Moving Right Along......

Okay, so it's been a while.  A good couple or three weeks.

I'm still working towards my weight loss goals.

I had a long few months of problems....Knee injuries,  a tumble down stairs,  stomach issues and a constant headache for months.  I've had tests and more tests and more tests and hopefully most of the issues have been settled in one way or another.

So all thru this I've still been eating thoughtfully....not totally healthfully, mind you, but mindful of how often I have treaty type things and how often I eat healthy food. Trying mostly to follow the 80/20 Plan.  It's kept me maintaining my weight, mostly, but not so much helping me along my journey to weight LOSS.

Hubby and I have been on holiday for the past 8 days and have two more days off too, so I've been able to both get back in the swing of cooking and eating healthily and at the same time having a treat now and again....and when we come off holiday Tuesday morning it will be back to a stricter regime.

I've been doing my workouts in front of the TV while hubby does his recording and live-streams for his YouTube and Twitch channels, and today- when I reached the 44 second mark on my plank....one second off from my goal..... My elbows just wouldn't let me go any further. I realized then I needed a bit more softness to go any further in my workouts....some of which require elbow and knee work and on a hardwood floor that just won't be happening.
So I went online, did some research and asked hubby to order me a 15mm thickness yoga mat on his Amazon Prime account so I can have it tomorrow. No fuss, no muss.

I'm also going to be eating salads from our local  cafe near work....One, I get a workout ie walk albeit a short one- and two I'll be eating healthily and not be tempted by all the yummy things at the supermarket... ie the Krispy Kreme display box at the entrance AND exit of it. Damn them all.

Especially when this week they're coming out with a Nutella glazed one. Again....damn them.

Krispy Kremes are my absolute downfall. I can sit and eat a dozen....or two. That started when I was expecting my first son. My ex would disappear all weekend( starting of Friday nights) and my neighbor would come over and keep me company while he was gone. First thing on Friday evenings we would get in her car and go to the donuts shop and buy a dozen plain glazed....a dozen blueberry filled, lemon filled and custard filled... and another dozen bear claws, cinnamon buns and Cinnamon twister sticks.

We'd get all the gubbins for burgers and hotdogs and we would swim in our pool and shoot pool and watch movies all weekend when it was rainy out.
She made the loveliest hot dogs too- okay, I'm stopping that.

Anyway, so yes- We're back on the wagon again.

Halfway There....

Hi everyone!! Today is mine and Paul's 12th Anniversary!!! We're halfway to our Silver!!!(Well, almost.)

It's been a lovely weekend, starting off with my sweet husband buying and surprising me with a lovely bouquet of a dozen yellow, ,and red roses and a card on Friday afternoon. Then Saturday I got up and got a nice long shower and did my hair and make-up and he got up and took me out to Brunch at Little Chef which is a chain much like American Waffle or Waffle House in the states. He had asked where I wanted to go and suggested either the nice Chinese Buffet in St. Hels, or Frankie and Benny's(similar to Applebee's or Chili's in the states)  or Lymewood Farms(a upscale pub that has outstanding food-typically British favorites.) I have been feeling more than a tad homesick lately for some reason, and I asked if he had his heart set on any of those places and he told me no- it was totally MY choice where we ate....so I suggested Little Chef. He chuckled and said if that's what I wanted then Little Chef it would be.
When we got there he had the Royal Breakfast which consisted of Fried eggs, toast, grilled tomatoes, Sausages home fried potatoes and a big grilled steak on the side.
I ordered the American style breakfast which is scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast, bacon, and two pancakes with Maple Syrup on the side.
Both of us had a diet coke in a GLASS BOTTLE!!!!
Absolute heaven!!!! I felt a tiny bit less homesick after that.

Then we came back home for a nice quiet weekend. Paul spent a couple of hours working on a podcast which ended up not recording, then we watched Euro Vision Contest on TV..... while we did other things on our computer too. Euro vision is a very odd song competition...but it always fun to watch because you never know WHAT kind of groups/singers you will see on it.
And as usual-  the act I wanted to win(Netherlands) lost and the second worst act on it won.
I'd like to suggest the Netherlands contestant go to Nashville- he would do well there.

My daughter and her family moved this weekend as well, For the time being they are staying with my mom until they get the paperwork signed for their new house.... until then the kids have acres and acres to ride bikes on and explore. You know they will be loving that and I know my mom will enjoy having them all there to have a nice holiday with. When I talked with my daughter today they were cooking up a storm as they are all going to the Coyle Family Reunion ...well, they should be there right about now, actually.
My mom and Dad have always been big on attending the Family Reunions.  We would go to the McCall Reunion in Hendersonville or Brevard, North Carolina. We'd go to the Henderson Reunion in Greer South Carolina.... We'd also go to the Coyle Reunion In Pumpkintown South Carolina. And We'd go to the Miller Reunion in Greenville South Carolina.

As I said-BIG on Family Reunions.
I miss them myself,....after we all grew up it was the only time we got to see our cousins except for the chance meetings at Walmart or McDonalds or  Funerals or Weddings we mutually attended.

And there is always fun.....Games like Corn-hole and Horseshoes and Backyard Yatzi....Always someone would bring a soccer ball or basketball or volleyball or badminton set... and anyone that played an instrument would bring it and singalongs and Karaoke are always big. Sometimes- like this year- we'd have Old Timers day and everyone that wanted to dressed in Old Timey clothes and it was always fun too.

Danggitt- I'm getting homesick again just thinking about it.
Thing is, we cousins became best of friends during these times.....and now our children and Grandchildren are doing exactly the same......

I'll leave you with a  couple of photos of my two grand-daughters, who are cousins, at last years reunion...

Mother's Day & a Manic Week

I find myself at odds this weekend.

It was a crazy manic week at the office this past week. We had bank holiday on Monday so I started the week off an entire day behind schedule. Then I had a new system to set up and get used to at work- and one of the applications I used with the new system decided it was going to run slow as molasses all week so that make things even worse. Even giving up my lunch hour and only taking a few minutes to run out to grab a ten minute lunch didn't help, so I ended the week with a days work to do on Monday.

I ate well, and was pretty active. I added a bit to my workout routine. And I think the added activity and bits added are the reason I only maintained my weight instead of losing. But it's okay- because I feel better.
I haven't drank as much diet soda and I'm noticing that the less I drink of it- the less I ache in my muscles and joints. Im going to be reducing the amount I drink over the next couple of weeks until I'm not drinking it at all.
I've realized that since taking this office job where I sit on my rear end all day I have really went off the rails health-wise. When I was working law enforcement, I was always walking or moving around and I could do so much more than I can now. 
I actually beieve now that you dont stop doing when you get old, you get old when you stop doing.
I cant let this spiral keep going the way it is.

I believe I can- so I am.

Onwards and upwards......
I received my "Christmas dress" yesterday. And I received my Mother/Daughter Bracelet set. I am thrilled with the silver Bracelets...... not so much with the dress.... This is what it is supposed to look like.....

...trust me when I say it does NOT.

It would take a VERY vivid imagination for it to do so.  I will either have to do some major alterations on it or Just make one myself to get what I want.

My hubby finally shaved that Mountain Man beard off. It's really strange seeing him without  all the facial hair. He still has the goatee, tho.
I think I wouldnt have minded the Mountain Man beard so much if he had kept the hair on his neck shaved, It was just seeing everything covered in it that was just a bit  off-putting. i'm not sure what made him shave it off either- maybe the couple of days with the temps climbing into the almost 70's? If so, thank you Mother nature.

It's Mothers Day here...... as I started that sentence I was planning on saying and I hope to speak with my babies today- altho I know my son is working all day and my daughter was out of data til the beginning of the week....but as I wrote  "It's Mothers" my messages pinged and it was BOTH of them messaging me at the same time!! I chatted with them both for a few minutes and both are planning on ringing me after the day settle abit towards the evening.
My day is happy now.

Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there.