A long time...

Well, it's been a while since I felt driven enough to put anything new here. It isn't that things have been going particularly badly, nor has life been super-smooth, but just... well, sort of OK.

The positive news first. My weight is remaining stable at the 54kg I mentioned a while ago - er, actually about a month ago. Wow, but the time really has flown!

Yes I'd still like to skim off a little from this figure on the scales, and also get the fitness levels back up a bit, but that doesn't seem to be happening at the moment. That darned bug, which kept coming and going, then really developed over Easter and left me with a chest infection, put paid to my exercise plans, again... but I also haven't been as careful with eating as I need to be if I 'truly' do want to shed that extra kilo. I'm determinedly NOT stressing about it though - it will happen when I get myself properly together again.

Why am I not truly committed at the moment? Well, I feel like I'm marking time as we're still in limbo regarding that consultant appointment for my darling lovely hubby (I'm trying really hard not to let it get to me) and still waiting to hear from the jeweller about progress with Mum's wedding ring. This, I'm guessing, drives most of my lack of committment - uncertainty never sits well with this fat lass!

But let me tell you about something nice - that is our culinary cauliflowery adventures.

Oh boy. Thought we must have died and gone to heaven. Why, oh why, oh why have we never tried this before? We've sort of shied away from trying it for no real reason at all and, in retrospect, that wasn't a good decision. I'm talking about cualiflower 'rice' - that low-carb/paleo staple we've seen so many folks rave about.

So, to the glorious details... we had some beautiful rashers of belly pork from a nearby farm butchery (all they sell is fully traceable, welfare-friendly meat, bred and produced at the farm itself or by it's immediate neighbour) just waiting to be popped into the halogen oven to cook. You could see they were going to be good, and that all they needed was a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Nothing else required.

We also had a chunk of cauliflower lurking in the fridge which needed using too, so we grated it, then cooked it (enough to get lovely crispy brown edges) in the bottom of the halogen in the tasty fat which dripped off the pork as it cooked to perfection.

Simple, low-carb deliciousness and most assuredly something we WILL do again... very soon if this fat lass has any say in the matter. We bought another cauli yesterday and decided that very soon we'll have a go at cooking it in coconut oil, with a shallot (or garlic), some red pepper and maybe a couple of peas to make a special fried 'rice'. Watch this space.

Growl, hiss, spit and every rude word I can dredge up

That blasted black dog has his salivating gnashers deeply embedded in my posterior after yesterday. Think Rottweiler sized mutt, with a Bulldog's tenacity.

As a day's annual leave goes, it wasn't a great day. Most of it was spent at the hospital and my lovely hubby is now back under the care of the (admittedly highly competent and lovely) surgeon/consultant who only discharged him a few short months ago. Now before I go on, yes, OK, I know there's a positive slant to all this, and I am desperately trying to hang on to it - that is that he is being properly checked on and he's receiving a great level of healthcare, but...

That 'but' has the fat lass inner child writhing and screaming 'it isn't bloody fair!' at the top of her lungs.

To cut a long story short(ish), my poor darling has had what we though was a teensy problem with the sight in the eye which has undergone the various operations in recent years. When mentioned to our optician she checked it out but, quite rightly, wanted to get an expert opinion. What she didn't tell us was that the clinic she'd booked him into yesterday was the 'emergency' eye clinic. Oh! Perhaps a few warning bells should have rung when the appointment came through so fast, but... they didn't.

The upshot from yesterday is that, having had a thorough examination, photos, the whole shebang, he's going to see the consultant in about four to six weeks time so they can have another look. Now it obviously isn't an 'oh my God!' urgent issue or he'd be whipped in to see her tomorrow, but they are also obviously concerned about 'something'.

What we couldn't thumbscrew out of the practitioner we saw yesterday is exactly what the concern is. My best guess though, is they are slightly worried about a repeat of the retinal detachment. The tip to this is the sheer number of times we were asked if we were aware of the 'signs to look out for'. Er, yes. Actually we have the tee-shirt, having been there and done that several times.

Whatever happens, we'll deal with it - together. Whatever happens, we'll be fine. But the fat lass worry genes are firmly activated and I'd say we're at DEFCON 4 or maybe 3 right now. Hence those rude words.

Tonight I'll hit the gym and take some of my frustrations and concerns out in a sweaty manner. Onwards, wearily ever...

Back in touch at last

I've been woefully behind with getting anything up on the More Love page for quite a few weeks. Thankfully, this doesn't signify my gracefully falling off my wagon, but just that I've been really, really busy and life got in the way. I've tried to keep up with what's going on in your worlds but do forgive me if I haven't commented much.

Well, as you'd probably guess there's good news, and some less so.

The good news is that I finally have my darling Mum's wedding ring which she left to me in her will (er, a long story but I'm not going there as it was pretty stressful). It is now safely with the jeweller who is busily incorporating her simple gold band into a beautiful new diamond-set 'eternity-style' band which I can and will always wear. When it's finished I'll always have a little bit of my beloved Mum and Dad, and a symbol of their love, with me, close against my skin. This means SO much to me I can't express myself properly, and I well up when I even think about it.

Weight is sort of neutral news, neither particularly bad, nor good. It's not awful (although it has crept up) but not fantabulous as where it's gone up to is 54kg (growl, hiss, spit, much stamping of trotters!). Oh stop your wibbling fat lass - it's still in your 'sort of OK' range... just! You can (and will) address this.

Mostly, this gain has probably been down to a rotten bout of being poorly (sore/tight throat, cold-ish symptoms and dragging fatigue) for a few days, which put all exercise plans on hold for a while. Funny how that seems to happen and, if you're going to get sick, it's as soon as the stress slackens off, eh?

The other BIG obstacle, which took a lot of time and effort was applying for, then preparation for interview for, a new job. So now to the bad news... after all that, I interviewed well, but came second. Ho hum. Still, it wasn't completely wasted - a good learning experience, particularly since I've asked for detailed feedback, and it has made me think about what I want to do and where I want to go in life.

The other good news is that I'm back to the gym again. We went last night (gold stars for the fat lass and lovely hubby), it's planned for Thursday and then again on Sunday. See, I haven't lost that spark. I'm also back to the walking. Yes, much as I hate to admit to it, even that took a bit of a back seat for a while.

Worries? Yep, still got em. More of that once I have tomorrow under my belt. But the springlike weather, singing birds and sunshine are all things to be thankful for. So, I'm going to count my blessings and wish you all a happy, healthy bye bye for now. Onwards ever...