• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

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

Hug and sympathy for the hand in pocket on shoes. Due to my spinal issues there are very few shoes or trainers in which I can actually walk. Inevitably that means £s. I can't actually walk in walking boots per se. Best I can do is Salamon low cut ones. Usually I wear the right heel to a wedge and make my already unstable balance even worse. For normal shoes Seabago boat shoes are just about all that work. I did find New Balance trainers which worked but when they were upgraded they didn't work.
 
Last edited:
Just had to take car out to go up road to 5.15pm post box.
Still freezing here, has done all day so had to defrost.it.
The road is very icy but less so up the hill 150 feet out of the valley.
No clouds and bright sun on Skiddaw, broad end. Everything above 1200 feet snow covered and Ullock Pike and Carlside looking tremendous.
Trouble is, no one is entitled to go and look..
D.
 
gennepher said:
Great water buffalo @dunelm
Powerful beasts...
Click to expand...
The wild ones in Africa are dangerous animals and will charge without provocation.
One wonders what it would be like facing down the extinct Aurochs.....probably a very good physic.
The Chillingham herd of wild cattle in Northumberland can't be trusted.

I had a nasty incident with one beast on Burgh Marsh on the Solway.
I dont think they had picked its pocket properly!.
I was not far from Edward I monument where he died crossing the marsh.
He was not a very nice man.
D.
 
Last edited:
Sorry to hear you have spinal issue Ian, it must have made it worse teaching and standing a lot.
D.
 
lindisfel said:
Sorry to hear you have spinal issue Ian, it must have made it worse teaching and standing a lot.
D.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the concern Derek. It didn't really impact on my teaching and mainly started to be noticeable after I was 50.The main warning sign was suddenly unable to run fast in the outfield. The problem is gestational spinal stenosis but medics suggest ops won't do much so just exercise and caution. Long walks aren't the best but exercise bike is good.
 
I know the feeling about boots. When I was doing mountaineering instructing I used to tell students to get the very best pair of boots and the very best waterproof coat that they could afford - everything else is garnish. My motorcycling boots were made by Altberg in Richmond, North Yorkshire. They make fabulous boots and shoes in 5 width fittings, any size you like and made to measure if you visit. They will also re-sole. My Himalayan expedition boots came from them as did those of two of my nephews. I may be swaying that way.
 
Rotten news for you, what a mess. Take care try and stay upbeat.
 
Bike ride to day was cold, my feet never got warm, trails very icy when no tree cover, kept things lively, managed three hours, snowed above 200 meters.

Finished the painting of Etchinghill a sandstone outcrop, not quite what I had in mind but that happens a lot.

A4 watercolour about 90 minutes.....
 
I am one of those lightfooted people who never wear out shoes or boots, I have to change them because I get fed up of them. I have been fortunate enough to have had a customer who I wrote the software for, Regent Shoes in Kettering, they produced hand made leather shoes and boots. A lot of my shoes are made by them and just last and last which is good as I could not afford them now as a pensioner.

I Agree though no point buying cheap shoes or boots as in the long run it works out more expensive.
 
Apologies in advance for this long post and for not posting a fbs. I have ten minutes of my birthday left so thought I would spend them sharing my experiences of the last two days. Yesterday was the anniversary of my dear dad's passing and was full of emotional flashbacks. I then had a long phone call from the manager of mum's nursing home informing me that 20 of the residents including my mum and 29 staff had tested positive recently and that 6 had died! Apparently since we were last able to visit in March several new residents had arrived who were mobile. Some of them had a tendency to wander into other people's rooms and this had probably contributed to the sudden spread of the virus. The layout of the building was also thought to have contributed to enabling this to happen so the plan was to move the 10 residents who cannot walk, including mum, from their downstairs rooms to upstairs to protect them. I had several concerns about the move for mum but was asked to let them know my decision in a couple of days. Then this morning whilst opening my birthday cards I had a phone call saying the move was taking place there and then and asking for my agreement to move mum. I had to put safety first but requested that mum could be moved to a room with a similar outside view as this was important to her. They agreed so I gave my consent. When I rang this evening I was told mum was fine and had settled into her new room. Phew!!! The good news is that mum has weathered Covid so far without serious symptoms. Sorry for the long post but I really needed to vent. For those who read my post to the end --thank you. No need for hugs as writing this down has already helped a lot. Thank you again. Good night all. Have a good day tomorrow.
 
Last edited:

I gave a hug emojie first @dogslife , then you said you didn't need a hug, so I changed that to a winner emojie. But hugs for you as well because of the difficulties of these Covid times.
It was a very successful day on several levels.
Always write as much as you need on this thread. It is here for that.
They have done the best they can for your mum.
And may I wish you Happy Birthday for yesterday.
See if you can relax a bit today.
Take care.
From me and that cat >^..^<
 
Last edited:

I love this painting @Muddy Cyclist
I like the way it has turned out because it retains the essence of your quick plein air sketches. At least I think so!
It has a vibrancy. And is something I would have on my wall, because it changes each time I look at it, there is something different to see...
 
ianpspurs said:
@True Blue provisional still I know but keep this in mind/print it large font and raise several glasses of bubbles on Feb 1. We do things much more slowly in the England - rest of UK are way ahead.
Click to expand...
Shocking news, with unknown outcomes still ahead.
On 4th January 1642 King Charles 1 plus a retinue entered the House of Commons and started to issue orders and usurp power. He was rebuffed by Speaker Lenthall who said ‘May it please your majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to say anything but what the House commands’.
The outcomes included the English Civil War
Hope it ends better in the USA.
 
Last edited:
Fbg 6.5

I went out early yesterday morning, before 7 am, it was still dark. I had intended going to the post office but I hadn't finished my postcards and letters, so I thought I would just go for a drive instead. Partly to charge that battery, and partly because I have a hospital appointment in Liverpool (England) next week and I've got to drive there from Wales, but coming home is going to be in the dark, and I have not done any nighttime driving in this car. I've only more or less had this car since just before lockdown so I've not got a chance to do any nighttime driving.

I have also emailed the car dealership to ask for the car to get a check over and to check the battery but I haven't had a reply yet. They expect all dealings to be by telephone which I can't do with being deaf. And they don't respond to any text messages I send, but they do send me advertising text messages. The car dealership is in England, and I live in Wales so this might cause some problems. If they don't reply to my email, by next week, I would just drive over the English/Welsh boarder to the car dealership, and if the police stop me, I'll say it's important the car gets seen to and that I need it for my mobility and hospital appointments.

Anyway I left yesterday morning while it was still dark The moon was still in the sky and loads of stars twinkling all over the place. And I said, drove towards the southeast which is where dawn begins You could see the beginnings of dawn in the sky and it looked quite dramatic with that dark blue.

I set off before 7:00 a.m. and I was honestly unprepared for the amount of traffic on the roads, and also on the Expressway. It was busier than pre-Covid times. Normally I'm okay with the small slip road from the next village, to join it even in busy night time conditions (I frequently do it, but not since lockdown began). But I didn't do it. I went on the side roads to the next main road slip road which is a much bigger and longer slip road entrance, and therefore much safer to join the busy expressway in these dark conditions.

I need to get the practice in before next week's journey.

I got home to a heavy snow shower!

So I had several ideas for paintings this morning!

Painting in Procreate what I saw yesterday morning...
I really wanted to spend more time on this to work the stars and moon better. I can do a full moon and a crescent moon, but not a half moon with a belly!
 
Last edited:
Thank you, I was not sure about it, but am growing to like it.
 
Belated Happy Birthday. Difficult times and a worry for you but it sounds like the careers in the home are doing the best they can for everyone. MIL is in a home and not mobile and the situation is a constant worry. Keep strong and positive.
 
Looks good to me, you have captured that first ribbon of light dawn can sometimes show to us, a glimpse of hope.
 
Several goes with Swipey this morning - it was low all through the night probably from sleeping on it and has taken a generous swig of water and taking the vet-wrap off it for a few mins to get a semi-decent reading 3.5 - 3.0 - 5.1 so... anyone's guess really.

I spent last night watching the news in utter disbelief. Although I find watching CNN to be a strain because THEY SHOUT OVER EACH OTHER ALLLLLLL THE TIME!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…