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

Before I trawl the online Sunday post-match analysis of this week's omnishambles a pair of observations/questions. Prompted by comments in another country, one of toil and blood where I shelter from the storm, thread actually but Bob needs an outing every so often. Firstly, what spices/kitchen smells are redolent of Christmas for you? I go for cinnamon,mace, cloves and citrus but one of our US posters goes anise. Star anise with beef is a Heston essential and I am very much a Heston kinda guy. Secondly, hugs. Our boys are 34-28 large and, IMHO, of their era. COVID apart, they hug each other and me. Initially, I was wholly phased and the discomfort on my dad's face was something to behold. I'm pretty sure my Grandfather would have whacked anyone that attempted such an act. It seems a really positive change and anther one where I am convinced that generation has looked at us boomers (1 and 2) and thought we urgently need to build back better ™. Don't think either the Red or Blue team have a message of hope for them. Pale, male and stale doesn't begin to cover it.
 
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ianpspurs said:
Firstly, what spices/kitchen smells are redolent of Christmas for you? I go for cinnamon,mace, cloves and citrus
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I go along with those spices and smells from the kitchen but would also add the fresh smell of pine trees, the joy of real trees not the artificial pine smell that you can get now.

As for hugs, always have, we are a hug type of family and with friends, agree about Grandfather can't ever see he would have welcomed a hug and dad only did much later in his life.
 
A full 9-hour sleep, that's something for the captain's log. The 6.2 that came with my mental re-entry into this world wasn't as impressive but I'll take it.

Yesterday's idea of fun began when I decided the 118Gb C drive that hosts the operating system was getting cramped. I have 4x1Tb SSD drives that hold all my data and 3rd party apps and I keep my C drive clear for Windows and Linux only. Trouble is many apps still like to create folders on C even when forced not to. Anyway, it was filling up.

I have a 2Tb SSD internal drive that I don't use so decided that I would replace one of the gaming drives with that and use the freed-up gaming card as a new C drive. It took way longer than it should only because I am overly cautious as I built it so there ended up being two USB system backups and another partitioned onto the 2Tb that I fitted first.

The operation went well and the patient recovered nicely

@ianpspurs cinnamon and mead are my two.
 
Good morning everyone on a late start to the day in the dark and dangerous north

The wonder wheel of a late reading due partly to the satisfaction of home made low carb dumplings came in at 5.4 this am.

Slept in - marvellous. Probably because I didn’t indulge in my time traveling hobby yesterday (lay on a sofa, close your eyes - when you open them, you will have traveled into the future). It’s a bit frustrating because just as you get the the future, it becomes the now.
Sized some paper after watching videos demonstrating several methods and went for 2 coats of weak gelatine wash instead of agar as I had some gelatine in the larder - not to be tried if you are from the planet Vega. Also mounted a couple of paintings using repositionable silicone based spray mount. You can get silicone release paper for dry mounting rice paper but it’s quite expensive and wet mounting is so fiddly.

@geefull - thank you - a few cormorants have appeared around the lake in our local park, no sign of the fisherman though. Lovely sketch and a fine memory of a past summer walk.
@Muddy Cyclist - I think that your son will be very pleased portrait of the chimney sweeps dog - job’s a good un.
@gennepher - is that Jeremy Corvid atop the tree?
@ianpspurs - all of the above smells and the smell of pine trees also. Very nice (apart from the pine) all mixed into a pot and bubbled up with a bottle of red.

A couple today - one on backing paper (joining up splodge dots) and the other on sized yellow rice paper.
Have a wonderful Sunday - what’s left of it. Must be time for another koffy.



 
A peaceful Sunday yet I have a feeling cat war may break out soon...Lola does not do sharing & poor Charlie just has to wait...and wait...and wait...a new fluffy large cat bed has been ordered to break the deadlock wondering if either will use it.
 
HarryBeau said:
Blimey how on earth did you manage that!
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Judicious use of
Duck tape
Nylon cord
One Allen key
A bucket of thinking it through
& A large splash of getting lucky in my guesses..

She's a hatchback, and pretty roomy once seats folded.

I do have form, tho.

Once led training courses
For work (deptford to Sittingbourne)
Had to transport from each location
Laptops 2
Projector
Work books for 300
And assorted paraphernalia.

Back of my old NTV 650.
One trip..

Happy days.
 
gennepher said:
I wonder what startled/fazed Frankie about the water?
You have a great walking ground @jjraak
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Aye, we're not too far from river.
Most of it was walking TO the spots
But for Battersea I used car & parked up

Probably averaging 4+ mile's there, when walking..total steps in the region of 15k-18k


He's used to being bathed, Genn and when his mum took him to beach he couldn't stay out of the water

So I can only think it was
A the noise
B the fact it was moving so fast.

Was funny mind ..
 
ohhhh nearly in the double figures with a 9.9 today not sure what is going on maybe I have some internal bug fights that I am unaware of
 

You were lucky you still had a back axle @jjraak
 

Interesting info on sizing @dunelm
I was wondering about how to size.

Thank you.

I like both, especially the very tall one on yellow paper...
 
I have gone back to bed now. I am knackered...I need a long nap...

I cut some of evergreen tree in the front garden, some branches. I thought they might make a sort of Christmas tree, cable tied to some lattice framework I had, to go on the grotto outside the bathroom window... I have a branch cutter which has an extension thing on it but it slipped as I was cutting the last branch, and it trapped the fleshy part of my little finger. It didn't hurt... but then suddenly....

So came in wrapped it in kitchen towel soaked it in witch hazel and put the small finger of a disposable glove over it and taped it to my little finger. I will look at it later.

I am slightly one handed now because it hurts the little finger to use the hand.

I was talking to my daughter and youngest grandson in Australia earlier on Skype. Skype kindly does captions now that are actually pretty good.

I had spoken with my daughter first and told her about next door and everything about the flashing Christmas lights. I explained I was doing a Christmas grotto outside the bathroom window, as part of stopping the Christmas light getting through, and for my neighbor, Mr Insensitive, to see when he opens his bedroom curtains. And I also explained to my daughter that I was going to tell her two children, my grandchildren, that I was doing this grotto for them and I was going to send them photographs as I progressed with it and when I finished it.

So my daughter called the younger one for me to explain what I was doing. I explained about the Christmas grotto, and that the reindeer rubber ducks and that they were going to be flying across the Christmas tree. And I also explained that since I didn't have much money, I was going to use old computer CD discs which are very shiny and reflective to act as Christmas baubles.

I asked my youngest grandson what he thought and he was extremely excited at the thought of me doing this, and loved the idea of the rubber ducks, and wants daily photographs as I progress with it.

Then I explained, to youngest grandson, that I had always wanted to do a full life statue in wire mesh. So youngest grandson looked a little bit confused at this, but I carried on explaining that I was going to make it into a Santa Claus. And that the Santa Claus was going to move sometimes, he was going to be sitting on the chair (there is an actual living room armchair outside by the bathroom window), and then sometimes he was going to be sitting on the back of the chair, sometimes he was going to be walking across the wall to the Christmas tree decorations by the bathroom window, and so on.

And so youngest grandson was extremely excited about this, and wanted daily photographs of what Santa Claus was going to be doing.

My daughter was laughing her head off by now.

Then I carried on to explain to youngest grandson that this for life sized wire mesh statue could be an Easter bunny at Easter, and at Halloween he could even turn into a skeleton and move around. He could also be other things other times of the year.

My daughter was pretty much in hysterics by this time because she knows all the problems I have had with next door. And my reasons for doing this.

And youngest grandson was bouncing up and down with delight and excitement.

I'm not going to be seeing by Australian grandchildren anytime soon because of Covid. And so this is a wonderful project isn't it? And it serves a dual purpose.

And if Mr insensitive says anything objectionable, I will 'mishear' and will reply saying "Yes, isn't this a wonderful idea! My grandchildren are so excited with their daily photos of this grotto. And they are so looking forward to how this is going to change during the next year." And I will turn away and walk away from him.

A friend has just emailed me saying it is against the law what Mr Insensitive is doing, And I can do something by contacting the local council because it is affecting my mental state etc. This sounds like a lot of effort to pursue this in this manner, and I still have to live next door to him.

This idea that I am doing now is so much more fun for me, and I have fun another project outlined for the back garden between me and Mr Insensitive, which I have yet to start work on. It is an improvement on the wall I said I was going to do a while ago, to protect my bedroom from his flashing lights. I will start this one next week as well as getting some chicken wire mesh. I already have some chicken wire and I did start to make a full life statue a long time ago but it was very wicked on the fingers trying to cut it. I have now worked out what should be a safer way of doing most of it, which should work.

By the way I do have considerable neighbour dispute insurance. I took it out last year. I explained that I might have some future problems with my neighbor to the insurance company and they suggested something. I will use this when it is absolutely necessary, but that is not yet.
 
Youngest grandson in Australia asked if he could "help" with the decorating of this grotto outside my bathroom window. I took photos of the Christmas bits and pieces I had. And the greenery I intended to use. Which is ivy (I have so much to cut down in the front), and that light green evergreen stuff in the middle. I have a lot more of that to cut down yet. And I will cover that blank canvas with it.

I just placed the Father Christmas and Reindeer ducks in place so Grandson could see them. But I have brought them back in for the moment. I actually want them on a pond, but I haven't worked out the logistics of that yet. And I have no blue foil.

He knows I am putting the CD's up to catch the lights next door, because I don't have any Xmas lights.

I sent him this photo and some more, and youngest grandson is going to give me daily instructions on how to proceed and do this.

I told him he could send me a shopping list for Xmas decorations for this, but I couldn't promise I would buy everything on it.

A text has just come through on Messenger from him. "Grams. You need a disco ball..."

Edit...forgot the photo...


I am going back outside in a minute to see how the flashing lights are behaving on the cd discs. And more importantly, are they reflecting anything back into my bathroom (which obviously I don't want). And do I need to fix them so they all reflect the lights just one way?

By the way, I have not explained that Mr Insensitive's flashing lights are barely 5 meters away from my windows. They are right on top of me.

Which brings me to the kitchen door again and that glass. For tonight I have thrown over a thin piece of material over the kitchen door glass so that it covers both sides of the window, and just shut and locked the door. That worked!!!!
 
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HarryBeau said:
Well done gennepher one of our neighbours has an awful flashing Green/Blue & Red large star in his landing window that is so Irritating no sign of it yet this year.
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I hope it doesn't emerge @HarryBeau
By the way, my neighbour's flashing lights are barely 5 metres from my windows.
 
Well done the grandchildren - glitter ball - what fun. Perhaps fix the CD’s so that they only reflect back - if the wind gets at them they may start to spin (migraine city)
 
Thanks for appreciation of Chimney Sweeps Brush I painted.

Two grand Trees from you, I truly admire your approach to trees, excellent.
 
dunelm said:
Well done the grandchildren - glitter ball - what fun. Perhaps fix the CD’s so that they only reflect back - if the wind gets at them they may start to spin (migraine city)
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I have just checked on the CD's, now it is properly dark @dunelm
Yes they do need to be fixed. Also I tried 5 at several different heights. The lower ones reflect nothing. But the two higher ones on a more or less direct line to the flashing lights, do a much much better job...
 
Journey back from MILs bungalow and a camper van full of more stuff to get rid of was a tad foggy, actually very foggy once on Cannock Chase. Parked up and did a quick from the comfort of VW camper a Plein Air sketch of the Pine Trees vanishing into the fog/mist, about 5 minutes. I was listening to Paul Simon whilst doing the sketch and the words from 'Poem on the Underground Wall' although not about trees felt quite apt for these pine trees...
'To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night.'
they felt sinister as if they wished to be hidden in the fading light.
 
good evening all

4.3 today

Sunday lunch at mum's was chicken stuffed with black pudding and wrapped in bacon, very tasty. Chocolate LC sponge with custard (egg yolk, double cream and water sweetend with truvia) and some blueberries for afters

Poor mr gee is currently patching up his wounds, Katy went out into the garden for a mooch about and the usual things small dogs do, she didn't come back and we couldn't find her, panic ensued

we shouted and squeaked her favourite toy all round the garden, nothing, then mr gee found her in the bramble bush she was wound up in. She didn't bark for help but she was well stuck, mr gee mostly extricated her and I followed up with the scissors cutting the remaining brambles out of her wool. He's just bathing his scratches with TCP and adding sticking plaster, Katy, on the other hand, is scratch free and not fazed at all

Hope your day is treating you kindly

@Muddy Cyclist - very characterful portrait of Sooty dog, the eyes hold your gaze and an interesting plein air sketch, you've manage to capture the feel of the trees receding into the mist very well.

@lindisfel - hope things have improved for you

@gennepher - the project moves on a good idea for your art series, Covid corvid is strong and I like the idea of using the old cd's very inventive.

@Alien Aspie - I moved my system files over to a 500Gb SSD earlier this year

@dunelm - two great trees today, I like the looseness of the foliage in the first and the second conifer is very statuesque the moon's ready for the penumbral eclipse tomorrow

@ianpspurs - cinnamon, vanilla and mixed baking spice

art bit - my take on a work by David Bellamy, I like the way he handles colour and distance

 
Those words fit that sketch of those trees beautifully @Muddy Cyclist
Trees do have an eerie quality in mist...
 
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