[colour=blue] yee haa its weigh day today
l/w=77.9
today=76.3kg
Phew at last something has gone right this week. About darn time too. (with diet coke!)

It is such a horrible day here this morning. Rain and very windy. And I have to go out this morning to see my social worker. I wonder what she will say when she is told about when my appointment is with Munglani! Ha ha ha. Ah well 9 months and counting...270 days to go.....269......!
Can you tell that my smilie link is working today??
Thank you Linus for spending your evening talking to me down the phone! I was sooo exhausted by the time friends came to collect their Saluki that I had dog-sat for the day I fell in to bed and then got the dreaded restless leg syndrome and my nerves were jumping around for ages until I had got out a few times and as a last resort thrown paracetamol, oxycontin and diazepam down my throat! And yes! I got 4 hours sleep! Miracle of miracles!!!!
Ah so Ty has a girlfriend! Good for him. Hope it lasts as long as he wants it to.
Happy ...hello to you and I hope something helpful comes out of this arthritis diet.
Shad I hope you manage to escape from Melbourne sooner rather than later . Shame the job chose this last week to be a bit more interesting!
Ah well enough from me for now. Better get the plac ready for Miss Mel to visit. Might find a few piccies for you. If none appear at the bottom...you'll know I didna find any!!!! (sorry Linus...feeble attempt at a Scottish accent!!!You can tell me next time you talk to me if I got the spelling right!!!!)[/color]
The first photo is of St James' Park with Autumn crocuses already in bloom in September!
The second is one of the enormous horses used by the Metropolitan Mounted Police...see I am not that short really,its the horses that are ENORMOUS...(I am 5 ft tall).
And the third is St Stephens tower and Big Ben.

Ta ta.

Welll I am back in the wilderness again. Wow what a hectic stressful week! I pullled it off or at least it is what is was can't change the past now. Hello to Marie glad you were brave enough to come and venture around the world with these fabulous hilarious and very supportive woman. I hope my friends all got a good look at that flicker...that is what I try to put in my sights on my 2o/2o and do away with....oh Marie some history here with that little bugger.
The fall weather has been so good and I spent the weekend destressing up at my cousin Lynny's burning huge piles of brush she has cleared from her property. It was a blast. So now I will probably be home til mid october when I am going to see my sons in Boise and it will be the first hockey game. I am very excited to finally get to see them.
I brought back some greens for the turtle tank and my goodness Sparky just loves that stuff I will try to see about trying to grow some in another area so they can have it more often. It can't be that diffucult...any ideas for me ladies?
My 13 year old neice had a close encounter witha grizzly bear on her walk home last weekend and also ran into a small black bear and the same trek. I think she is a little tramatized by the whole affair but she kept her head and made it home safely. We are just crowding the poor creatures out of their winter area that they forage before they retire for the winter.
It will take me a while to catch up with everyone and how life is treating them. I do hope that all is well in the many parts of the world we visit. Take Good Care everyone and I will try to pop in this weeka few times.
Love ya,
Nae

Phew Nae...I just don't expect to run in to a bear of any description whilst I am out for a walk!! Although I expect ther sight was pretty spectacular. I am so glad your niece got home safe and sound. Good for her for keeping her head!!
[color=red]MEL...Your parcel arrived this morning and the good old postman put it through the catflap next door as I was out when he came. He dropped a card in saying where he had put it so I sneaked round just now and retrieved it!! Lovely surprise to say the least! Thank you a thousand times!! You must have remembered that I said ages ago I wished we were able to get hold of the Cooking Light series over here in the U.K. and now I have my very own copy!! I had a double giggle 'cos there is a whole article in there on VIOXX and why it is so good for you! Shame the DOH are withdrawing it from the UK market...

Saw the social worker today. She has arranged a meeting between my support worker, her and myself for tomorrow, no less. I think she senses some urgency in the matter as my mood is rather on the floor at the moment. Goodness what ideas she will come up with. Until I get some darn relief from this pain cycle I am in I don't really hold out much hope for my mood to improve.... I had a wry smile when I told my social worker about the date of my next appointment with Munglani...she thought it was a mis-print

It has come out a beautiful sunny day here now after the wintery weather of this morning. I went out with three layers of clothing on and a pair of ankle boots as I thought it was going to be very wet underfoot. And now look at it. Wall to wall blue sky and sunshine! Typical! Thats what happens when I put the central heating on

I have been good today and not gone to sleep in the afternoon like I usually do. I am hoping beyond hope that it will make for a better nights sleep without the dreaded restless leg syndrome. I haven't got that many Diazepam tablets to take just 'cos I need them!!

Oh and Linus...remember we werre talking about Holly wearing a Niagara Falls raincoat? Well I found a photo of her modelling one...Don't tell Bengi or Clio...they'll all be wanting to wear one too....

hi all how are we all good i hope !!! you must all be getting sick of me starting my posts like that but good manners force me to enquire about your health us british are sticklers for propriety {thats why i take the dogs out in my pj,s }TEEL my dh thinks im encouraging madness in you he says hes never met anyone who can talk like me so hes so glad weve found each other i havent the heart to tell him that theres 8 of us and were nearly all as bad and soon marie will join us in the madness{ must say marie your fitting in nicely } sorry teel i showed the dogs the rain jacket and they were not impressed cleo was really miffed at the mere thought benjy just snored so dont think he was all that interested cleo is still chasing the magpies with not much sucsess apart from a mouthfull of feathers {lucky magpie i will have to put another pic of my babies to show you just how unsuitable the raincoat would have been and thanks for the horsey photo i do love my horses the roan is gorgeous MEL i looked on the map and i think i found you mum said you must be near her freinds side shes manhatten good for you getting the wardrobe cleaned and organised i do the opposite i keep the clothes i wear all the time and put away the dressy ones and dh has more clothes than me i treid on a suit that i bought for my sister-in-laws wedding last year and dh laughed and said i looked like i was playing dress up in my mums clothes i really must get rid of the stuff that doesnt fit just dont want to incase i put the 3 stone back on and i need them NAE nice to have you back the only bear you run into round hee is me first thing in the morning but if you ask the clan im probably the worst by greens do you mean lettuce and stuff ?? because they can be pot grown indoors the primary schools do it for the schools rabbits and gineapigs so maybe you can try it SHAD just be thankfull your not here as tel will testify its damn cold and today it started chucking down at 5am and by 10.30 we had lovely sunshine which lulled you into thinking it was warm no it blooming wasnt it was still freezing HAPPY please dont mention arthritus diets in front of me i didnt even look at the diet sheets the doc gave me and according to your list ill have to stop eating and drinking didnt know dh had a motorbike what kind ?? my brother in law has a bright red ducati that makes me go a bit weak at the knees i have a thing for big red throbbing motor bikes {and now ill sya know more as i think ive just said enough} MEADOW wheres our daily pic?? enquiring minds really have to know just how you manage to get such large pics onto the thread i dont really bother as i just cant be knacked learning how to resize them MARIE hows the ds,s gf craig seems to change his like his socks hes had this one for three weeks but thats probably cause hes grounded well ladies im going to pop off as i washed the living room windows and did the skirting boards and the blinds and curtains so as that when the upholsterer moves the sofas on wednesday he wont find anything under them or will be able to see the large nose streaks on my windows to give the game away that cleo is the cause of my sofas looking like bananas and now in knacked so im off for a shower and ill speak to you all tomorrow
kirsty

Well haven't we all been Chatty Cathies today!!!
Went to the Mall and finished the Xmas shopping. A thing or 2 for Jen but I can get them in plenty of time. We are having some lovely sunny and mild weather! I will go and ride around tomorrow so as not to miss it. @ stores had great sales and a cashier gave me a coupon. got another 10% off everything I bought from her. So that's how I finished up. She was very helpful and sweet. She complimented me on my attitude and went in search of the missing coupon I did not get in the newspaper or something. Very nice. (sigh) Renews your faith in mankind. Wonderful day I had.

Teel~ Thanks so much for the phone call!!! I am sorry you were calling MY ZIP CODE!!! I am still cracking up over that one!!!! You are very welcome for the books. I did remember you couldn't get it there so there will be other magazines coming during the year. I forget how many. They will come here and I'll forward them to you. ENJOY!!! Maybe they will keep your mind busy from time to time! Hope you get a grip on the pain and feel better soon.(((((HUGS))))) Loved the pics and the horse is HUGE!!!! The doggie coat is adorable!!

Linus~ I have not stopped laughing since Teel Called! I can't believe she was calling my address! I have been having a difficult time breathing since we hung up!! ROFLMAO!!
We will try and send some of our last realms of summer over to you and Teel to warm up with. Cracked up aboput Craig and his GF's!!! Hope you are feeling ok now and stay that way for awhile!!

Nae~ Welcome back into the bosom of insanity and bad bodies!!!
Missed you alot! I was scared just reading about the niece and the bears! OMG!!!! LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS OH MY!!! Thank God she got home safely!! Maybe I love the wilderness from my armchair better! I would never leave the house without a gun!!!! glad you got time to destress. This has been quite a stressful year for all of us I think. Can you grow greens in window boxes or containers? guess it is too late this year?? Unless you have nice window space indoors?! I only grow house plants so don't know much about "greens". Have fun!

I am tired and had a piece of frozen pizza and a can of soda. Both are definitely NOT on my plan!!! But I am off to lie down and watch some boring TV!! LOL Have a great day and good morning Sunshine if you read this!! Hello Miss Happy and Meadow too!!!!

I thought of you today Mel I saw a little grey squirrel hopping along the boulevard on my way to pick up my girls from school, she had a chestnut in her mouth and was very intent on getting it to her hiding spot. It is that time for the little critters, they need to stock up on the stores for hibernation.



Nae-good to see you back! Hugs for your stress, alcohol always helps me with that but moderation in all things Watching things burn runs a close second though, were there marshmallows for roasting? The calories would be burned trying to get them off the stick


Linus-isn't it wonderful that you have found a kindred spirit in Teel? Two ladies chatting about everything, teenage style, wheee! Scary bear story, best to stay out of their site those furry guys! LOL, on your clothes, must feel great!


Marie-how is the weather over there? We are sunny and toasty here on the coast today but the rain is coming How did you fair during the fires last year? My inlaws who live up by Kamloops were evacuated, very intense.



Teel-congratulations on your losing! I would like to do that. I'm getting my exercise in but am still afraid of the scale throwing me into a tailspin so it is out of my view until I feel clothing falling down Got to get something for your back before next year! Is it a disc compression problem? Do stretches help? I'm so sorry you are in pain.



Shad-wow that was a megawalk you took! Can't wait for the daffy pics, I have some tiny little ones that I got in an arrangement one birthday and they have spread all along my garden pathway. They are so cute. I love garden shows, they always have wild combinations that you never thought of. I think that was the first time I ever saw blue fescue grass planted up, I love that colour. I am getting so bad with the exercise that I am looking a yoga poses and figuring out can I bend that way




Happy-sounds like you are going to be super busy socializing for the next couple of weeks. I'm sorry about the arthritis, sure are alot of aggravating foods that you have to avoid. Could be a total body flush out, maybe it is just an allergy I hope you enjoy the meet up with your school buddies, that is always fun and scary to see how things change and how they stay the same. Age does not always equal maturity


Found this website, I haven't prowled it thoroughly yet but thought I would share, looks pretty interesting article wise
Reader's Digest site

I swear by the time I actually get something posted, there are three maybe four more to read where to start...

Had a wonderful w/e spent it with Ty at the movies...it was a bust..I love John Travolta , however this was not one of his better movies. Then went and did some Christmas shopping..almost done, now all I have to do is some painting and I'm done...

Miss Melody Glad to hear you had a nice trip downtown...it's amazing how mankind can give you a scare once in a while, brings you back to reality . Glad to hear Jen is feeling better..Do have to tell though, my Mom and Dad bought my BD present already, I am going to see John McDermott in December we are in 2nd row, middle...so right in front, Im soooo excited...hope I don't


Teel words of advice, ask to be put on a cancellation list, and if one comes available be ready to go...we do it all the time at the hospital here... Im sorry to hear your not well...do hope you recover soon.

Shad so glad I could give you a laugh..always find it the best medicine, too bad we couldn't laugh at ourselves more often...

Nae nice to meet you, we don't live very far apart either. I've only been to Idaho twice, love Cour de laine (sp?)...very pretty there. We usually travel to Spokane a couple times a year to visit with my 2nd cousins...

Sorry if I missed anyone, I keep trying to look back and see who's who right now until I get a "feel" for things..... Wish I was a then I could get it right..see you all later, have a great day.

Marie

Meadow~ You reminded me that I forgot to take nuts yesterday to the reservoir!!! My poor friends!! I went to reader's digest site and was laughing at the idea to change one thing a week! It has taken me a year to figure that out! LOL I recently just said I am back to baby steps and smaller goals. I had overwhelmed myself with ideas and then got absolutely nowhere!
Hope you like YOGA!!! and all those daring POSITIONS!!! Are you reall going to try it? keep us informed!

Marie~ Nice weekend with TY! You get to see a lot of good looking men when you hang out with him at least! I love JT too but not when he plays the bad guy! LOL Hope you have fun at the concert when you go. Nice present!!! Isn't it on December 11th????? that's what my calendar says! LOL I will internet shop for some left over gifts I think. I'll wait and see. There were Xmas trees decorated in J.C.Penneys today! LOL Not a POP day. Went to Mc Donalds!!! I am falling off the wagon but will be back tomorrow! I was going to start today but tomorrow is better! LOL

Sweet dreams chickies!!

HOLY MACKEREL!!! WHERE IS EVERYONE??????
I went to the food store and will make the great attempt to do the right thing with food choices today. The last 2 weeks I have been coasting again. WTF!!! doing the chicken cutlet thing today and grilling them. Salad stuff was fresh so I got that too. I found I can no longer buy grapefruit! Way too EXPENSIVE! They were almost $1 apiece I found the lovely spa soap/loofah bar, liquid soap and lotion again. bought it for Jen and a back scrubber thing. I'll find a basket and make that up for xmas. We are trying this year for a budget and practical presents. All 3 of us need to stick to that. The kids have no problems with it it's just ME!!! Well I better get out of here and let someone else get a word in edgewise!!! 56* outside but sunny. Taking some nuts for a ride to feed the squirrels!!! the kind of nuts that come in a cellophane bag that is!
Have a wonderful tuesday!!! Sweet dreams Shaddie!

England calling...its 16:26hrs as I start to and YIPEE my smilie link is working this afyternoon so there will be lots of little people jumping up and down....
I have had a really busy day. First of all it was SO freezing this morning I didn't want to get out of bed and was really annoyed with my brain for waking me up 45 minutes earlier than I actually needed to!!!! And then the gardener arrived..and I had an appointment at 11:00hrs for a hair cut...then I had the dentist at 12:00hrs.. .then I had to wander around town until an appointment my social worker had arranged in a hurry yesterday..... and then I had to drop the spare car keys in to my garage 'cos they are having it in tomorrow to try and find where the brake fluid is leaking to.... And so at last I am actually home and the door was being knocked on very loudly and the mobile phone was ringing and I turned my handbag out on the floor to locate it.....
MEL I have gone off you!! Fancy telling everyone on the site that I was trying to ring you on your zip code!!!
LINUS Holly isn't too impressed with wearing her Niagara Falls rain coat either!!
WISH'NI think you are fitting in very well with us mad lot on this thread..I must say I feel a bit lonely being all the way down here in England...everyone else except Linus and I seem to live in the States or Down under!!Thanks for the advice re the cancellation idea. Good one!
MEADOW thank you for the gorgeous pictures you post! I still want to know how you get them on as I thought they had to be a maximum size....I love the one of the deer peeping out from behind the tree...

Its come out a beautiful afternoon here now and quite mild after freezing everyone's you-know-whats off this morning. Perhaps I ought to feel all energetic and take the hound out for a stroll. Hmmmmmn....pain can't be much worse for a bit of excercise...ha ha ha ha!!!!
Don't know what to have for dinner tonight! Too much choice of recipies!!!!( I wonder why that might be???) I actually chose this week to order two books from the Readers Digest...one came yesterday and the other one was the reason for the loud knock at the door as soon as I had walked through it an hour ago... One is COOKING FOR DIABETICS and the other is LOW CARBOHYDRATE COOKERY....so many recipies!! So little time!!! And I have diced chicken and a packet of lean beef mince in the fridge....

I was a bad girl today. Thats what comes of having time on one's hands between appointments! There is JUMPERS shop right where it shoudln't be and I fall for something nearly everytime I go in!! This time it is a 100% cotton long sleeved jumper. Burgandy in the main with horizontal pin stripes of navy blue and whitw every so often...very comfy and a reasonable bargain....hee hee hee!!!

I shall be so pleased to see my neighbour back home at some point probabaly tonight after here 2 weeks in Crete....bet she gets a cold afteer all that nice warm sun!!!!

I had a letter from Munglani today...a copy of the one he sends to my G.P. I had to laugh as he put "I gave her 5mg MIDAZOLAM as she was very anxious!!! " I wonder why that was.Any ideas!!!!!!!????????

Ok. Enough from me for now. Holby City is on AGAIN this evening and I haven't watched the last 2 episodes yet....I need a day in doing nowt as they say in Suffolk! Perhaps tomorrow would be a good time to start on the 2 videos I have filled up with things I haven't watched yet!!!!

Bye bye! Take care! Be back soon! T.T.T.T.

teel im so sorry i didnt call you today will rectify that sometime tomorrow how did you get on???? dad had an accident and is in hospital been up there all day only broke away for an hour to go to conners parents evening right ladies ill be back tomorrow if im not in the jail for murder {dads home help} speak to you all tomorrow
kirsty

Well at least it is a bit warmer here today although the pc thermometer says its only 10 degrees!!! I know it is set for Ipswich which is 20 minutes from me so we might be a degree or so warmer than that, but not much. I hardly ever use a title smilie but I thought a nice cold blue one would give everyone the general idea!!!

Oh it is SO nice to have my neighbours back home again after their 2 weeks in hot sunny Crete... I spoke to Mrs. this morning and she said how clean and immaculately tidy the bungalow was!! Apparently number 1 son (oh sorry! Of course she has 2 daughters and 1 son) tidied and cleanedso the place looks sparkling ...even the kitchen. I think he must have been bored! He split up with his GF( see I remembered!!!) a day or so before parents went away. Also she said it must have been cold 'cos J. had put the central heating on!!! Macho man got a bit chilly, one thinks!

My friend in Mildenhall rang last night. You remember I 'spect she lost her dh to throat cancer 14.11.03. Her neighbours who are in their 80's...dh is about to die of cancer too. Their son died only a year ago of a malignant brain tumour. Gosh such trauma ans deep sorrow all around. They live within spitting distance of the Mildenhall USAF BASE and I casn only wonder and speculate what is in the after burn of all the aeroplanes. Coupled with that is there is an RAF base 7 miles up the road. Or 2 seconds flying distance. I was really hoping for a smoothish run up to the 1st anniversary time of Colin's death but it looks like it will be anything but that.

Oh Linus I see your family is in the wars again!!! Whats happened to father? And please don't kill anyone yet...the way I still feel about last weeks hospitasl fiasco I might come and join you with wreaking havoc in the land of the home help!! Then at least we could talk to each other in some lonely highland prison!! Seriously though, I do hope Father is on the mend from whatever befell him. I take it that his home help was not very helpfull at the time?

And so where is everyone else this fine sunny morning!!? It is nice out there and I think if I weren't still feeling like I have been kicked by a raging bull I would take doggy for a stroll. We didn't get one yesterday..tut tut.

I forgot to say in yesterdays post that Munglani has put in his letter exactly what he did last week whilst I was out for the count under his tender care (?) He did 3 injections and not just the one I thought he was going to do. Thank the Lord I was asleep is what I say!!! He injected the Right SI joint ligament (sacro-iliac) and the L3/4 to L5/S1 facets....no wonder it b*+~#y hurts!!!!!

Ok. I am off in to the shower....bye bye all.......Oh I forgot to say about the emergency meeting my social worker had arranged for yesterday. Lots of pauses...lots of me trying to break my diamond ring...why I cannot fidgit with the other less important ring on the other hand, I don't know!!! It is SO darn hard to get across to people what I feel like right now. I mean...I try not to burst in to tears all the time and tend to put on a braver face when sitting in front of professionals. I should be ashamed of myself...afterall I used to be a community psychiatric nurse so do know what its all about. Support worker had called for hepl I think because she feels she isn't helping ...she is right! NOTHING is helping at the moment.She had unfortunately cottoned on to the fact that I don't discuss how I am feeling with her. Apperently last Friday we barely had 45 minutes with her 'cos I decided it was time to go before I got too upset. This is their bloomin' fault I don't talk to her...I was told my other support worker before this one used to get upset when she left me 'cos I was upset so I was told their work and aim in life is to get me out of the house and "doing!" and I shouldn't spend time getting upset about lfe and hurt and pain and why sometimes I would quite like to get out of it. And so I don't discuss it with her. Whats the point any way? How ever many times I say this, that or the other it doesn't help matters. And so it was kind of aggreed that we would go swimming on Friday when we meet and have a jacuzzi afterwards. I said I hadn't been for an age because I simply cannot be bothered with the getting undressed, dressed, wet, undressed, dry and b~#~~#*y dressed again !!! So really nothing has changed but I suppose at least they know how I feel and I hammer the fact constantly that I am extremely unhappy with the amount of pain I am in. Right. Now I am off to the shower. Sorry about that long spiel. I didn't really mean to say all that.....

where is everyone??? Even Miss Mel hasn't turned in a post yet and its midday over in her neck of the woods.....come in...come in wherever you are!

TODAY I SMILED

Today I smiled, and all at once
Things didn't look so bad.
Today I shared with someone else,
A little bit of hope I had.

Today I sang a little song,
And felt my heart grow light.
I walked a happy little mile,
With not a cloud in sight.

Today I worked with what I had,
And longed for nothing more,
And what had seemed like only weeds,
Were flowers at my door.

Today I loved a little more,
And complained a little less.
And in the giving of myself,
I forgot my weariness.

- Author Unknown

Smile! It just feels good!
If you have a smile, share it!
If you need a smile, use one of these!

evening ladies this will be a quick one as im just back from the hospital and im knacked now im a bit more calmer ill be able to tell you all what happened dad fell while going to the toilet at about 3am early hours of tuesday and couldnt get up so atayed on the floor when his home help came at 8am he had to manage to get himself up {?????} and let her in it was a temporary lady as his usual lady was ill she got him to his chair and went made his breakfast and half filled his flask and then wrote in the book that " mr laidlaw was fine on leaving had eaten his breakfast and taken medication and his flask was full fine mood and washed and dressed on arrival did say that hed had a fall and had been on the floor for some hours" dad was covered with blood and was still in his pj,s he hadnt taken his meds {which include his bets blockers angina tablets his high blood pressure tablets } his breakfast was left untouched and his tea was not drunk nor had she filled his flask shes supposed to be there for an hour but was only there for 20 mins and didnt think to phone anyone about the state of my dad now on the kitchen cupboard door is a typed sheet containing my home and mobile numbers and that of my two sisters and the dotors details and all his medication but she still didnt contact anyone so ive left her boss to reprimand her and there is every possibility that shell lose her job craig had to get stronger inhalors for his asthma and right now im sitting talking to teel on the phone and writing this at the same time we are talking about meadows post and the bouncy thing and weve decieided that she is too blooming happy at the moment right im off speak to you all tomorrow
kirsty