously hasn't worked! Still not a size 12. If a diamond ring hasn't helped in nearly a decade it's not going to. So I've stolen the ring, popped it on my finger, and is never going back. Hubby was shocked but relented. Daughter gutted, she thought she'd get a brand new ring as her inheritance lol. The ring is mine, I've waited a long time. I need to lose weight for the sake of it. Not because of health, rings, size 12 dresses or anything else. I just need to do it.

I have bloomed a thousand times in my life time because I let my dying petals fall off.

Nonsense

I don't actually know what I weigh today as I'm not at home, however I can safely predict that I've not lost weight again. I don't know what to tell you really. I've taken my foot off the gas and I've not been concentrating! 

So we've popped up to Inverness to see our son. It's like I've not been away. It felt like I'd not seen him for ages - well it has literally been months - but it's all forgotten now I'm here. 

Sometimes, like today, when I sit in front of my keyboard I have no clue what to write for my blog. Sometimes it's all planned, I have notes written and words just flow. Then I have a block. So to fill this block I'm going to talk nonsense.

The first boy I kissed was David Horne (David Horne a bag of corn, a belly full of fat, when he dies shoot his eyes, and what do you think of that? - he wrote this not me lol) when I was 4 years old. He pushed me into a bush of nettles in the playground. I was very stung! But I forgave him. 

I fell in love with my husband when he hopped over a wall! He just put his hands on the wall and his legs just kind of jumped over! I was hooked from that moment! 24 years later he can and would do it still. He once climbed out of our bedroom window (yes on the first floor not ground floor) in the middle of the night (about 2am) in a storm, to fix a rattling tile on the roof! He was just wearing his jeans (bare chest and bare feet) as we had been asleep (well I was, he obviously wasn't lol). I was furious but secretly impressed. It takes a lot more to impress me now though! 

The first proper book I read was The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico. I think I was about 8 years old. It was so good but so sad and I cried and cried when it ended. I've re-read it a couple of times and it still makes me cry! 

My first job was working for The Royal Bank of Scotland. I once answered the phone and mistakenly said 'Good morning, royal pie'! I have no idea where that came from but it really made me laugh! 

I hope my nonsense has entertained you somewhat. I'll do better next week.

Practice like you've never won. Perform like you've never lost.

Differences part II

So, alas, there has been no weight loss this week. My own fault. Started with an Indian takeaway, that lasted for 3 meals! Delicious. More chocolate than usual - I'm blaming PMT. Drinking too much (see below). 

Whoop! Finished the bathroom. I probably could have done it in a couple of days but it was much more fun stretching it over about 5 weeks! But I'm happy it's finished and I'm happy with result. And, of course, I'm loving having a bath again! 

Lockdown differences continued...

9. I saw my mum just before lockdown started and before I left I showed her how to video call on what's app. I have since spoken to her via video every single day. So that's about 105 calls. This is twice as many telephone calls we would normally exchange in a whole year! The funny thing is we have nothing new to say each day. We mostly talk about the weather, grocery shopping and daily exercise! It's groundhog day lol.

10. In spite of losing weight I'm drinking more. And not just a glass of wine (which is often a bottle) or a g&t. Wednesday night out was Sloe Gin Fizz - sloe gin, gin, sugar syrup, lemon juice, soda water or prosecco (obvs we picked prosecco). It was delicious but very alcoholic. Then Thursday night it was White Russians - vodka, kahlua/Tia Maria, double cream. This is so good but not only very alcoholic it's full of calories. Sometimes I'm just so naughty! 

11. Watching box sets. I normally just watch stuff on the telly but there's been a lot of repeats on recently so I've been on the downloads. The best I've seen - Staged with David Tennant and Michael Sheen on iPlayer. Only 15 mins x6 but so so funny! Filmed in their own homes with their wives. Also on iPlayer is all 4 series of Cardinal. This is a Canadian murder/cop drama. I binged all 4 series in less than a week. Brilliant!! Loved it. And if you have Amazon Prime try Upload. Dead people are sent to a virtual reality to live like they are still alive. It's weird but good, and clever.

12. Hair. I've cut my fringe a few times, which was ok but dying the grey is something else. I have too much hair to colour it all so I just do the roots, but they always end up a different colour to the rest. I'm multi tonal lol.

13. Cleaning. Say no more.

Things that are the same during lockdown -

Grass still grows, dog needs walking, bills still need paying, PMT giving me cramps and making me grumpy, we still love and lose, we still smile and cry, and we still don't win the lottery! 

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.