njh50

Hi Nancy,

Congratulations on getting your disability, that must be a relief for you. One less thing to worry about!

The dog only got one walk today as I did manage to get up to the allotment and do some weeding. It was so wet that all I could do was squelch about in my wellies pulling the weeds up by hand. After an hour I had to stop as it started to rain - and hasn't stopped since!

I have just brushed my teeth and discovered that I have lost most of a tooth - I must have eaten it with my dinner. More expense - grrrr.

Much love,
Nita
xxx

Meggietye

Hi Nita!

wow I have been gone most of a week...so sorry about that. My son came back for the week and aside from early morning walking I got no other regular cardio, but I did manage to get hit by a migraine.

Today is Sunday of a long weekend and I got a 30 min walk done in dazzling sunshine plus 20 more minutes of cardio. I didn't lose any weight this week but it was stressful so I am just happy I didn't fall apart!lol

I am posting late in the afternoon and I still have to prepare the roast chicken for dinner. I will be back in tomorrow to tell you how well I have done with my exercise. Nita I hope you had a good week? Has it stopped raining? My husband planted our garden today, or most of it. We have non genetically modified tomatoes and peppers, so far.

See you tomorrow!

Love,
Nancy xx

Meggietye

Hi Nita,

We walked yesterday and today, lucky for us the rain held off until this afternoon. It is freezing cold and pouring rain..I made a roast dinner and now I can barely stay awake.

I treated myself to a French manicure today before a stressful CT scan appointment tomorrow afternoon, it will be fine I just don't like I.V's. Suppertime will be fun tho as I get to see my best friend and another friend who we haven't seen for 35 yrs!!

Nita I hope you are doing well? Has it dried up enough for you to garden and walk? talk to you soon!

Ciao ciao,

Love,
Nancy xoxo

njh50

Hi Nancy,
(Wednesday 23 May 2012 10:15am)
Yes the weather has finally dried up enough to be able to garden! The sky has been clear blue for the last two days and actually quite hot - especially if you are digging. I have been walking the dog twice a day and now that I am gardening I haven't had time for the Wii exercise programme. Arms, legs and back are aching to I know I am burning calories.

I think I am going to have to buy some new scales as mine have turned TRAITOR!!! I weighed before getting into the shower and again after I had dried myself - I put on three pounds in 10 mins! No wonder I dont seem to be getting anywhere. I went to the doctors last week and he was pleased as my blood pressure tables are now working and I am in the normal range, and I had lost my "Christmas/Winter Weight" of 8lbs. According to my scales I had only lost 2lbs of it.

Sorry to hear you have had a stressful time. Worrying about children is the worst kind of stress. My daughter has her "important" post delivered to our address as she lives in a block of flats and the post boxes are outside. Letters keep coming from the hospital for her and when she collects them she just puts them in her bag and changes the subject when I ask if everything is OK. Good luck with the CT scan tomorrow, I shall be thinking of you.

Take care,
Much Love
Nita
xxx

Meggietye

Hello Nita,

This is Thursday afternoon and I am one exhausted puppy ( yesterday was a lot for me!)

My CT scan was Very quick...it took about 5 min!! I was very relieved when she put the IV in my arm and not the back of my hand. I had to fast 4 hrs before the test and had packed a small lunch which I ate in the car when the test was finished. After that I drove to my favorite book seller / gift shop..never a good idea Nita as I adore their things!!lol. I bought 2 new coffee mugs and a terrific cookbook called, " Vegetable Soups "...so far I am reading recipes about fall and winter soups...Yum . I think this is actually a vegan book but I think I will primarily be using chicken stock.

We have been walking Every day for 30 min and I have been very careful of my calories ( not hard for me this time of year)... I got on the scales yesterday and I have lost 3 lbs!!! I started at 224 and I am at 221, 2 more lbs and I will be back at my weight of last mid-June. I really want to be 199 again, and I can do it I know I can! Nita you and I must have the scales from the same manufacturer...my scales weigh in at 7 lbs too much and it is awful! I weigh in twice a month and it is demoralizing to have to add numbers on to get an accurate reading. I filled in the weight graph on here, I have until June 7 to lose 1 more lb, but I think I can lose 2 by then

We are having my "'un-fat" Tuna Melts for dinner this evening, I add extra cheese and Ranch dressing to my husband's. We are having rain for the next few days so tomorrow I am making a Cabbage and leek and potato soup with dense bread and gorgonzola cheese, served with a salad. I have just had a quick peek at my soup cookbook and I think it is vegetarian, not vegan ... Thank heavens!

Nita I am happy for you the skies have lightened up and you are gardening, that is hard work! And I hear you on the children worrying as well, they don't want to worry us but they often don't know how to manage their own concerns without shutting down. My son is pretty good about talking when he is with us but over the phone he is fairly shut down. Having said that he has said positive things to us about his symptoms and I know he is feeling rough..and that has happened when he is standing in front of me. sigh.

It is 4:30 pm, 24 hrs ago I was with high school friends I hadn't seen in 36 yrs!!!!! We ate dinner at our old high school pizzeria which is now a bistro, they had pizza and wine but I was good and had a lamb sarnie (minus the bread) with a tossed greens with vinegar and a pot of tea and 4 glasses of water. We talked for 3 hrs straight and today I have dropped from a happy exhaustion!

Time for a quick shut eye before my husband arrives home for dinner. It will be cold overnight, we are getting a -1 windchill factor...Crazy weather for May. I think we are both doing well Nita, I truly appreciate and enjoy your friendship, thank you!

Ciao ciao,
Love,
Nancy xo

njh50

Hi Nancy,
Friday 5.06pm
I am so pleased your scan went ok and wasnt too traumatic for you. I have been on the go all day today - but slowly. It is really HOT, like August! I have been 10 mins in the green house, back in the house to do some housework, then back out into the garden for 10 mins and so on all day. My hands and feet get a bit puffy when I get too hot and I am afraid I do get a bit cross and grumpy when I am uncomfortable.

I gave the dog a shower at 8am - he stunk! When we went out for a walk at 9.15am he was bone dry! I was hoping to get the walk in before the heat of the day took hold, but when I came back I had to have a cold shower I was so hot and sweaty. One good thing about hot weather is that my appetite drops off.

My husband has to go on a course tomorrow at work so he will be gone all day and on Sunday he and my youngest are going to Wembley to watch Cheltenham Town play in their final - dont ask me which division or league as I have no idea. It looks as though half of Cheltenham are going so hopefully they will have a good time. It will be a quiet weekend for me though.

The soup cookery book sounds good - my fav is Stilton and Broccoli soup - I make it after Christmas to use up the left over cheese.

Take care and have a lovely weekend.
Much love
Nita
xxx

Meggietye

Hi Nita!
Tuesday 4:25pm....10:25 for you I think?

I can hardly believe how many days it has been since I have been here...I was somewhat depressed/exhausted/ anxious about my upcoming meeting with my cancer doc and I honestly didn't realize how freaked out/nervous I was. But...Good news!!!...my CT scan was clear and I passed the exam he gave me in the office. He told me I am in a holding pattern but he doesn't need to see me for 3 mths which is my 2 yr anniversary of my surgeries. yesterday was a Big day for me and today I have done nothing haha

Actually I said I did nothing but I forgot about the 45 min walk we took in winds and cold and rain this morning..very English weather, Nita! It has been nasty outdoors for days but the sun is coming out now in the late afternoon. I am taking my longer route again tomorrow, when I slowed down a bit and got the extra 15 min in I really felt so much better...I am in better condition than I gave myself credit ( hahaha not by much but by a tiny bit at least!)

I am painting the wall behind the bed in my spare room, Finally!! Lol Nita it has been 10 yrs and I am just now relaxed enough to know, or semi- know, what I want to do with the space. I think. At least now I can take my fabric samples into the paint store and gather some paint chips then sample jar(s). Instead of art work or pictures I am going to order decals at www.wall words.com, there is so much to choose from it is rattling my brain! I think I am going to order my favorite words and have an entire wall of inspirational words. Have you seen these where you live, Nita? You can order sayings already made up or special order anything you like, in just about any color.

My husband drove to the city for his music lesson this afternoon so I have had the house to myself for 4 hrs..heavenly!! Hahaha. I took advantage and only rested, played on the computer/watched chat shows and cleaned the kitchen floor. He is a go go go kind of guy so when I get the chance to sit in peace and quiet I often take advantage of it! You have a family Nita so I am sure you understand.

I got a phone call from my son who reported he is feeling much better..and he sounds it as well. Whew...huge relief! and my daughter is doing something called " Tough Mudder " to raise money for Canadian veterans returning from war to help them get back into society. It is crazy business,,,they run thru fire, crawl thru mud, hang off monkey bars, run under live wires...you can google it Nita, it is worse than the Army!! She flies to the West coast, Vancouver, British Columbia for the June 23 competition. I won't rest properly until this is over. Lol more stress!!

Nita I hope you had a nice weekend in your garden..now ours is under 3" of water, seems to be our turn.

Love,

Nancy xo

njh50

Hi Nancy,
Wednesday 30 May 9.30am
FANTASTIC news on your results - I am so relieved for you. I can tell how happy and positive you are now as you are so eager to get on with the decorating and making plans. I do know what you mean about "words on the wall", it looks lovely in a pretty script.

I am glad your son sounds better and happier, no matter how old they get they are still our babies aren't they? Your daughter sounds like she is going to have a great time, these sorts of "trials" can be hugely rewarding and satisfying to complete! My daughter is planning to compete in a 10km run for the cancer charity, its called "Race for Life", in August. I am a little nervous as it will only be 11 months since her surgery, she has put on a bit of weight, possibly as she has gone into menopause as a result of the surgery. She has joined a slimming club and is trying to do something to lose some before the race. Also she is to be a bridesmaid for her friend at the end of August so she wants to look her best for that.

I have been making a concerted effort to TRY and get the allotment under control. It is approximately 20' by 90' or thereabouts. A third of it is raspberries and gooseberries and the other two thirds has to be dug over. I am finding it a bit hard on my own. I spent 4 hours on Monday and 3 hours yesterday - I shall give it a miss today as I am a bit stiff and sore, I shall go and visit my Mum instead. I will hopefully get some help from my husband as he is off tomorrow until next Wednesday (Jubilee Weekend) and getting the allotment WAS his idea. Our garden at home is 140' by 30' so I suggested we could grow more veg at home than have allotment, but he wanted one, romantic dreams of sitting under the plum tree in front of a perfectly maintained allotment perhaps?!? As he works such long hours it has fallen to me to try and keep it going, to be honest its a bit much for a fat, unfit woman of 50! I have got to get at least SOME of it dug over as I have courgettes, squash, climbing french beans and beetroot in the greenhouse which all needs getting into the ground.

Anyway, the upshot is after all this heavy work I have been doing (apart from the aches and pains) is that I lost 2lbs this week. I am half a pound behind schedule according to the graph on here but hopefully will continue to lose as I work on the allotment. The dog has been reduced to one walk a day as my knees and feet wont take any more.

I am so glad your results were clear, and very relieved. Take care and look after yourself, I do enjoy our "chats" so much.

Much love
Nita
xxx

Meggietye

Hi Nita!
Thursday, 10:00 am

I just popped in to say I hit my first mini goal...I have lost 4 lbs this month and 24 lbs since November!!!! The walking has been what has made the big difference. Your gardening efforts are enormous Nita...take good and gentle care of yourself from a lawn chair this weekend as you watch your husband dig over the allotment! Lol

I am now 220 lbs and my next goal is 216 by July 1....one month is a manageable goal for me.

We just came in from our morning walk. We walked for 35 min but I was on my feet for 50 min. Must dash and do pills and get some fresh hot tea. WELL DONE on losing 2 lbs this week...Woo Hoooo!!!!!! Good for You Nita!!!

Love,
Nancy xoxo

Meggietye

Hi Nita!

I want to report I did my 35 min walk this morning, but it actually took me 40 min because I don't feel 100%... I had a mini migraine hit me yesterday afternoon and I am still a bit weak. But I am ok.

Nita I think I told you I bought a Vegetable Soup cookbook last week? last night I made the recipe I actually bought the book for...man it was delicious!!!! I used chicken stock instead of water and added a small can of tomatoes plus toast with blue cheese in the soup...my husband LOVED it. It was "peasant food"... A leek, a potato, small head of cabbage, broth...oh it was so good! Cheap and cheerful, my kind of food.

I sent away for a sample of the decals ( wall words ) that I am hoping to use in my guest room....oh Nita - it is so elegant and the script is just so beautiful!! The company sent me one word, the word "Thanks" and I have been holding it up all over my room. I can hardly wait to organize my mind and select my words..hahaha this will take some doing!

The sun is out today and we are expecting rain later on this afternoon..it is 13c right now and dry so lovely weather for having coffee out on the deck. We were walking out with the early morning runners...I was thinking of your daughter getting her run in for the big race, how is she doing? She certainly has not let illness slow her down much has she? You must be resilient parents for her to be so resilient!

Now I am hungry..off to get some breakfast and do my medications. I hope you are well today ((Nita)).

Much love,

Nancy xx