The Cybergarden - Late Summer Edition

[madmouse]

Sorry been unfaithful, lots going on. But making myself useful - here's your new thread x

Oh yes, upward I could manage some of that ginger with honey and lemon, still no interest in biscuits, so will leave them for others, preferably the people not calorie counting. It really is difficult in the winter, but am glad to see you're using nice drinks to fill up and feel less hungry. It's not fair, being unable to run round the block or spend time at the gym to help with the extra pounds, but I do wish you lots of luck and determination.
Hope you can get door fixed too, doesn't sound too good being intermittent, particularly with wheelchair involved, but don't want to nag.

Thank you Hob and Tianic for invitation into the garden/summer house. However and I truly don't mean this to sound ungrateful or offhand, but I think I would feel like a gate crasher! I do lurk occasionally and I think it is amazing that the group of you have gelled like you have, and your conversations go on and on......must be very supportive to all of you.

I wish you all well and maybe some of us will meet on other MH threads as I continue with my "blips" every few weeks, but many more good days than bad, so that is something to be grateful for.

Yesterday was "Mental Health Awareness Day" and didn't hear a thing about it on radio, paper or TV, so not sure who was raising the awareness of MH and to whom!

Greetings NanaNina and of course you're very welcome in the garden. You're right about the conversations going on and on and I do find it's a supportive thread,
being still light-hearted as a rule.
I didn't know about Mental Health day either, but thanks for letting us know, and I do hope your blips get rarer.
Tray of hot drinks (without espresso) being prepared now as nightcap, as will be going to bed soon - goodnight.

Not gatecrashing at all, NanaNina, tho I plead guilty to the yacking! But the garden has many peaceful, safe corners for lurking quietly and just being, whenever you fancy. And there's always a friendly .

Sorry you're still getting blips. But very good to hear the good days outnumber the bad. Long may the slow but upward trek continue! And thanks for the heads up about Mental Health Awareness Day ? there was little bit on the BBC News website, but that's all I saw.

I'm doing ok with calorie counting, shodatin Like you say, it's the slowness that gets me (17lb in 11 weeks so far).

NanaNina , I'm sure you're welcome here - people do drop in and out (I wasn't posting for about 5 months, and people were welcoming). I hope your blip recovers soon, and that they become less frequent - they are difficult for people to understand :s

I shouldn't get locked out, TIANC , the issue is that sometimes the automatic opening doesn't work unless I release the door first.

hob , madmouse , kizzie and butterpie , I hope life's going well.

I'm finding work difficult - I should be able to rough out a paper in 1-2 weeks, but so far I've been taking 2-3 days to remember specific words I'm looking for. Still, as I seem to be starting at 8am each day, I must be wanting to do it :)

Onward, a 17lb weight loss is really impressive! Do any medical people know about this? Had no idea you were seriously changing your diet, rather than just being hopeful.
You can't stop now, it's a really impressive amount, so congratulations to you.
Pats on back due for starting at 8a.m. - as you say, you must want to work, and am sure it will go quicker in time. I'm always forgetting words, ( probably age), but at least you know the word you want, just taking a bit too long to unearth at present, but I'm sure this will get easier, and good for you for getting back in the saddle.
Do you know anyone else having door problems, or is it something recent and just your own door?

I'm the only person with an automated door on their front door afaik - it did cost them rather a lot to automate the door to the flats and my front door. Yes, it is the first time I've ever tried to lose weight, so in some ways I'm pleasantly surprised - worked out that's about 25% of what I need to lose.

How was your day, shodatin ?

Can't believe this is your first weight-losing experience - you're obviously doing everything right and have got the hang of it, so looks like you'll continue losing, which is really good news.
Wish I knew something about automated doors, just wondering if the damp weather is affecting the works?

Today was fine thanks, just unexciting but am glad to have completed some boring bits, got up to date etc. and am now looking forward to being out for most of tomorrow.

Evening lovely people . Many congratulations on intense work efforts plus calorie counting and big weight loss , upward ....you are a far stronger woman than I . Sorry the work is such a slog - many reasons I'm sure for temporary cognitive effects , and I hope things improve soon .
< waves to extremely - welcome NanNina >

Thank you so much shodatin for answering my thoughtless rant about minimal medical intervention , knowing we would all like to lend our support if ever needed . I hope strategies are reviewed now & then , & that you can have some confidence in those assessing the situation . Have so enjoyed your boating etc memories this week & am fascinated to hear of your ancestral home - shame other relatives not so .

Tianc , thank you for brilliantly enjoyable ancestral chat & kind wishes to dh - he was comfofrted & grateful when I relayed them walking back from distressing hospital visit . MIL getting stomach tube tomorrow , so hoping no complications , & that she'll get home soon .

Hope we're all well this evening , after a decent day . Gutted to not have said hello before but have slept almost solidly since last night so have much catching up to do . Doctor appt yesterday was amazingly good !! - wish I could have said so sooner . I 'm not "doctor shopping ", just needed to go to different ones for different examinations etc - this one was the kindest one ever .

Have also been very impressed with a new group involved in locally for younger activists - exciting to see the new generation wanting to improve the world

Misty here , but extremely warm !< sends warm front to upward>

Best wishes to madmouse & kizzie

Ooops , your evening posts didn't show up before , sorry upward & shodatin* .

Am staggered that this is your first attempt at weight loss , upward ,as you are so disciplined . You must be inventive in the kitchen . I like some of the threads in the "big / small / whatever weight loss club " thread for tips on countering boredom .

Glad you 've got tedious chores out of the way in preparation for tomorrow , shodatin , and that you have a good time .

Am so pleased you had a good medical experience yesterday hob, remembering you were not looking forward to it. A kind doctor is a great find; I always thank them if so.
You must have been in need of sleep, so don't feel bad about napping, also, being stressed is tiring and of course you've been worried about your family with MiL in hospital.
Hope all goes well tomorrow, and that MiL finds the new tube acceptable and easy to manage, although no doubt it will take time to get used to.
It is helpful to mention health problems here, but am sure you understand why I feel a bit awkward sometimes.

Must go to bed, sorry but eyes closing, goodnight.

Wow, 1.5 pounds a week sounds very fast weight loss to me - nearly 3kg per month. But I'm a weight loss ignoramus, so I dare say you (or someone in your medical team) know lots about suitable, healthy loss-rates.

You've inspired me to check my BMI now: 22.43. Bang in the healthy range, apparently.

And another wow at you being back at work at the crack of dawn. Very humbling to know you're doing that, actually.

hob what wonderful news about your meeting with doctor. And your sleep was obviously much needed and deserved; hope your DH can get some catch-up rest, too. Very best wishes for MIL's procedure tomorrow and settling in to that. Will be thinking of you all.

And shodatin, you're busy tomorrow too, aren't you, with DB? Hope the weather holds fine for you both and the secret gnome.

Night all, and sleep well.

I think the NHS website says 1-2lbs a week is ok to lose (and my BMI is 33.3 ). You're just right, TIANC :) - I'm impressed.

I hope today goes well for your MiL, hob I'm so glad your own appointment went well, and you must have needed that sleep!

shodatin , I hope you got off to sleep ok...

Hi upward and thanks for the good wishes - I woke up at 4.30 a,m, turned off bedside light etc and went to sleep, which is not what I'd meant to do but worked out OK and at least I didn't leave a worried DB waiting at the station for me. We had lovely weather and sat on the seafront near Disabled Parking after an exceptionally good lunch, but am now very tired and might not make it back to the laptop this evening.

My BMI is pretty close to yours upward, but I don't have your strength of mind or character to count calories, so am just moaning about getting fatter at present. All best wishes for continued successful losses.

I'm glad you had a lovely day - that's almost the time at which I seriously consider not trying to sleep...

My BMI was 36.4 (!?!) when I started - my motivation is partly because I was getting ever closer to 100kg, and more so because when I was in hospital I saw so many people very overweight (lots more than me) because they kept eating (and felt it was fine because it helped them cope).

I hope you get a better night, shodatin

So agree that your early starts to long days of work are very humbling ,upward & am trying not to nag about making time for yourself / getting outdoors too ( if temperamental door allows )

That sounds just the right pace of weight loss IMHO , & very impressive when exercise is not an option . So sad to hear of people in the hospital eating to deal with the stress ... am prone to vastly overeating myself , partly due to raging hunger that comes with my health condition , & partly as a stress "relief" , so it's on my to do list to tackle , but sympathise with shodatin' on this - takes a lot of energy ! < in awe of upward >

Saw a study in the papers today recommending increasing protein intake to stave off hunger , which really helps me , as do the GI & related approaches

That sounds a splendid outing , shodatin , & so pleased to hear of the delicious lunch ! Hope you have a refreshing sleep after the sunshine & sea air

upward , Tianc & shodatin ,your tireless further support this week is so very much appreciated . Dh was moved to tears by the emotional & physical state of his Mum last night , & it's been going on , unexplained , for years ... Update is the procedure seems to have gone well [hsmile][hsmile] & MIL was reported to be v cheerful this evening .

I'm so sorry shodatin to yet again , strain boundaries of comfort wrt to health issues , & will try to be more sensitive . I have indeed thanked kind doctors , so fervently I must have seemed up to something .

Joyously sunny & hot day here , with summer veg that should have long finished , having giving a last growth spurt & SoD tripling their hit rate . Her Felinity has spent all day sunbathing & I've been cooing over her between bustling about ( & managed to deal with a scary matter today too , due to luck ).< flops >

Hope Tianc has had a good day - did see you mention a very serious matter on another thread , which I'm sure will cause some to reassess their assumptions .
< sets out low calorie sorbet & dairy free iceream in little dishes on summerhouse table >

Am glad to hear good news about your MiL's procedure, hob and hope it's the beginning of a better way of life after so many years of problems. Hope it means less stress for rest of family too, who must have been worrying all this time, and it's good to have such a happy update today.

I shouldn't really be mentioning health problems here, but it's difficult to do it anywhere else, and does feel good to have some understanding support sometimes, so thankyou.

Am grateful for sensible snacks set out, but would really rather continue chewing on humbugs at present.

Thanks to upward for sharing motivation- will have to find something that works for me. Hope you had a productive day and that word recall is improving. Do you do any stargazing while unable to sleep? I used to enjoy this.

Very, very impressed with all this weight-control stuff ? and that you all know so much about it. And serious respect to anyone who can deliberately set about losing, and actually manage to.

shodatin so glad you had a good day with DB, and the weather obliged. Hope you're getting some good rest right now, and manage to sleep through.

hob that's great news that MIL's procedure has gone well. And lots of those special strengthening vibes to you all.

Were you talking about an NHS thread, btw, hob? I doubt some of those people ever reassess anything, grr. They Just Know. You're the one who does the real, hard, heroic work challenging things in the real world.

Oh, talking of which, to Upward for your great thread on the Warm Home initiative, with real world actual results. Cor!

Anyway, I hope we all get some good rest tonight, and wake refreshed to face whatever tomorrow may bring.

Have not been able to find any news of Warm Home initiative, so would someone please point me in right direction? am sure upward will have written something worth reading but can't find it, and a search only brings irrelevant stuff containing all three words, usually only barely related, but will admit I'm not good at this. Please help someone.

Warm Home link.

And Upward's thread.

I have spent the day in battle with the blue badge people again, and need something stiff. It's not even an important battle for me ? I don't drive and have very few visitors willing to take me out in a car. But I'm jolly cross about blue badges becoming dependent on being named on utility bills.

Dunno, maybe I'm fussing about nothing.

here

here

Try googling "warm home discount scheme" + your energy supplier, or I'm sure if you said the company someone could find it - it's tricky as they are all doing different things.

Sorry, that was a grump.

How's your day been, shodatin? I've just been out to check your green lovelies ? and every single one has put out a new leaf! I think we can say they survived transit. [hgrin]

Hi lovely ladies - im very impressed with all the healthy eating and weight loss upward Very disciplined!

Ive had a really busy week and feeling a bit frazzled now. Been a bit of a wake up call. But will pay attention.

Shodatin hope you get the info you need re. Warm home Initiative.

Take care everyone x

Thanks for the information - good idea to make it better-known onward. Seems I did know about it, just not seen your thread.

What good news re plants tianc, am so pleased they are thriving. If there's anything else you'd like, it's worth asking now I've learned about packaging, plus I've lots of half-packets of seeds spare due to tiny garden .
Blue badge system is a real nuisance - is it still £2 plus photo? but am still glad to have it as parking is so often too far for me to walk. I understand street value is now over £1,000, which is probably why application is a hassle.

Big thanks for the espresso earlier, am leaving tray of hot chocolates as I take one to bed. 'Night all.

Evening , with miserable apologies - still zonked but saw MIL earlier & she's doing better [hsmile]. Thank you so much for strengthening vibes , Tianc - < right back atcha > < realises doesn't know how to spell outdated yoofspeak >

Hope you got good info on the Warm Homes site shodatin , & thank you again upward for alerting us to it . Very excited to hear about this thread of yours , as will help many .

Tianc , am so moved that you 've been using your precious energy trying to improve things for others and been (temporarily ) confounded by stupidity awards plush dove of patient good deeds jointly with upward>

I haven't had the energy yet to begin the hopeless process of trying to get onto dh's utility bills , & may not manage to get the companies to agree ( long time off etc has made for awful credit record ) Am hoping to apply for a blue badge for car next year ( I don't drive either ) , & without your efforts I wouldn't have been prepared for needless obstacles . Would be very keen to do some complaining about this < complies list of people to pester >

Thank you so much for what you said but the campaigning / notpersuading is fun for me - your praise has boosted my confidence no end , though I share your frustration at fixed minds / "false" consciousness< pet subject >

Hope you've had some quiet family time to smooth away frazzle , kizzie . Many congratulations on completing your first week [hsmile], we've been thinking of you .

Am still catching up with all the week's posts - there's good stargazing , as recommended by shodatin ,for any of us who wake tonight

< having nightmares since shodatin's allusion to ducks' unpleasant sexual practices >