Piling on the Pounds

Earlier this year I did extremely well in losing 18 excess pounds of weight and managed to get myself down to 9st 13lb (139 lbs) which was the lowest I had been in over 20 years. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay at that weight as that had been a real effort but when I leveled out at 10st 2lb (142lbs) I was happy.

Then, in the run up to Christmas, that weight started to creep up and two weeks before Christmas I weight in at 10.5st (147lb). I absolutely refused to get on the scales over Christmas - I knew I'd piled even more weight on - I could feel it in the tightness of my clothes - and what was the point of stressing myself out about it over the holidays?

But we're back to reality this morning and, taking a very deep breath, I stood on the scales. Then got off them very rapidly. I've put on another 7lbs.

I blame Himself personally. He went shopping to buy all the drinks for Christmas and also decided to stock up on nibbles. "Nibbles" in his mind is four or five different boxes of after dinner mints, a tin of Heroes, several big bags of crisps and a selection box of chocolate biscuits. He knew I also had mince pies, ice cream, Christmas pudding, and two other alternative puddings plus one of our guests was bringing a pudding and that all our other visitors would be contributing something to the growing food mountain. It's being from a large family that does it. He's one of eight children and I suppose you must get used to dealing in quantity don't you?

And yes, I know I didn't have to eat it. But it's there isn't it? He knows my will power is zero when we have chocolate in the house and that I can't abide waste. It's all his fault. Definitely.

We have a black tie function to go to next Saturday and my dress, which fitted where it touched 7lbs ago, is not likely to be able to be done up. Or, if it is, is going to have some rather unsightly bulges.

So that's it. I am well and truly back on the diet. 7lbs in three days? Not likely is it?

*Aoj goes off to rummage through the wardrobe to find bigger dress*

That went well then

Despite my protestations that a surly teenager would not dictate my day, I actually had no need to protest. Everyone arrived about 2pm which was fne because my plans for a walk before lunch were scuppered by the fact that it was hissing down with rain.

This was the first time I have ever hosted Christmas lunch and it all went amazingly calmly. It all came together and dinner was served as near as dammit to 3pm...the only thing that didn't quite go according to plan was that my parnsips wouldn't crisp. A minor thing that really didn't bother me that much!

We opened presents, played games, ate some more and crashed out at about 11pm.

And not a single episode of a surly teenager. Laughs and smiles all day! With the highlight of the day undoubtedly being Lurcher no. 1 not being satisfied with opening her own presents so much that when our backs were turned she dived into the present pile and started opening everyone else's presents too!

Hope yours all went well too!

It's started!

I have just been having a conversation with my Mother-in-Law about tomorrow. She is picking up her eldest son and his daughter to bring them over to us for the festivities (sister-in-law is a nurse and working so she will come along later). When they arrive apparently depends on what time the daughter, a teenager, decides to get up. They've been saying this for weeks and I've taken it as a bit of a joke and assumed they would be here in good time to start the festive ball rolling at about midday or just after, and then sit down for lunch at 3pm. Apparently not. They'll get here whenever daughter decides to get up. I just hit the roof and made it quite plain that tomorrow is not about one person, her father will get her up and they will arrive in good time for drinks and a walk before dinner and not five minutes before I put dinner on the table.

My Christmas Day is NOT going to be dictated by a teenager.

Moving on to someting much more cheerful....... if there had been any doubt in my mind about whether or not Bridie was Tigerlily, it would have been swept away with the greeting that Jemima and Henry received when they got here! Tigerlily went mental when she saw them, with that greeting that's reserved for someone a dog loves very much. Her tail wouldn't stop wagging and she couldn't contain herself with excitement and once we got inside, she didn't leave their sides, coming back for more and more cuddles! It was a very tearful moment I can tell you!


































































I think their expressions say it all don't they!? ;D





























Merry Christmas everyone!!

A Lurcher Tale. And a wreath.

There are days when any silly little thing can set my blood pressure going off the scale. There are days when I am perfectly happy and content and one silly person can send me from chilled to boiling in the space of 30 seconds. Today was one of those days.

I was walking home from work with Bridie, looking forward to an afternoon of pottering around at home. It was a lovely walk, the sun was shining and all the trees and grass where still covered in this morning's hoar frost.

In the distance I could see a chap walking a young Leonberger off lead. He was talking on his mobile phone and not paying a huge amount of attention to his dog. The dog came bounding over to us and started to torment Bridie, who is by now bouncing like a gazelle on the end of her lead and getting us all tied up in knots. I just stood still and calmly yelled at him to please get his dog under control as my dog was on a lead for a reason. He wanders over, still talking on his phone, and said "Oh he's just come to say hello".

That was it. The red haze descended and he got told the story that everyone else gets told when they say that to me. Whether they want to hear it or not.

Lurcher No. 2 has always been a flight dog. If he found himself in any situation where he was not comfortable, he ran. Not far, just far enough to get himself away from his perceived danger. Then two years ago he caught his foot on an exposed tree root and fractured and dislocated a toe. He was on lead walk for six weeks and do you think the local dog walkers kept their off-lead dogs away? Did they like hell.

When a flight dog can't run away he very quickly learns that the best form of defence is attack. The first year after his accident he was a nightmare. If any dog he didn't like the look of came near him he just launched himself at them, bearing his teeth and snarling. He never aimed to bite, just to warn but, nevertheless, it was still scary. So he had to be muzzled and we did a lot of work to get him back to how he was before. We never did get all the way and although he doesn't have to be muzzled all the time now, he still does have odd moments of regression.

So "just coming to say hello" can have a more profound effect than some stupid dog-owners realise and it's high time some of them realised that, around here, if a dog is on a lead, it's on a led for a damn good reason. Fortunately Bridie is a level-headed dog that didn't really give two hoots, she jsut wanted to play, but that's not the point is it?

There, I've had my say. So moving swiftly on. "Wreath" did someone say? Here you go then. It's not the most ornate in the world is it? And it's still missing a pine cone but I figured that that's how fate decreed my wreath should look. And who am I to mess with what fate decrees?

Despite my earlier misgivings, I made my Christmas wreath last night.

And you know what? I'm really rather pleased with it!

I would have taken a photograph for you but unfortunately one of the pine cones fell off when Himself hung it on the door. OK, so it doesn't stand up to close scrutiny but then anyone who wants to stand at my front door and closely scrutinise a Christmas wreath deserves all they get really. It more than stand up to a passing glance and that's all that matters!

Christmas Spirit?

This blog was inspired by Patience's post here.

For years I have longed for Christmas to be special.

My childhood Christmases were not that special. Oh everyone tried, but divorced parents do not a happy Christmas make. They vied for who would have me for the day and I ended up being shunted from pillar to post over the holidays. My father always had to outdo everyone by buying me the most expensive presents, including a pony. Which was lovely and I was not ungrateful because I'd longed for a pony but even as an 11 year old, I could see the psychological game he was playing.

My mother, bless her heart, tried her best for someone bringing up a child as a single parent, but what 13 year old animal loving teenager wants a coney fur jacket for Christmas? She still tries her best but even when I was in my thirties she thought I was still the kind of person who'd just love a woolly jumper with cute little bears on it, or a fleece with cartoon ponies.

Somehow I also ended up living with someone who thinks Christmas is a load of baloney as well. He only enjoys getting together with his family, which is great and we do have fun with them, but because we were never at home for Christmas Day, he would never let me have a tree or any decorations. He is the worst person ever to buy presents for and he can't even pretend to be pleased with the gifts I buy. They're always a "waste of money" or "it's nice of you but I won't ever use it". Oh well, I suppose it's the season of good will and all that so I just look away and bite back the tears again.

But this year I decided it would be different. This year I am on duty on Christmas Day so we have to be at home. So this year I have a tree. It's only small but I had grand ideas of decorating it all with natural decorations. Pine cones and holly berries. Old-fashioned popcorn on cotton. Have you ever tried threading popcorn onto cotton? Don't. It's meassy, the popcorn is all the wrong shape and you eat twice as much as you manage to thread onto the cotton. So that idea went out of the window. And have you ever tried fixing wire to pinecones to hang them on the tree? If anyone ever suggest doing that, my advice would be to run. Very quickly. And don't look back.

Make my own wreath? I know I'm not artistic so why am I even trying? That's tomorrow night's job and I just know I'm going to be disappointed with myself again.

And the really big clanger we've dropped? Lights on the tree outside our gate. Himsef wanted blue lights. So blue lights I bought. They are bright. Very bright. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that they are very, very crass. And I suspect we are going to be a laughing stock with the neighbours because of them. I've already taken them down once because Himself had all but thrown them at the tree and left them where they landed. And now I have to face telling him they are going to have to come down again.

It's selfish I know, to moan about such things, and to wish for it to be special for me when lots of people won't have even a smidge of a happy Christmas, but it's my blog and I'll whinge if I want to.

I shall feel better tomorrow no doubt. And at least it's not raining.

It's Saturday morning....

...and I really should be doing things, not sitting here catching up with blogland.

I really should be out walking the dogs but Lurcher No. 1 is roaching in bed with Himself. Lurcher No.2 is curled up on a dog bed next to the radiator and Bridie is lying on another bed quietly chewing a toy. It really seems a shame to disturb them.

I really should be making my Christmas decorations and going out to buy a tree but the thought of the massed hordes out there doing exactly the same thing this morning is making me curl up with dread. I need to put my wreath base into soak and go collect some holly so I can make it. Can I face the resulting punctured hands? Not yet.

I really, really should be cleaning the house and washing all the dog beds and sofa throws. But my electricity bill arrived this week and was three times what it normally is because Himself just chucks everything in the tumble dryer rather than hanging it out to dry. The thought of being surrounded by wet washing is not appealing but I can't face another electricity bill of that size.

I really should go shopping for food. The fridge is empty and the cupboards all but bare. The supermarket on a weekend before Christmas? Perhaps later.

So I shall sit here and contemplate my navel instead. There'll be plenty of time to panic later.

That's all over then

No sooner does Christmas arrive than it's all done and dusted and can be put back into the box for next year.

We had a good time wiht one or two minor blips along the way. OH decided to go into pissed-off mood on the way home on Christmas night. This despite it being gone midnight and us discussing and deciding some days before Christmas that we would come home, rather than find some floor space to sleep on. I soon put him straight on that and, fortunately for him, the mood passed.

We won't mention presents. Suffice to say a nightshirt and three pairs of knickers do not a Christmas make. Yes they were on my Christmas list and yes, they were things I wanted but there were lots of other much more interesting things on my list. Ho hum. That will teach me!

OH and I are off to buy our Christmas presents in the sales. We need so much for the cottage that we thought we wouldn't waste money on presents for ourselves this year. So hopefully we will be going out this weekend to buy a flat-screen TV - a bit of a luxury as our current TV is only about 3 years old but it's too big for the room. Also hoping to get a fridge-freezer and a small chest freezer.

Mum gave us money this year and not sure what we're doing with that yet. It's not enough to buy anything substantial but enough that I don't want to just fritter it away. I think we'll put it towards buying materials to frame all the prints we have that need framing. Another project OH says he can do rather than pay someone else exhorbitant sums of money to do it. Watch this space.

OH is also plotting something. A few times over the last few days he has suddenly stopped conversation when I've walked in the room. I think, judging by the few words I overheard, that it's something to do with chickens. This could be interesting!!

I ate far too much food and really can't face the thought of eating anything today, although 1/2 dozen chocolates seem to have slipped past my lips already.

Hope you all had a good one!

It's arrived then

Merry Christmas everyone!

Deck the halls.....

...I've just had my first mince pie of the year. It's all downhill from here really, isn't it!? 46 days to Christmas and counting. If I were reading this blog I'd probably want to shoot me for reminding me of that.