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What was your fasting blood glucose? (full on chat)

Got my petrol this morning. Usually at Christmas there's loads of queues, no queues this year.

Then I went to a couple of Polish shops to get some sourdough bread, but there was none left so I ended up with some different Polish bread. It will probably be fine.

But what I did not expect in both the Polish shops was to be walking through a wet market... All the grocery aisles were lined with boxes and crates of fish in ice on the floor. I was sloshing through ice water and fish scales. Some of the fish were massive, the like which I have never seen before, and the mouthes and teeth were big enough to bite a piece out of your leg, if they had been alive. It was morbidly horrible, I had to keep checking they were dead... because the last wet market I walked into was a Chinese one in Manchester, and there were live animals as well in that one, and the lobsters and crustaceans were clambering out of their crates and walking down the aisle between packet supermarket goods towards me...

The meat counter in both shops had taken on a new identity with meat that was being cut up and I thought help, I'm in Covid Central... it was 8 am in the morning and there were many people...

I certainly won't do this next year in the week leading up to Christmas in the Polish shops....

Why did I not turn round and just get out? Because I've never seen it before in those Polish shops and I didn't really believe it....
 
gennepher said:
Fbg 6.7

The guy was round last night, talking about the work that it's been done on my bungalow next week, and as he was leaving, he said what are you doing for Christmas day? When I said I was having a peaceful Christmas day, no family he asked? They're all a distance away I replied. Right he said my partner is cooking Christmas dinner, and I'll bring you a plate on Christmas morning. This is despite him having 2 extended families, children and grandchildren, parents on both sides, and a nearly 90 year old great aunt who caught the plane from Minnesota to Ireland, and then Ireland to the U.K. just to be with them for a month over Xmas...

He made me smile.

Right, badgers and the swing now...
I have taken the large cushions and covers off the swing. For the last few days I had nothing else but cardboard on the swing. Then I put some new cushions and new coverings on the swing, but not right to the edge so the badger cannot grip as easily.

Pa badger (I called him KissyKissy last year because it appeared he was always trying to kiss Cat Midnight, who objected) started this behaviour last year and his son this year is following him. I do not need a whole tribe of badgers on my swing.

Big Ted (a few of you may remember Big Ted), now reappears on the swing. The easiest way of sorting out Big Ted after Pa Badger damaged him last year was to buy an 8-year-old boy's hooded onesie from the charity shop and put that on him. Big Ted looks a bit like an airline pilot from a World War I plane now.

But unfortunately you will not see him on the general trail camera videos because I have had to tie him to within an inch of his life to the far back of the swing to stop Pa Badger from yanking Big Ted off the swing.

If this strategy to keep the badgers from getting on the swing fails then I give up...

Two videos in one here
One min in all
First 30 secs is everyone ignoring the new cushions etc on the swing, apart from Foxy Loxy who had a look on the swing. Second 30 secs is a reminder of Big Ted's life on the swing from photos (I haven't figured out yet how to get the full photo in the video!), Pa Badger (previously called KissyKissy) pulling Big Ted off the swing, and Big Ted now in what I call his aviator's suit...he is a shadow of his former self, BUT he is BACK!!!

Creative... I am enjoying doing these Chinese sketches in my kind of way on SketchClub app, and I will probably do these for a little while now. They are easy on my hands to do, like a meditation and exercise for my hands, and they are also easy on my eyes, because of not too much precise detail. I am looking for ways of making sure I don't spend too much time on my tablets, which I do do currently...

Have your best kind of day.

Time for a cuppa!

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@gennepher thanks sharing that amazing creative, story of the builder's kindness and his tough as teak (great?) aunt. @JohnEGreen enjoy your seasonal tipple (s) Belgian beer is so very woke. @alf_Josiah Vaughan Williams is good - so is Mrs A J's list I'm sure. @lindisfel good news on the sleep and helpful reminder of few - oo - ell. I think the thought processes ambition is optimistic - I've seen that movie before. Today's comestibles are to be collected from Cambs (obviously) - well over the top in many ways but in our experience size matters for flavour with turkey and beef - go big or go home without. Your mileage may vary. We may meet up for coffee with #3 Son (could be celebrating a promotion),partner (my, but Lithuanian gels can hold their drink) the Little Guy and Big Sister.
 
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gennepher said:
Got my petrol this morning. Usually at Christmas there's loads of queues, no queues this year.

Then I went to a couple of Polish shops to get some sourdough bread, but there was none left so I ended up with some different Polish bread. It will probably be fine.

But what I did not expect in both the Polish shops was to be walking through a wet market... All the grocery aisles were lined with boxes and crates of fish in ice on the floor. I was sloshing through ice water and fish scales. Some of the fish were massive, the like which I have never seen before, and the mouthes and teeth were big enough to bite a piece out of your leg, if they had been alive. It was morbidly horrible, I had to keep checking they were dead... because the last wet market I walked into was a Chinese one in Manchester, and there were live animals as well in that one, and the lobsters and crustaceans were clambering out of their crates and walking down the aisle between packet supermarket goods towards me...

The meat counter in both shops had taken on a new identity with meat that was being cut up and I thought help, I'm in Covid Central... it was 8 am in the morning and there were many people...

I certainly won't do this next year in the week leading up to Christmas in the Polish shops....

Why did I not turn round and just get out? Because I've never seen it before in those Polish shops and I didn't really believe it....
Click to expand...
This may shed some light on what you found. Perhaps we may have someone who could add personal detail?
 
6.3 this day what ever Mrs L wants it to be.
Three hours kitchen duties and gammon is roasting nicely for the weekend run up!
Cucumber and onion done, (yum) carrot and Swede done (yuk) other stuff to be either defrosted and such.
Only fresh stuff from the bakers tomorrow and pork to be delivered.

However, Mrs L, said last night that this is so.
And this morning reminded me that it wasn't and something else is.
It was the small thing, that it was Christmas eve, eve, eve!
It's a long weekend. And some meat had to be done, so, other meat had to come out of the freezer when it didnt!

The weather is dreadful, wet and windy, cold despite the thermometer telling me otherwise. Allegedly double figures, eh?
Storm Pia gone, so who or what is this one rattling and causing puddles?

Much to do, including washing and more dishes! Listening to dartistry on box. Whilst kitchen duties stop me stressing.
Mrs L is having a nap. So hopefully, the relax for this evening!

Apparently figures manipulated and docs upset.
When is a recession not a recession.
When announced by Rishi!

My best wishes to you all as always.

Take it sleazy!
 
ianpspurs said:
This may shed some light on what you found. Perhaps we may have someone who could add personal detail?
Click to expand...
Carp?
They were carp?
Revolting...
I don't mind seeing whole fish, I can gut a fish, but these had been hacked at, and this was a revolting squirming slimy mess of the head, the insides and flesh which reminded me of, or made me think of (imagine) massive snails without the shell.

J always said never to eat fish that was a bottom feeder.

Edit: those pieces of carp (if that is what they were, were so big, I couldn't see how they could hygenically pick up/handle the squelching slimy big pieces of fish to put in a bag, and then where were they weighing them? There were no dedicated separate scales for weighing fish...
 
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dunelm said:
Good morning everyone on what sounds like a fairly quiet start here in the dark and dangerous north. 5.6 this am. Sourdough procured yesterday morning. Two loaves. One with beetroot, one with walnut, both sliced now and in the freezer. Also got some Reblochon from the deli in town so made a cauliflower Tartiflette for dinner with some Brussels sprouts quartered and roasted with lardons and onion. So, that’s the Brussels sprouts out of the way for another year. Art bit - just two colours but I think that the Raw Sienna was a bit OTT - “where are my sun glasses?” Anyhow, never mind. Maybe it’s on the Tropic of Capricorn for the Winter Solstice. Here we have cut down the neighbour’s apple tree to make a Yule Log, hung up some mistletoe and will be burning candles to celebrate light over darkness. All utterly mad but it fills the day and it’s not the weather for dancing around in the garden with nothing on but a coating of woad. Whatever you do today, I hope it is pain free and you get to laugh (good for your complexion I have been told). Time for some koffy - when is it not?


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That raw sienna sky looks very much like the skies we see here quite often so I wouldn't say it was OTT in any way. Love the whole image.
 
Tip of the day.

Keep your receipts.

Before I went in footie van.
My driver had to pay for evening meal and hotel.
He had the receipts, but something happened to them.
He never knew what.
He filled in claims form.
Refused, no receipts.
Went to bank, got a detailed statement.
Had to wait a month to get paid as not enough petty cash. Then he didn't get it all.
Got my accounts paid straight into account with wages, , easier and only lost one for a refreshment break at services on M5.
Mrs L wouldn't have been happy having to pay out so much!

One of my big issues with club, was not to have access to a bank card, to pay for similar things when necessary, always had to carry cash or my personal debit card. My immediate boss had one, to pay for hotels and such.
But the club's credit card, sometimes wouldn't pay up! That's happened a few times!!!
But I do remember, when you had to phone up and request permission to spend.
 
gennepher said:
Carp?
They were carp?
Revolting...
I don't mind seeing whole fish, I can gut a fish, but these had been hacked at, and this was a revolting squirming slimy mess of the head, the insides and flesh which reminded me of, or made me think of (imagine) massive snails without the shell.

J always said never to eat fish that was a bottom feeder.

Edit: those pieces of carp (if that is what they were, were so big, I couldn't see how they could hygenically pick up/handle the squelching slimy big pieces of fish to put in a bag, and then where were they weighing them? There were no dedicated separate scales for weighing fish...
Click to expand...
In my youth, fishing the river was a cheap meal.
And you learned how to gut and prepare.
Boning was my mother's job. But my dad prefered his with the bone.
Plaice is nice cooked properly.
 
gennepher said:
Fbg 6.7

The guy was round last night, talking about the work that it's been done on my bungalow next week, and as he was leaving, he said what are you doing for Christmas day? When I said I was having a peaceful Christmas day, no family he asked? They're all a distance away I replied. Right he said my partner is cooking Christmas dinner, and I'll bring you a plate on Christmas morning. This is despite him having 2 extended families, children and grandchildren, parents on both sides, and a nearly 90 year old great aunt who caught the plane from Minnesota to Ireland, and then Ireland to the U.K. just to be with them for a month over Xmas...

He made me smile.

Right, badgers and the swing now...
I have taken the large cushions and covers off the swing. For the last few days I had nothing else but cardboard on the swing. Then I put some new cushions and new coverings on the swing, but not right to the edge so the badger cannot grip as easily.

Pa badger (I called him KissyKissy last year because it appeared he was always trying to kiss Cat Midnight, who objected) started this behaviour last year and his son this year is following him. I do not need a whole tribe of badgers on my swing.

Big Ted (a few of you may remember Big Ted), now reappears on the swing. The easiest way of sorting out Big Ted after Pa Badger damaged him last year was to buy an 8-year-old boy's hooded onesie from the charity shop and put that on him. Big Ted looks a bit like an airline pilot from a World War I plane now.

But unfortunately you will not see him on the general trail camera videos because I have had to tie him to within an inch of his life to the far back of the swing to stop Pa Badger from yanking Big Ted off the swing.

If this strategy to keep the badgers from getting on the swing fails then I give up...

Two videos in one here
One min in all
First 30 secs is everyone ignoring the new cushions etc on the swing, apart from Foxy Loxy who had a look on the swing. Second 30 secs is a reminder of Big Ted's life on the swing from photos (I haven't figured out yet how to get the full photo in the video!), Pa Badger (previously called KissyKissy) pulling Big Ted off the swing, and Big Ted now in what I call his aviator's suit...he is a shadow of his former self, BUT he is BACK!!!

Creative... I am enjoying doing these Chinese sketches in my kind of way on SketchClub app, and I will probably do these for a little while now. They are easy on my hands to do, like a meditation and exercise for my hands, and they are also easy on my eyes, because of not too much precise detail. I am looking for ways of making sure I don't spend too much time on my tablets, which I do do currently...

Have your best kind of day.

Time for a cuppa!

View attachment 65078
Click to expand...
What a lovely, friendly gesture from that man. I do hope you enjoy the meal.

Lovely artwork, wish I could do that, but that's not really where my talents lie, So envious of your gift.

Big Ted looks fine in his new outfit. Hope the wildlife will leave him alone.
 
Annb said:
What a lovely, friendly gesture from that man. I do hope you enjoy the meal.

Lovely artwork, wish I could do that, but that's not really where my talents lie, So envious of your gift.

Big Ted looks fine in his new outfit. Hope the wildlife will leave him alone.
Click to expand...
It was wasn't it @Annb
I hope so too!

I find these fun and relaxing to do.
Thank you very much.

I hope the wildlife will leave him alone, too!
 
Just had an e-mail from my cousin (7 years older than me). He tells me that his wife now has dementia and will need care in future but that his cancer has returned and, of course, spread. Inoperable but he is in the process of having chemo and we'll hae to wait and see how much effect that will have. Not the kind of news I wanted to heaqr, especially at this time of year. I am hundreds of miles away from them (Western Isles to Bognor Regis) and can't even be there to comfort them. Frustrating. They do have family not too far away though, so I hope they all rally round.

BG this morning 8.5. It did go up to 10.7 but it's back down in the 4's now.
 
Annb said:
Just had an e-mail from my cousin (7 years older than me). He tells me that his wife now has dementia and will need care in future but that his cancer has returned and, of course, spread. Inoperable but he is in the process of having chemo and we'll hae to wait and see how much effect that will have. Not the kind of news I wanted to heaqr, especially at this time of year. I am hundreds of miles away from them (Western Isles to Bognor Regis) and can't even be there to comfort them. Frustrating. They do have family not too far away though, so I hope they all rally round.

BG this morning 8.5. It did go up to 10.7 but it's back down in the 4's now.
Click to expand...
Hug for all that news, a saying, that is always someone else who is worse off comes too mind.
I couldn't even imagine a terrifying scenario as such.
Hope they get all the help they can! They are gonna need all of the love and support they can.
 
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