Extreme Happiness.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has commented on my last post. It is a comfort to know I have someone on my side. And nice to know it can make others laugh- I laugh to cope with some of these little life curves!
So, thank you All for taking the time to comment.


Well, one thing went completely 'right'! The new carpet got laid in good time yesterday, & we are very happy with it! It is a type of honey colour, & little Honey sort of blends in with it. We are going to tell people we wanted a matching carpet for our dog. The TV was my biggest fear. To get everything reconnected is a major puzzle of wires & cords threaded through a maze of holes in the rear of the unit. I have trouble getting down onto the floor, what with the dud knee & all, & once down, I am more or less 'cast', like an old ewe!

GOM just doesnt seem to have an affinity with electrical appliances, so it always falls to me, to do the connections, & ensure all is up & running. Anway mission accomplished, I am happy to say. And I managed to get off the floor, with a little help from the GOM.

While I was down there, I took a few moments to just enjoy the nice new carpet, & admire the colour. You know, ... make every moment count! haha.

The cheery young men who laid it were very efficient, & have done a beautiful job of it all, so we are much happier, now that it is all done at last. Has the approval of Adult Granddaughter, & Daughter J, so that is a plus as well.

Now, it may be going to take a month or more to get things back to normal. I am hoping to do a little culling of the 'stuff' while it is all 'out in the open', so to speak. GOM has actually been quite restrained in his comments at the sight of all the 'secrets' revealed. I did hear him muttering about a 'garage sale' with a friend.

But I figure I will deal with all that once the Fang has been dealt with, & the healing has taken place.

And on the culinary front, I made a Meatloaf for our tea, the evening before carpet laying. I am sorry there are no progress shots, but here is the end result, half eaten. haha.

Please dont mock my ancient burnt orange bench tops. I try not to look at those, when preparing food.

Here is the recipe for the meatloaf, which has served us well for two nights now, & GOM is partial to slices for sandwiches.

500 grams Mince -I used pork mince, since I dont eat beef.

1 cup of diced mixed vegetables, fresh for purists, or frozen for people in a hurry like me. I used the carrots corn & peas mix.

1 good sized diced onion. I precook mine in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Just seems to work better in the finished product.

1/2 cup of either mixed seasoned Bread crumbs, (stuffing mix) or plain bread crumbs with 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs.

1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

salt & pepper to taste. I use about a teaspoon of Maggi seasoning mix.

I also added a tablespoon of Sunflower seeds just for a bit of crunch.

Mix all the indgredients well to blend.

Pat into a loaf tin.

Pour 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce -ketchup for USA users I guess- over the top of the loaf.

Gently pour a half cup of boiling water over the top.

Bake at around 180 C for approximately an hour or until done. The water evaporates, & the result is a nicely glazed meatloaf which is nice & moist.

I have also made a large batch of Pea & vegetable soup, & will make another different version today, so I will have plenty of slops to live on while the jaw heals up.

Connie Francis, Among My Souvenirs

A Matter of Waiting/Weighting.

Last week we were invited for some drinks, & delicious food, with friends. It was a lovely evening, & the food was delicious. I always tend to eat more when I am feeling happy. I wonder does this happen to others?

Had some friends over yesterday, for a get-together, & it was really nice.

The weather played the game, was not too hot, nor too cool, & even the flies were not TOO persistant.

We had food, some wine, & some beer, & some of us had neither. But it was so nice to get together with good company, & just laugh & relax.

But now, I think it might be time to bite the bullet, & admit, my "days of wine & roses" should really end!

I think I gained about a stone- in the old money- while on holiday in NZ.
I cant really afford to gain weight. There is Type 2 Diabetes in my family, & at the rate I am going, I will be a candidate.

Due to my arthritis I tend to avoid exercise. My hobbies of choice dont involve exercise as such. (Quilting can be quite strenuous to the shoulders! but doesnt really count?!)

Of late I have tended to think, 'Never mind, when all else fails, there is always food! '
And I do love food.
Not so much the sweet things, & I dont crave chocolate, wouldnt care if I never had any.
But I love pastry, & savoury things, vegetables, fish & most shellfish. And living here in Australia, I love the fresh prawns! Also love the fruit.

GOM likes his food, but not nearly as much as I do.
When we were younger, GOM was always the plump one.
I seemed to manage to stay reasonably slim, & burned up all my calories.
Now, as we age, GOM is about the same as he has always been.

But, BUT, ....I have gained such a lot of weight, I am appalled! I suppose it is not till I saw the photographs of myself, that I realised how large I have become.
My bum seems to have become a positve cake tray! (Not that I eat cake very often!)
Surgery has ensured I have a very odd shaped barrel for a middle body.
My ankles tend to swell monstrously, & at the end of the day, I resemble the Michelin man!

I really must try to get myself onto some sort of eating regime where I can cut down, & lose a bit of weight. I did have my blood tested for insulin resistance, & took a drug to reduce it.
I dont think I lost much weight, but it did greatly curb my appetite.
I find if I get too hungry I start to shake, & am told that runs in the family.

My mother was a very small, mostly thin, woman, who never seemed to have to worry over her weight. My sister seems to have the same, 'small', genes.
I used to tell my mother she was an unnatural grandmother- she was so small, & thin, & my nephew once told her that her skin was too big for her!
And once, when she was crocheting a shawl, my son looked at the picture, & looked at Mum, then asked her if she was making it for herself.
When she replies "Yes" he said, "But it wont fit you, you're not as big as a woman!"

My maternal grandmother was a plump woman, so squashy & comfortable to cuddle into. I am told I resemble her very strongly. I guess I do have the 'squashy comfortable' body!

Perhaps I had better get downstairs, & exercise on my daughter's exercycle!
Before the heat of the day takes over!