ANOTHER SPELD DAY AHEAD...

Life certainly seems to have settled into the familiar routine again... today Griffin goes to his Speld lesson... which means I get to kill time by reading on me Kindle while he has his lesson.


Daugher No# 2 is OK for now... resting lots I hope and not taking any risks.  Fingers crossed that continues and grandbaby number 9 stays where she is until July.


Been discussing baby names with Lacy:  
He wants Jody
She wants Shyla
I love HALO... yes Laura... I got the idea from your darling wee granddaughter!


Somehow I think baby might be named Shyla!  lol
But all of that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things ... right now all I care about is that she does not come too early.


I've been thinking a lot about my diet lately.
Before now I have not been focused on the 'long term' implications of being overweight... health wise.
Now that my Mum has diabetes, like my Dad ... I am starting to seriously re-think my motives for wanting to lose weight.
I've always said it was so I would be fitter and healthier... but most likely what really mattered most was how I felt about how I LOOKED first and foremost!
Yes, that sounds vain... I know!  But it's true.
The other benefits of being a 'normal' weight were like wonderful  'side effects' ... BUT NOT ANYMORE.
I am really thinking about the likely implications of being overweight, and all of a sudden... it worries me!


So, just as well I'm going to the Dr's tomorrow.  I want to discuss all sorts of things.  I want a diabetes test, my blood pressure tested, my overall health checked... the WORKS!
AND I will be ringing to find out my results too!
I won't wait to hear NOTHING. 


So, with all that being said... I'll bugger off and do some freakin housework before I have to pick up Griffin....


Oh and I just remembered... I've got flies hatching in the frog terrarium!  Yaaa... food for the frogs!  Now ... go and eat YOUR breakfast..... *lol*


ONWARD...


This morning I decided to go and visit another OP SHOP in Manurewa, it's actually just across the road from the Hospice Shop, but I had never been in it.
So, it's a similar size to ours, and their prices are reasonable.
I actually managed to find something to buy too!  Funny that.

ABOVE: I found this adorable wee dress and warm jumper for Lacy's baby.   I don't know why I'm buying all this stuff cos I'm sure Amanda can pass down a few of Emily's clothes to her!
Maybe?   I know the girls are not getting on right now... but hey, that can change.  They are sisters afterall.  


Back from Griffin's speld lesson... feeling tired for no apparent reason.  
Going to try and 'grow' me own flies too... just put a couple of flies in a container with food and water, and crushed weetbix... fingers crossed they make eggs ?
It can't be THAT HARD surely???


Can I throttle me kids?  Seriously, sometimes they argue so much I just want to bang their heads together.  I've got a headache now.


Stew just got home from work and said "Happy Birthday" to Coco!  She is 2 today!  I had forgotten.  DOH.


End of Day:  expecting Mike to visit us tonight.  He's in Auckland for the national netball tournament.
ON TRACK: nope, blew it tonight.  Stressed out.
nite nite.

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TOP OF ME LIST OF 'TO DO' TODAY IS....

MAKE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT.


Seriously, they won't give me any more of me 'night night' pills until I see the Doctor. Me 'night night' pills are anti depressants that help me sleep through the blasted hot flushes.
And they do work... so I want more.

Because my blood pressure was high last time they took it, I have to have another blood pressure test before they will give me any more pills.   Pains in the butt.

BUT WAIT...there is more !  My mother rang me yesterday to let me know she has just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes..... her blood sugar level was up to 22 !!!   HUGE number!
No wonder she wasn't feeling well.
So, now that she has been diagnosed, added to the fact that my father was also a Type 2 Diabetic... I think it would be PRUDENT for me to be checked for it too.  
Being overweight just adds to my risk of getting it ..... *sigh*


AND.... STESS isn't good for ya blood pressure either eh?
Cos I feel quite stressed out at the moment.  I feel tense whenever the phone rings, or I get a text.  Worried about No 2 daughter.  She's having a few problems with her pregnancy.
Problems I had warned her about HEAPS... but her Doctor and Midwife clearly discounted my fears.  It will be on their heads if something goes wrong now!

As I will be working at the Hospice Shop today, it is going to be easy to pop upstairs to my Doctors rooms and make an appointment.


ONWARD....

ABOVE:  today's treasures.  The hospice shop is having a half price sale on all clothes this week... so we were BUSY as today!  Almost non stop.
It's great being that busy though... time flies!


AND I remembered to duck upstairs and make my Dr's appointment for friday too.  I couldn't get an appointment with any of my preferred Doctors, so I'm seeing yet another new one... *sigh*.
Still trying to get 'continuity of care' there... ain't happening though.


End of Day:  well it's been a quiet afternoon around here.... more rain this evening... oh yaaa.
At least it hasn't been as wet here as parts of New South Wales in Australia... those poor buggers need boats to get around, not cars!
ON TRACK:  yes, though I did have a sausage roll at lunch time... and it gave me heartburn for the rest of the day.  Ikkk.
nite nite.

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I'M GUNNA DO IT AGAIN

I enjoyed my little walk in the Gardens so much yesterday, I've decided to do it again today!


Maybe I will take some more nice photos.... or at least try to.


I have found that when you try to 'compose' a photo too much, it sucks.


That really nice one yesterday of the lavender..... I just shoved me camera into the bush, tilted it up and pushed the shutter!
Magic!


Can you imagine the fun I could have if I got an underwater camera?   lol
Hell... I could take some really funky ones... of bubbles...

OR ducks bums!  hee hee


Today is Weight Watchers.  Stew and I are going to weigh at home for now... neither of us is doing that well, and we are just throwing money out the window going to WW right now.
BUT WE ARE NOT GIVING UP!!!
We will follow the WW's programme, and cut our carbs down as much as we can, and keep an eye on each others weights... and chart it, just like we would at WW.


Originally I felt really happy with the WW group I was going to... but now... we are both finding it a real fag having to stand in a long queue to weigh in, then sit and listen to the same old spiel... it's just not what we want to be doing.


AND, ya know what?  I was finding it really STRESSFUL going again!  Being accountable is all very well, unless it stresses you out!


And let's get real.   I don't want any more stress in my life!
I think I will do much better on my own, with Stew's help...  just sit back and watch... I will prove it to ya!


Before I say 'ONWARD'..... I was asked to put this on todays post:


cranky has left a new comment on your post "BUG HUNTING I GO...": 

So Lynda are you a vegetarian like me? If not how do you feel about animals being born, caged, managed, force fed, rounded up, transported and slaughtered? There's not a hell of a lot of difference... 

NICE point Cranky.

ONWARD...


I have a photo of what I did this morning... for 3 hours:

ABOVE:  I kinda went shopping?  For 3 hours.... great exercise!!!  And I bought a few gifts for Christmas.... so I can't show ya them.... but I can show you my new cutting mats!  Very pretty eh?

After that I went over to Animates cos we needed dog food (pellets, not live things).... lol.

And I ended up buying LIVE THINGS for the frogs:

ABOVE:  see the little wormy things?  They are called 'Mealworms' and apparently frogs love them.   I'm still waiting for the flies to hatch... dum dee doooooo..... if they don't, they go back to the shop for a new pot.


As for right now... I'm starving!  It's half past 1 in the afternoon and I have not eaten yet today....


So... I'm looking at me frogs... and because I saw one on top of the back wall last night, I thought I better check behind the wall and the glass... and bugger me!  There's a frog right down the bottom between the two walls.... so I had to empty the ENTIRE Terrarium to get him out.
Oh well, it gave me a chance to do a check on everyone.... and all present and accounted for.  We only have one tadpole left to morph into a frog now.


*** PEPSI UPDATED *** PEPSI UPDATED *** PEPSI UPDATED ***


End of Day:  just been yakking with me Mother for over an hour!  So much for getting dinner ready.  It has to be soup tonight now!
ON TRACK:  yes.... been easy today.
nite nite.

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BUG HUNTING I GO...

My main mission today is to find bugs!

I cannot believe it, but there's hardly any bugs on our property!
No slaters, slugs, worms... just praying mantis!
And our frogs need food!  So, I'm going walkabout in the Botanic Gardens to see what I can catch.


It will be EXERCISE too!  Surely?
I just hope I don't get any strange stares from people as I go bug hunting!  lol
Not that I give a shit really.... 


I bought a pot of fly eggs yesterday, but they have not started to hatch yet.... so off I go to find bugs, I'm quite looking forward to it!   I'm weird, I know.


ONWARD...


The GREAT BUG HUNTER ... is back.
With NO BUGS.
I swear to God, I saw NONE.  And every rock in that huge garden/park was either concreted in place, or too big to flip.
There were quite a few people around, so I didn't feel comfortable rooting around in the underbrush... might have been a bit CONSPICUOUS! 
So.   I had a good hour long walk in the park... and I took some nice photos.

ABOVE:  I saw LOTS of bumble bees and regular bees... but as they were nearly as big as me frogs, I decided not to catch any!

ABOVE:  If this was supposed to tell me the time... I didn't figure it out!    It kinda looks like it was around 8-9?

ABOVE:  prickly, but kinda nice.

ABOVE: neat photo ... I think so anyway.  *smiles*

ABOVE:  I was in awe of this plants' structure!  Amazing.  Want one.

ABOVE:  the Botanic Gardens are so big you never know what you are gunna come across!  I had never seen this 'nautical' scene before.  Love it.  


Now that I am home, I better do some housework, got a friend popping in at lunchtime....  floor needs a vacum !


ONWARD...

ABOVE: I just watched a battle to the death!  Did you know that Praying Mantis's bite?  And frogs can scream?
Well  ...  they do!
The P.Mantis bit the frog on the leg and the frog screamed... and ran for it.


But .... once the P.Mantis turned his back, the frog pounced... and the rest is history.  
Frog - 1
Praying Mantis - 0


In the photo above you can still see the P.Mantis's head sticking out of the frog's mouth... OH I DO HOPE YOU ARE NOT EATING RIGHT NOW!   lol


Me floors are vacumed AND I washed the kitchen/family room floor and the stairs too.  A good job done.
Go me.


Just said 'Bye' to my dear friend Jacqui and her sweet baby Sofia.... we spent a couple of hours  yakking and having a lovely visit.  Jacqui even supplied lunch, which was yum!  A filled roll and half a piece of apple slice. 
I also forgot to take a photo of Sofia! How remiss of me... but then, baby slept for two hours so there wasn't an opportunity to take photos.  I am sure I will get heaps of her next time they visit!


My camera is almost like a part of me!  I'm sure Emily thinks it's just how my face looks!  Black camera just sits in front of me eyes is all!  lol


LYNDA:    Was it the praying mantis being eaten that 'bugged' you?  Cos I've fed them dozens of flies too....  If you are so upset about the praying mantis being eaten, you should be shedding masses of tears over all dem flies!  *smiles*


Yes, I'm probably evil.


End of Day:  I've had a really nice day... I loved being in the park, and I loved having visitors too.
ON TRACK:  yep!
nite nite.

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SUNDAY DRIVE TODAY

Well... as there is bugger all to do around here that I actually WANT to do, I've suggested to Stew that we go for a Sunday drive.


When I take Griffin out to his Speld Lesson every week, we pass an area called Karaka, an outer suburb of Auckland.  It's a new area, all new homes.  And Stew and I really like looking at homes... so we are going to have a look see around Karaka today.


Apart from that, there are no other plans for the day.


I'm really struggling with the diet this week.... feeling a bit down, and that spells trouble for the diet.  I have not been taking much care of portions/food choices at all.  I don't know why I even bother anymore, I seem to have no consistent MOTIVATION.  You'd think looking in the mirror would be enough eh?
But ... it's not.


I think I am just waiting for that 'right at the bottom' feeling before I really care....


I'm just so bloody sick of this constant "I can do it"... then fail, fail, fail.  I've been saying the same shit for years now.  What the hell is wrong with me?
I know that if I lost the weight AGAIN I would feel fantastic.  Yet... I dither, procrastinate, and fail again and again.
I want to scream at myself.


And on that note,


ONWARD...


RIGHT... I'm over me Pity Party of 1.... time to just pull finger and get bloody serious.
I can do it.  I damn well know I can!


I just have to STOP giving in to temptations, AND I have to STOP pandering to MYSELF when I feel crabby.


We have had a really nice few hours ... we had a look at houses at Karaka Harbourside... VERY NICE homes, all individual, all different.  


Then we went across the main road to Karaka Lakes.   Nice homes, BUT all very similar, and it just reminded us of an area in Alfriston... all mass produced, all on tiny sections, and looking like it could turn into a 'Coronation Street' type area.  Lovely landscaping of the suburb, but not somewhere we would live.


After that we decided to go to our favourite place for lunch, Masala Indian Restaurant in Mission Bay.
The weather today is STUNNING!  Anyone would think it was still summer!  But it's not.  It's now officially Autumn/Fall.

ABOVE: driving along the waterfront... stunning.  Griffin loved it too... hanging out the freakin window!
There were hardly any swimmers in the water.... I am thinking it's getting cooler now?


Home now, but going out again shortly as we want to look at a home in the next suburb over.... still toying with the 'will we, won't we?' idea of moving so we can upsize the house, but downsize the mortgage. 


Well, that was a waste of time!  The house was advertised as having 5 bedroom and a study and large living spaces.  Crock of shit!  It had three bedrooms and a study as part of the master suite upstairs, and a bedroom downstairs.   Large living space?  Nope, a kitchen/dining/lounge all in one, but very small.   *sigh*
False advertising and trick photography!

ABOVE:  frog vs. praying mantis.  So far, praying mantis has won... froggy got hold of the p.mantis, and there was one hell of a battle, but the p.mantis got away!  The kids thought it was awesome watching them battle! 


I'm going to enjoy dinner tonight, Stew is cooking!
Well... sorta.  I did a big pork roast last night, and tonight's dinner is left over pork and veges. Still, it will be nice to not have to cook it myself.


End of Day:  Steve just arrived back from spending the weekend with Bex, in time for dinner.  *smiles*
It's been a really nice day, after waking up feeling shitty.
ON TRACK:  no, but trying to limit the damage.
nite nite.

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COULD BE AN INTERESTING DAY

ABOVE:  so.... New Zealand is in for a wild Saturday... we are expecting a "Weather Bomb" to hit ...
We can 'expect' possible power outages, airport closures and wave surges, gale force winds and heavy rain.

Yaaaa, I love a good storm!  I just hope no one is hurt and property damage is minimal.

I think we will be staying home today!
No point tempting fate eh?

So... what to do on a stormy day, stuck inside?

Hmmmm,  might just do some sewing.

Or watch movies!  Whatever we do... it will be nice I'm sure.
BUT, I'm stuffed if I'm doing masses of housework!  I'm friggin sick of housework.

Hopefully Steve is having a nice time, he's in Hamilton with Bex... awww ain't love grand?  lol

ONWARD...


Looks like the worst of the weather happened overnight.  It's a fine day here today!  Pfffft.  So much for that.
I was really looking forward to a storm too.


Just walked past Griffin's room... his bed is stripped and there's towels and a bowl on the floor... hmmmm, what did I miss in the night?
Seems he's still sick!
Lucky me, I slept through it.... Stew tended to him... what a man!

 ABOVE:  Lunch.  Was nice too... with jam and cream.


I had one large scone on the bottom rack, so once the top rack was cooked, I put it on the top... and kinda forgot about it!
Remembered it about half an hour later:

ABOVE:  anyone want a rock scone?  lol


NOT the first time I've done that.


We are watching 'The Bridesmaids'.... it's hysterical!  I've only watched it about 10 times, and I still love it!
Stew has not seen it at all, and while it's a chick flick, he seems to be enjoying it.


HELLOOoooo.... anyone out there?  It's so quiet around here, I am feeling no love!
Just been getting bombarded with ANONYMOUS comments... all advertising type spam.... so over it!  I used to get 2-3 spam type comments a day, but NOW?  Averaging around 20 a day!  Not nice. Wish I knew who was sending them?  


End of Day:  well it's been a rather so-so day, got bugger all done really.  Just a bit of housework.
ON TRACK:  sort of!  
nite nite.

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HE'S CAUGHT MY BUG!

Steve has caught my bug!
AND NO, not the tummy bug... my 'CAN'T RESIST A BARGIN BUG!'...

ABOVE:  see?  He is now coming home with stuff from his workplace... things that he just could not resist!  He's brought a few things home for me before... but this is his.  Very pretty.


Last night, Stew and I went to the mall... and we bought this suitcase:

ABOVE:  we didn't actually NEED another suitcase, but it was on sale, and a great price considering we got $70 off!  At least we won't lose it in a hurry... lol.


Today:  hmmm... I've not got any firm plans yet.
Probably do some housework..... how thrilling!


ONWARD...
I don't know what the top thing is for... and it's Steve's ... not mine.
The new suitcase won't be getting any serious work for ages.  


I decided to give myself a work out... so I did the grocery shopping!
THAT is a work out ... believe me!
Lugging it all out of the car and up the steps nearly knackered me.
I am taking a minute to gather my will power before trying to put it all away!


End of Day:   I didn't feel like my usual 'tipple' tonight, so I sent Stew down to the shop for some of me favourite wine... Henkell Trocken... it's a white sparkly wine, semi dry, not too fruity.  It's about the only one I like.
I've had two glasses and on to me third, must admit I'm getting a bit tiddly! hee hee.  Stew might just get lucky!  MIGHT being the operative word.  If I have much more I will no doubt flake out and be dead to the world till tomorrow! Then he will not be lucky.
ON TRACK: hell NO!  I'm having a ball.
nite nite

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