Thank you all for your kind words

Hope your all well.

I have no voice at all and my chest is still sore.

Michele

I tried to reply yesterday but the little laptop is on its way to laptop heaven.

Michelle sorry about your dad, I hope things go as well as can be expected.

Sarah - hope your leaky bits are fixed soon!

I'm doing brillo! I ate really well last week - I'm down a pound and THE DRESS FITS YAY ME! I tried it on and flounced around in it and put all my bling on with it, and tried the shoes on and I look fantastic So I just have to keep an eye on my food, and exercise lots and all should be well with the world!

Yesterday I ate a little bit too much, a couple of gingerbread men (not too many though) an extra bowl of cereal and a bakewell tart, but I was bored and missing my man No excuse! Anyway, back to it today, and it's NEW GYM at lunch

Kali - I do love your dress - it's fab! Are you having a big fairy-tale church wedding?

Lynne - sounds like a plan, however it IS slow losing the last few pounds. Very VERY slow! So just keep at it!

Woo Hoooooo! I slept in my own bed last night for the first time in a week! We can't turn the water on, though, so I'll be going back to MIL's later today. I had to come back to meet the plumber (whose finally back off his holiday) I'm just waiting for him now. I've also got loads of eBay parcel wrapping to do (my least favourite job!)

Nope - its not an expensive problem for us - it will be VERY expensive for the plumber's insurance company though (or the plumber if he doesn't want to make an insurance claim). The shower used to be a large walk in cupboard which we converted in to a sort of wet-room with the walls all double layered and sealed then tiled, with the pipework (where the leak was) all running under the bottom layer. Then, the rest of the bathroom was tiled after the wet-room thing was installed so if he rips out the wet-room walls a load of the main bathroom wall tiles and flooring will also have to be replaced. Then there's the damage to the kitchen ceiling..... and all the electrics..... Its so depressing.

In the meantime I have had a fair amount of walking-type exercise with the dogs but my diet has gone to **** in a handcart. MIL's cooking definitely isn't low-fat or low-GI - and, as far as she is concerned, calories are one of life's big mysteries. I'm not going to complain though, she has put me and the dogs up and completely refuses to let me do any of the cooking or give her any money towards my keep. Every time I try to give her some she has a tearful and says its just wonderful having me/us to stay! I'm going to have to think of some way of dealing with this because she's on a pension and its making me feel VERY guilty - anyone got any suggestions??

Oh Michele - I am so sorry about your Dad I hope you feel better very soon.

You girls both look stunning in your wedding dresses! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! Frus, I love the idea of the single red rose.

Veggie - my family are the same as yours - they'd never mention weight gain either (or loss).

Peacock - your nan sounds like my MIL - not happy to let you leave the table until she can see you are completely stuffed. She's very fond of suet puddings.

Helen - LOL at your Mum! Bless her, she only has your best interests at heart (as she sees it)

You could offer to go grocery shopping for her? Then you can 1) buy healthy food and 2) pay for the stuff you're eating.

I suggested something similar to DH who mentioned it to her - my idea was to order stuff from the Sainsbury website today and get it delivered to her house tomorrow - but she got upset. I'm definitely taking back a load of fruit with me, though.

In that case I'd graciously accept her offer of food. I think some people are proud about things like that. Perhaps you can buy her something nice as a thank you when you are all sorted at your place.

Yeah, maybe a nice big bouquet of flowers??

Maybe when things are back to normal you could invite her to stay one wekend and cook for her. Mind you she would probably want to 'help'. Lol!!

Well - thats sorted! He (the plumber) is starting work tomorrow to fix our house. Yayyy! He's a nice man and a well respected local plumber so we didn't think there would be a problem. He agrees that he's got to rip out all the walls of the shower/wet room and pretty much start again AND he pointed out that the water had seeped through in to the landing carpet next door to the bathroom - so he's going to replace that as well. The dogs and me should be able to move back in by the end of the week but DH has said he wants to sleep here ASAP from when the water gets put back on (at the moment he's staying with a colleague from work.)

Good idea about getting MIL over here for a visit. I did wonder about getting her some Daniel O'Donnell stuff but she's got LOADS of it - she seems to have hundreds of his videos - which she plays pretty much all day/every day. I wonder if he's doing any concerts any time soon - maybe I could get her a couple of tickets. She's also mad keen on Beatrix Potter but she's got loads of that kind of thing as well - its a problem to get her something she hasn't already got.

Sorted! Just got a couple of tickets from Ticketmaster for Daniel O'Donnell on the 10th December in Manchester (she lives in Wigan - so not too far away!) All I've got to do now is persuade her to take her groupie friend along with her and not me.

I'll have to arrange transport for them. I wonder how much one of those stretch limo's cost to rent for the evening... I wouldn't know where to even start looking for one of those!

Good morning everyone

Your all set now for the big day Frus dress fits your looking good all is well. Lovely to see you again Sarah I think I must have missed the post about the leak. Glad your ok though and what a treasure your mother-in-law is.

I am about to go out to lunch with some friends for her birthday I intend having something really nice. My weight is still steady fluctuating betweene nine stone nine and a bit and nine stone 10 I am thrilled. My exercise hasn't been that good and now my chest is so bad I think I will leave the gym until it feels less tight. I go back to work on Wednesday so I can get the doctor to listen to it and she can tell me if I need to get antibiotics.

Have a lovely day everyone

Take good care

Michele

Happy Monday everyone!

I'm feeling determinded and inspired today with my food, I've been eating well the last few weeks, although I haven't exercised much.

It was my God-sons Christiening yesterday, he's such a cutey, hehe. The parents bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers which was a lovely surprise.

How's everyone else doing?

Well done Veg You're always on the ball with the months my woman....moving on to October ....

Seen as it's the 2nd already.

Edit - I copied all the October posts from the September thread to the October one! I'm sure it will confuse people it's confusing me.

Yes indeed, it is October, I'm off to curves in a mo, but tought I'd pop in quickly before I go. Bo**ocks, I just dribbled coffee in the keyboard...do you suppose it will be all right?

I've had a piggy weekend and it's showing on the scales...we went to a suedo British pub on Saturday, it was a lovely place, and our table was by the window looking out on to the sound of Nantucket, so we ate and chatted while watching sail boats out and about, it was a lovely sunny day too, so made it more enjoyable. I had a turkey and leek pastie (although they spelt it pasty) wigh chips, it was very delish but of course huge and I brought it home and ate it at dinner time too...so we won't be going there very often I can say that for sure.

Sarah, glad to hear that the plumbing should be sorted by the end of the week, your MIL sounds lovely, and your gift to thank her is a wonderful idea, just google limo's and I'm sure you'll find something to hire in there.

Michelle, keep your chin up, we're all thinking about your Dad, wish him well please.

Frus, where's your man then? Glad to hear the dress is fitting nice and you're happy with it...I love the sound of the single stem rose, we had single stem something or other in a wedding I was in last year and it was very sophiticated and looked very nice in all the photo's.

Ok, must get dressed and go to curves, the only things working out are my fingers here, although, saying that, my rings are all getting lose