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

M
dunelm said:
Good morning everyone from a lovely bright and sunny start to the day here in the dark and dangerous north. More bulbs springing up in the garden, wonder what they may be? Lunch out yesterday. Just in town. A pub with views over the sea. Couldn’t finish my lunch so brought some chicken home and had a chicken salad for dinner. Planning a trip for May - north of the wall. Not sure exactly where but Skara Brae has been penciled in. Art bit, adding some details. Have a Smashing Saturday, we will probably have a walk into town, but first I need to finish my offs.


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Hi Dunelm,
I worked with a guy in Medical Physics who was married to an Orcadian and they went back there after his retirement. He loaned me a book on the species found at Skara Brae. All sorts of stuff including the remains of Sea Eagles.

I suppose you realise if you fly between Islands it is much cheaper to use the companies, as a retiree, than just book through a travel agent, or used to be. But of course Ann will know the latest news on that.
Have great time.
D.
 
dunelm said:
Good morning everyone from a lovely bright and sunny start to the day here in the dark and dangerous north. More bulbs springing up in the garden, wonder what they may be? Lunch out yesterday. Just in town. A pub with views over the sea. Couldn’t finish my lunch so brought some chicken home and had a chicken salad for dinner. Planning a trip for May - north of the wall. Not sure exactly where but Skara Brae has been penciled in. Art bit, adding some details. Have a Smashing Saturday, we will probably have a walk into town, but first I need to finish my offs.


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Enjoy your walk @dunelm

Imposing architecture...
 
Afternoon no test today.

Ate before even thinking ..doh :dead:

Alexi offered a "songs you haven't heard in a while" playlist..mmh

Ok Alexa, hit me.

Some nice tunes, but this one hit the spot nicely .

Us, from the good ol' UK, a Peruvian couple we made friends with, drinking & singing this in the pool in valedero while the 4 pm rain shower played out, bang on time.

Happy, happy memories

The original..


And the translated lyrics version here.

Less sexy perhaps, but deffo a message for us all.

Viva la revolución.
 
JohnEGreen said:
Fbg this morning was 7.0

Well I think that they have decided to put me on that medication as I received a hand full of blood test forms in the post this morning.

Feeling somewhat better today so am going to try and get out for a short walk today or tomorrow.

Loving the art work on here of late .

I got myself an iPad so I could download Procreate but now don't have a clue as to what to do with it typical of me.
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Okay...I didn't have a clue when I first started @JohnEGreen
I have been using it ever since this thread started.

Now, I could say just play with all the brush strokes that are under the different headings. And you should do that, but it might send you screaming for the hills.

What I suggest you do, and it is something I still do, is restrict the amount of different types of brush strokes to paint a picture.

In my current sheep paintings, I use
Flat Brush in the Painting section (to lay down the colour and shape of the painting).
And in the Inking section, the two brushstrokes I use are Syrup (which when you make the line fine, it does fine detail, but if you want triangular leaves on a tree you make that brushstroke wider), and Thylacine which can be used for hair/fur/grass etc.

Then along that same bar at the top of the screen, the next tool is a blend tool and by tapping on that, will come up with the same brushstroke menu as the painting brush. Similarly with the eraser tool.

When I first started in Procreate, the founder on this thread was using it for his paintings in here. He advocated using just the Soft Brush initially, and did some amazing paintings with just that. That brushstroke is found in the Airbrushing section. And when I started Procreate, I just used the Soft Brush in Airbrushing for all my paintings. So maybe that is good advice to follow to start with. In playing with just one brush and finding all the different variations you can do with it could keep you occupied for quite some time.

If you do the idea of starting with the Soft Brush tool in Airbrushing , then I suggest (just for the moment) to have the same Soft Brush setting in the Blend and the Eraser functions. This may help you to achieve a more conventional type painting, if that is what your aim is to achieve.

But feel free to wildly experiment!

Maybe @dunelm will have some pointers suggesting how to get started.
 
ianpspurs said:
Hello all from Little America - how you doin? - where the weather is uninspiring but as we keep being reminded very mild for the time of year. A balmy 16 °C in these parts yesterday. @Krystyna23040 winner for the attitude and efforts to correct matters but do leave space for pleasure from food and rest. I'm sure Mr K will be offering words of wisdom but the female of the species can be feisty I'm told. @dunelm thanks for the rapidly becoming more substantial edifice. Enjoy the walk if taken. @gennepher I like the idea of Midnight monetising you and thanks for another in the series of sheep. @Annb I wasn't sure if your endeavours deserved a hug or winner but went with hug for the delay in getting to bed. Oddly, it is washing day here today because 4 days of childcare and fitting in hospital visiting play havoc with The Schedule. MIL is still on oxygen and recovering somewhat even though she has some interesting tales to recount. She hasn't quite made the connection between basically refusing to eat or drink and being allowed back here and onwards to Wales in May/June. No eatey no leavey seems to be a step too far for a very stubborn woman. Good contest between her and a daughter who can't see the family likeness. Best to just smile and wave methinks. S and W will see you through today as well if things don't pan out as planned. BFN.
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Thanks Ian
That cat is asleep on my lap just now...and I am ready for a nap as well....
 
gennepher said:
Okay...I didn't have a clue when I first started @JohnEGreen
I have been using it ever since this thread started.

Now, I could say just play with all the brush strokes that are under the different headings. And you should do that, but it might send you screaming for the hills.

What I suggest you do, and it is something I still do, is restrict the amount of different types of brush strokes to paint a picture.

In my current sheep paintings, I use
Flat Brush in the Painting section (to lay down the colour and shape of the painting).
And in the Inking section, the two brushstrokes I use are Syrup (which when you make the line fine, it does fine detail, but if you want triangular leaves on a tree you make that brushstroke wider), and Thylacine which can be used for hair/fur/grass etc.

Then along that same bar at the top of the screen, the next tool is a blend tool and by tapping on that, will come up with the same brushstroke menu as the painting brush. Similarly with the eraser tool.

When I first started in Procreate, the founder on this thread was using it for his paintings in here. He advocated using just the Soft Brush initially, and did some amazing paintings with just that. That brushstroke is found in the Airbrushing section. And when I started Procreate, I just used the Soft Brush in Airbrushing for all my paintings. So maybe that is good advice to follow to start with. In playing with just one brush and finding all the different variations you can do with it could keep you occupied for quite some time.

If you do the idea of starting with the Soft Brush tool in Airbrushing , then I suggest (just for the moment) to have the same Soft Brush setting in the Blend and the Eraser functions. This may help you to achieve a more conventional type painting, if that is what your aim is to achieve.

But feel free to wildly experiment!

Maybe @dunelm will have some pointers suggesting how to get started.
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Thanks for the pointers will have a go.
 
Alistair was just in with the post. He was telling me that he and DIL think they have been told a pack of lies about the dog they have just given a home to. They were told he was a loved, and loving, family pet who, sadly, had to be rehomed because his owners were becomiong unable to look after him. But, from what she can tell, DIL thinks he was the "old" stud in a puppy farm who was discarded to make room for a younger model. He has been used to being the "alpha male" and can't quite get the idea that he is near the bottom of the pecking order in his new home. Banksie is a big easy-going dog but he soon let Hugo - the new Basset Hound - know who is in charge. Unfortunately, Hugo is not as well house-trained as they were led to believe and he is not all that good natured. He seems to acknowledge DIL as head of the pack but Alistair should, in Hugo's opinion, be lower down the ranks than himself. He was soon disabused of that idea but not before he growled and snarled his objection to being removed from the bed! DIL was even on the receiving end of his disgruntlement when she pushed him away from the front of the fire (to prevent him scorching himself). No more than a snarl, but concerning to me. What will he do when Em tries to take something away from him? She doesn't believe that any dog would harm her and is quite fearless in her play with them. Banksie is always respectful and plays well with her, but Hugo? Maybe worrying over nothing, but that's the way with grans.

Edit: corrected a spelling mistake.
 
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Afternoon all.
Late, very late getting up this morning.
Blood sugars this morning were 4.5 A whoops o dear what shall I do? Decision arrived at .
Here in Tilehurst Towers a looong task list has been written out, this afternoon is going to be busy. A priority on the list is leg exercises, then attempt to put some boxes back in the loft, they have only been down since 2019, they have been sorted through and various charity shops have been the lucky recipients.

Covid. It has been blamed for many things, but like health and safety appears to be the fall back excuse for many organisations not to do things and cost cutting, that’s just my opinion. This was a majority decision between me, me’s and myself along with the other 3 nameless identities. 4 of whom are looking for employment in customer relations.

Stay safe all.
 
As a (retired) dog behaviour trainer with a specialist interest in aggression, I'm going to keep this brief but you do need assistance before someone gets hurt.

There is no shame in sending the dog straight back to wherever you got him from. If you elect to rehab him, you need professional help. "Pack" stuff was debunked many years ago (including by the scientist who first mooted it) but unfortunately persists as humans love the idea of hierarchy. What you have is a frightened dog whose whole world has turned upside down, and he doesn't know where to start to make life better. This is NOT any criticism of you, just simple explanation. Scared dogs bite too, and you don't need this. Nor does he, or your other dog.

I strongly recommend contacting Emma Judson of Canine Consultants for advice. You can't do this on your own. Meanwhile, arrange life so that there are no toys or food left lying around, and nothing that you would want to take off him if he got hold of it.
 
Outlier said:
As a (retired) dog behaviour trainer with a specialist interest in aggression, I'm going to keep this brief but you do need assistance before someone gets hurt.

There is no shame in sending the dog straight back to wherever you got him from. If you elect to rehab him, you need professional help. "Pack" stuff was debunked many years ago (including by the scientist who first mooted it) but unfortunately persists as humans love the idea of hierarchy. What you have is a frightened dog whose whole world has turned upside down, and he doesn't know where to start to make life better. This is NOT any criticism of you, just simple explanation. Scared dogs bite too, and you don't need this. Nor does he, or your other dog.

I strongly recommend contacting Emma Judson of Canine Consultants for advice. You can't do this on your own. Meanwhile, arrange life so that there are no toys or food left lying around, and nothing that you would want to take off him if he got hold of it.
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Thanks for that advice. I will pass it on to Alistair and DIL. I believe they need to act right away to curb any aggression in Hugo. Whatever his behaviour, it's not his fault, but rather the fault of his previous owners and he does need to be retrained. Sending him back to Norwich doesn't appear to be an option. I don't know if there are any dog trainers on the Islands, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were. He seems to be able to learn because his "house training" has improved in the few days he has been there. Walking to heel will, I suspect, be a little more difficult - it's the family who need to be trained as much as the dog. The other dog, Banksie, is not renowned for walking on a lead or just to heel. To be honest, although they love dogs, they shouldn't have them because they don't understand how to train them. They think they are so lovable and funny as pups that they don't start trying to train them until far too late - as I have told them before this. And trying to retrain an adult dog may be beyond them.

I will definitely pass on your advice and hope they will do as you suggest.
 
lindisfel said:
M

Hi Dunelm,
I worked with a guy in Medical Physics who was married to an Orcadian and they went back there after his retirement. He loaned me a book on the species found at Skara Brae. All sorts of stuff including the remains of Sea Eagles.

I suppose you realise if you fly between Islands it is much cheaper to use the companies, as a retiree, than just book through a travel agent, or used to be. But of course Ann will know the latest news on that.
Have great time.
D.
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Flying to any of the Islands is expensive. Travelling to Kirkwall, prices vary between winter and summer from something over £500 return around Christmas/New Year to around £300 return in the summer. That's from London. From a Scottish airport it's about £200 - £400 return, depending on time of year. There are companies offering cheaper flights from time to time.

To the Western Isles, the prices are a bit more stable - last time I flew it was £138 Stornoway to Inverness and back, but that was a while ago and I gather that from London you are looking at around £250 return, from Glasgow around £200 and, should you decide to fly from Manchester, it would be over £500 - no idea why.

On the whole, ferries take longer, may be quite a lot rougher but are considerably cheaper - unless you are bringing a car.
 
Annb said:
Alistair was just in with the post. He was telling me that he and DIL think they have been told a pack of lies about the dog they have just given a home to. They were told he was a loved, and loving, family pet who, sadly, had to be rehomed because his owners were becomiong unable to look after him. But, from what she can tell, DIL thinks he was the "old" stud in a puppy farm who was discarded to make room for a younger model. He has been used to being the "alpha male" and can't quite get the idea that he is near the bottom of the pecking order in his new home. Banksie is a big easy-going dog but he soon let Hugo - the new Basset Hound - know who is in charge. Unfortunately, Hugo is not as well house-trained as they were led to believe and he is not all that good natured. He seems to acknowledge DIL as head of the pack but Alistair should, in Hugo's opinion, be lower down the ranks than himself. He was soon disabused of that idea but not before he growled and snarled his objection to being removed from the bed! DIL was even on the receiving end of his disgruntlement when she pushed him away from the front of the fire (to prevent him scorching himself). No more than a snarl, but concerning to me. What will he do when Em tries to take something away from him? She doesn't believe that any dog would harm her and is quite fearless in her play with them. Banksie is always respectful and plays well with her, but Hugo? Maybe worrying over nothing, but that's the way with grans.

Edit: corrected a spelling mistake.
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Annb said:
Flying to any of the Islands is expensive. Travelling to Kirkwall, prices vary between winter and summer from something over £500 return around Christmas/New Year to around £300 return in the summer. That's from London. From a Scottish airport it's about £200 - £400 return, depending on time of year. There are companies offering cheaper flights from time to time.

To the Western Isles, the prices are a bit more stable - last time I flew it was £138 Stornoway to Inverness and back, but that was a while ago and I gather that from London you are looking at around £250 return, from Glasgow around £200 and, should you decide to fly from Manchester, it would be over £500 - no idea why.

On the whole, ferries take longer, may be quite a lot rougher but are considerably cheaper - unless you are bringing a car.
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I remember the small inter island flights seemed be less expensive, certainly to Fair Isle from Shetland. It was half price for senior citizens.
Aberdeen to Shetland was expensive but I think that was BA. No sane individual would go to Fair Isle in the Good Shepherd it can be extremely rough in such a small boat, perhaps the Vikings had stronger stomachs.
D.
 
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Annb said:
Flying to any of the Islands is expensive. Travelling to Kirkwall, prices vary between winter and summer from something over £500 return around Christmas/New Year to around £300 return in the summer. That's from London. From a Scottish airport it's about £200 - £400 return, depending on time of year. There are companies offering cheaper flights from time to time.

To the Western Isles, the prices are a bit more stable - last time I flew it was £138 Stornoway to Inverness and back, but that was a while ago and I gather that from London you are looking at around £250 return, from Glasgow around £200 and, should you decide to fly from Manchester, it would be over £500 - no idea why.

On the whole, ferries take longer, may be quite a lot rougher but are considerably cheaper - unless you are bringing a car.
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We will probably be taking the ferry from Scrabster to Stromness. Probably take us a few days to get there but we will be driving up the west coast on the NC500. No rush.
 
ianpspurs said:
winner for the attitude and efforts to correct matters but do leave space for pleasure from food and rest. I'm sure Mr K will be offering words of wisdom but the female of the species can be feisty I'm told
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I looked at the meaning of feisty in the Collins dictionary and it perfectly described your MlL - 'If you describe someone as feisty, you mean that they are tough, independent, and spirited, often when you would not expect them to be, for example because they are old or ill.'

Actually it also describes us here on this thread. They seem very admirable qualities for either male or female thread members.
 
jjraak said:
my line of thinking too.

Feels good to put a positive spin on what at first sight could seem like a regression.

I don't usually do a walk after dinner, unless we have Frankie over, but I did use a resistance band between my forearms to do exactly that, use up the incoming glucose.

Must dig it out & begin using again .
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It does feel good knowing that you are using stored glucose. The resistance bands are a really good idea.
 
ianpspurs said:
but do leave space for pleasure from food and rest.
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I am quite sad that l cannot have my flaxseeds, Greek yogurt and berries at the moment but really love the food that I can eat - especially the mascarpone, vanilla and inulin desert I make every day.

I did have to ditch the Bulk Inulin I tried because it was horrid which was surprising because their stuff is usually good. Luckily my usual inulin was back in stock.
 
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