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

ianpspurs said:
Morning all from a sunny Little America. Swipey showed 4.9 first up. That may be good, bad, indfferent and have something to do with or no connection whatsoever to my wellbeing. Could be connected to Pesto Gennovese being rather spiffing - I do hope so. @gennepher thank you so much for the creative and the information about palming. @dunelm as @Annb said, colour really makes sense of what I assume you always intended. Lawn cutting? Far too wet here* but something to look forward to. Now fruit tree pruning and felling are off the menu only gardening of interest. @SlimLizzy I echo your sentiment for @lindisfel. @alf_Josiah hopefully today is the day for -ve(s). Grocery delivery day - wonder if we'll only get our own order this time? Make your own kinda music today but be mindful of the needs and wishes of others. Is that a law, guidance or just words?
*driest part of the UK
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Thanks Ian...
 
gennepher said:
Fbg 6.5

On the wildlife camera - Badger & Fox & Cats

A busy night.

All the regular strays had their food early evening, and around dawn. I didn't include every video clip of them because this video would have been very long!

The fox, Foxy Loxy, is often first on the scene when the cats are still feeding. Foxy Loxy jumped on the swing a few times to eat the cat biscuits I put there solely for the stray cats. I do put some on the ground for the foxes and badgers, but Foxy Loxy wants/must have those cat biscuits on the swing.

The same for the badger, KissyKissy (named because he often tries nose to nose contact with the cats, earning him a smack on the face). KissyKissy is absolutely determined to get those cat biscuits from the swing. He tries again and again and again in this video. He knocks over the bucket of drinking water in the process of doing his best efforts in trying to get on the swing. He falls down time after time. He deserves top marks for his determination. At one point, his mate comes along to find out what her hubby is doing. She does not have the same fascination as KissyKissy has with my garden, and cannot see what the attraction is. It seems to me she is looking for a bit of nookie, or at least some attention from her mate, But he doesn't take the hint, and continues hell-bent on getting those cat biscuits on the swing, and she leaves.



Creative is #5 Lighthouse digital painting in Procreate. I tried out a new brushstroke tool - Gesinki Ink, which I used mostly for the waves.
And for the fine scatter of stars, I made a duplicate copy of the Driven Snow brushstroke tool, and altered the different settings within it to create this fine scatter of stars you can see when there is very little light pollution.

Time for a cuppa, and a nap to rest my eyes. I palm my eyes, but first I warm them on my small electric heating pad (because my hands are often cold) and I lie down and palm my eyes. Some info here if you are interested.

The Benefits of Palming — Bristol Yoga Centre
bristolyogacentre.co.uk

The Benefits of Palming — Bristol Yoga Centre

In the winter months, we tend to spend more time indoors and doing things on screens, especially in lockdown. Whilst it’s amazing that we have the technology to communicate with our friends and family and be able to work online, it can be straining for the eyes and mind. According to the Concise H
bristolyogacentre.co.uk bristolyogacentre.co.uk

"The warmth of your hands relaxes the six muscles around each eye and attracts more energy and blood flow. The darkness relaxes the ciliary muscles, retina and optic nerves.’

Nathan recommends doing palming from 3 to 10 times a day for 30 seconds to over 30 minutes."

I should do it more than I do!

Have your best day.

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Your painting is superb @gennepher. Very interesting article on palming. Have bookmarked it.
 
Here are pics of Kiki's suitors.
The first is the Tom who arrived a
few days before she was spayed and did the slow blinking at her. Looks like I caught him mid blink. She seemed to be very interested in him, but Meanie Mum took her inside to prevent kittens. He hasn't come back since. That was the day she wanted cuddles. A one day only event. Maybe never to be repeated. Apparently being extra affectionate is a symptom that a queen is ready for mating. Or in Kiki's case showing any affection.
The tabby is very persistent, has been hanging around for a couple of weeks, calling for her. She has stayed out all night with him twice. I dont understand why he is here - I thought once she had the operation she would cease to be interesting to Tomcats. But he first turned up afterwards. Does anyone know what is going on? Why? 20230323_210547.jpg20230323_195207.jpg
 
SlimLizzy said:
Here are pics of Kiki's suitors.
The first is the Tom who arrived a
few days before she was spayed and did the slow blinking at her. Looks like I caught him mid blink. She seemed to be very interested in him, but Meanie Mum took her inside to prevent kittens. He hasn't come back since. That was the day she wanted cuddles. A one day only event. Maybe never to be repeated. Apparently being extra affectionate is a symptom that a queen is ready for mating. Or in Kiki's case showing any affection.
The tabby is very persistent, has been hanging around for a couple of weeks, calling for her. She has stayed out all night with him twice. I dont understand why he is here - I thought once she had the operation she would cease to be interesting to Tomcats. But he first turned up afterwards. Does anyone know what is going on? Why? View attachment 59992View attachment 59990
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I can't recall particularly having that problem with female cats I had spayed still attracting males, @SlimLizzy
But Kiki has only just been neutered, so there may still be scents on her prior to being spayed, so I googled that.
Here's what I got...
"If the cat has reached reproductive maturity prior to sterilization, there may be residual hormones right after surgery. These hormones may cause the cat to temporarily continue some sexual behaviors. Sex hormone levels should fade over the weeks following surgery, gradually eliminating the cat's sex drive"

You did wish stray cats would turn up for you to look after!
Kiki is attracting them for you...

Now I am thinking about it, each of my cats showed different behaviours after being spayed. In 1971, year I got married (!) I had a black female cat. I had her spayed after her litter of kittens. Before she was spayed she would disappear all night looking for tom cats. After she was spayed, she still carried on that behaviour. Drove me demented worrying about her. I couldn't keep her in. She was determined to get out for tom cats even after being spayed. But she did settle down after some weeks. I do remember thinking that the vet hadn't done his job properly!
 
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Good morning everyone on a still blustery start to the day here in the dark and dangerous north. A tranche of industrial carpet has now appeared. It’s to go into the end of the garage that will house bicycles and “junk” once the plaster between the sheets of plasterboard on the dividing wall has been sanded and the wall painted. My end will be having those spongy tiles laid that fit together like jigsaw pieces - again - some sanding and decorating to be done first. Luckily we have a large gated and covered area at the bottom of the drive which terminates at the garage, currently housing “junk”. Then, my art stuff can be decanted from the dining room - date as yet unknown. Art bit for today - the start of another pile of stone and rock. Have as good a day as you can and hope that @lindisfel get’s to the front of the GP telephone queue. Must surely be time for my koffy now.


1679643161749.jpeg
 
Good Morening Ladies and Gentlemen and that friendly skunk who has been living wild according to BBC’s work of doom gloom and despondency.

A nice 6.6 on that meter of distrust this morning.

Apart from covid incarceration I’m not sure what is planned for today, freefall bungy jumping has been cancelled again, drat! Mrs J might or might not go fresh veg shopping this morning. I’m still banned. Plinky plonky is proving problematical, concentrating is a task and a half, the current piece of music has lots of triplets, therefore timing never a strong point of mine is difficult. Perhaps practice, practice practice is the way.
Time for safety koffy.
Stay safe all.
@lindisfel good luck on the phones.
 
24.03
7.45am FBG 5.5
Am voting agree with A_J for @lindisfel to get through to the doctor. And to get some action as a result.
@gennepher thanks for sharing the story of your little black cat. I don't think the current Tom is a stray - he looks well fed and last night was keen to come inside when Kiki didn't want to go out and play. Also he tends to disappear during the day. I suspect he goes home to eat and sleep after his night out carousing.
Yesterday I encouraged Kiki to stay outside hoping that this would lessen the appeal of night time partying. Perhaps that it was raining helped, but she didn't want to go out, no matter how much the tabby sang his sad song.
I know that many of you have much more serious problems than mine, but today I am feeling quite upset over what should be a minor matter. It's the greenhouse.
You will all remember I said it seemed somewhat less sturdy than expected. Well yesterday a couple of the panels blew out. Fortunately I noticed and we went out into the dark, windy and wet night to reinstate them. However they blew out again and later on two more panels escaped and had to be hunted down. Luckily they were still reasonably close and I retrieved them. It's a huge disappointment. The greenhouse wasn't cheap and was purchased with money left to me by my Father. In effect his last present to me. Now instead of being a pleasure it's become a source of stress. Exactly the opposite of what my Father would have wanted.
MrSlim has gone to buy silicone to try and stick the panels into place, but my instinct is to dismantle and send the whole thing back. Of course thats not possible and it seems inevitable that it will be destroyed by the wind.
 
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SlimLizzy said:
24.03
7.45am FBG 5.5
Am voting agree with A_J for @lindisfel to get through to the doctor. And to get some action as a result.
@gennepher thanks for sharing the story of your little black cat. I don't think the current Tom is a stray - he looks well fed and last night was keen to come inside when Kiki didn't want to go out and play. Also he tends to disappear during the day. I suspect he goes home to eat and sleep after his night out carousing.
Yesterday I encouraged Kiki to stay outside hoping that this would lessen the appeal of night time partying. Perhaps that it was raining helped, but she didn't want to go out, no matter how much the tabby sang his sad song.
I know that many of you have much more serious problems than mine, but today I am feeling quite upset over what should be a minor matter. It's the greenhouse.
You will all remember I said it seemed somewhat less sturdy than expected. Well yesterday a couple of the panels blew out. Fortunately I noticed and we went out into the dark, windy and wet night to reinstate them. However they blew out again and later on two more panels escaped and had to be hunted down. Luckily they were still reasonably close and I retrieved them. It's a huge disappointment. The greenhouse wasn't cheap and was purchased with money left to me by my Father. In effect his last present to me. Now instead of being a pleasure it's become a source of stress. Exactly the opposite of what my Father would have wanted.
MrSlim has gone to buy silicone to try and stick the panels into place, but my instinct is to dismantle and send the whole thing back. Of course thats not possible and it seems inevitable that it will be destroyed by the wind.
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That is very upsetting about the greenhouse which appears not fit for purpose. Is there any way or any means you can get some kind of recompense for that.

It would disillusion me very much, because as you say in a sense it's your father's last present to you, and it means something emotionally.

Sometimes, I walk away from something as being the easiest solution so it's not to get stressed about it.
But in this instance that present would mean something emotionally to me and I would be hell bent on doing something about it, whatever that might be.
 
Annb said:
Decided to let my diabetes nurse know what was happening with my BG readings, and why. I sent an email and I was hoping she would reply and give me my HBa1c result from my last hospital blood test. Had no reply, so maybe she's not talking to me any more.
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Just received information from diabetes nurse - she's not sounding too impressed by the low carbing but gives a hope that it might help my liver. She tells me that my HBa1c is 63 (9 February) down from 64 last September. I suppose that's a bit better but my HBa1c was 53 some months ago so it's a bit disappointing. The thing is, when I had my blood tests, nobody would give me the results, so I was unaware. Maybe I can get it back down by really low carb, which is what I am doing now.
 
SlimLizzy said:
24.03
7.45am FBG 5.5
Am voting agree with A_J for @lindisfel to get through to the doctor. And to get some action as a result.
@gennepher thanks for sharing the story of your little black cat. I don't think the current Tom is a stray - he looks well fed and last night was keen to come inside when Kiki didn't want to go out and play. Also he tends to disappear during the day. I suspect he goes home to eat and sleep after his night out carousing.
Yesterday I encouraged Kiki to stay outside hoping that this would lessen the appeal of night time partying. Perhaps that it was raining helped, but she didn't want to go out, no matter how much the tabby sang his sad song.
I know that many of you have much more serious problems than mine, but today I am feeling quite upset over what should be a minor matter. It's the greenhouse.
You will all remember I said it seemed somewhat less sturdy than expected. Well yesterday a couple of the panels blew out. Fortunately I noticed and we went out into the dark, windy and wet night to reinstate them. However they blew out again and later on two more panels escaped and had to be hunted down. Luckily they were still reasonably close and I retrieved them. It's a huge disappointment. The greenhouse wasn't cheap and was purchased with money left to me by my Father. In effect his last present to me. Now instead of being a pleasure it's become a source of stress. Exactly the opposite of what my Father would have wanted.
MrSlim has gone to buy silicone to try and stick the panels into place, but my instinct is to dismantle and send the whole thing back. Of course thats not possible and it seems inevitable that it will be destroyed by the wind.
Click to expand...
Very sorry to read about the greenhouse, can I suggest you and Mr Slim add some diagonals to the frame work to add some structural integrity. It might not look as nice as before, but if helps the panels stay in situ.
 
Greetings from a presently sunny but windy Little America where the attached forecast doesn't really appeal much to me. Swipey offered up a working 5.1. The grouping of fbgs is probably positive but my preference is for 4s - perhaps foolish pride? Never mind the weather here, today is SSSF - yeehaw/thanks be to God @SlimLizzy I second @alf_Josiah with the bracing and your problem is no less important than those of anyone else. The greenhouse is and was meant to be far more than a greenhouse @dunelm good news on the progress of garage conversion and thanks for allowing us all to share with you the journey from lines to what will inevitably become a thing of glory and beauty. Proper metaphor for the Lenten pilgrimage. @lindisfel I hope you speak to and get help from a GP. @alf_Josiah here's hoping for -ve for you. @Annb good that the diabetic nurse passed on data and the A1c dropped even a point. It is the proverbial postcode lottery as to whether DNs support LC or not. I can see their reluctance (neither the it's only Bg Pharma nor meh, blinded by Eatwell dogma convince me) like all lifestyles there must be issues/side effects which supporters often don't want to hear. Doesn't Unwin tuck away the data that just less than 50% achieve remission? Obviously better odds than doing nowt and seeing complications. My instinct is really low carb would bring on hypos for you besides tasting like the inside of an animal's cage. On that lovely thought, do enjoy your day Diabetes Massive.
Update: 2nd attached just to cheer you up @dunelm
 

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Fbg 6.6

On nighttime wildlife camera...

The night starts with the fox, Foxy, Loxy, who is on the swing, getting the cat biscuits before the stray cats appear.

Then the cats appear, and ginger cat (who looks white on here) Merlin takes up his position as guardian of the swing.

Jade comes along for some cat biscuits. Then bully cat Marmalade appears, but it's almost like Merlin said no, you are not having any so Marmalade walks away.

KissyKissy, this badger so-called because he's always doing nose to nose contact with the cats, and he begins pootling around. He is around the rest of the night, much to the annoyance of Merlin, who tells him off...

KissyKissy's mate arrives. She appears not to have the same fascination with the swing as KissyKissy has. Kissy Kissy goes in for nose to nose contact with Merlin who reacts with a vicious snarl.

And so the night continues...

KissyKissy takes his mate home and then comes back by himself. And carries on annoying cat Merlin.

Merlin does a very good job, keeping guard of those cat biscuits just for the cats. And finally pre-dawn arrives with the birds singing and Merlin now leaves his post. It is around 5:30 am now.

Cat, Midnight, who has been sleeping inside on me in my bed all night, now leaves me and he goes outside and gets on the swing. He sniffs around to find out who's been visiting during the night....




Creative #6 Lighthouse in Procreate.
Enjoyed playing with this one.

Heckishly windy out there.
Got the window open to listen for a parcel, which is a late Mother's Day present from daughter in Australia. She wouldn't tell me what it was. But the tracking tells me it comes from a plant place. So my guess at the moment is that it is a blueberry bush. We shall see if I'm right when it arrives…

A cuppa is needed to warm me up here...

Have your best day!

F0146C6E-C636-4D8D-B7DB-5CF2199031EE.jpeg
 
gennepher said:
Fbg 6.6

On nighttime wildlife camera...

The night starts with the fox, Foxy, Loxy, who is on the swing, getting the cat biscuits before the stray cats appear.

Then the cats appear, and ginger cat (who looks white on here) Merlin takes up his position as guardian of the swing.

Jade comes along for some cat biscuits. Then bully cat Marmalade appears, but it's almost like Merlin said no, you are not having any so Marmalade walks away.

KissyKissy, this badger so-called because he's always doing nose to nose contact with the cats, and he begins pootling around. He is around the rest of the night, much to the annoyance of Merlin, who tells him off...

KissyKissy's mate arrives. She appears not to have the same fascination with the swing as KissyKissy has. Kissy Kissy goes in for nose to nose contact with Merlin who reacts with a vicious snarl.

And so the night continues...

KissyKissy takes his mate home and then comes back by himself. And carries on annoying cat Merlin.

Merlin does a very good job, keeping guard of those cat biscuits just for the cats. And finally pre-dawn arrives with the birds singing and Merlin now leaves his post. It is around 5:30 am now.

Cat, Midnight, who has been sleeping inside on me in my bed all night, now leaves me and he goes outside and gets on the swing. He sniffs around to find out who's been visiting during the night....




Creative #6 Lighthouse in Procreate.
Enjoyed playing with this one.

Heckishly windy out there.
Got the window open to listen for a parcel, which is a late Mother's Day present from daughter in Australia. She wouldn't tell me what it was. But the tracking tells me it comes from a plant place. So my guess at the moment is that it is a blueberry bush. We shall see if I'm right when it arrives…

A cuppa is needed to warm me up here...

Have your best day!

View attachment 59996
Click to expand...
Two mysteries in one post. A lighthouse shrouded in mystery - thanks for sharing that and the magnificent word heckishly :woot: :woot: . Then there is the Great Antipodean Mother's Day Gift Mystery. Blueberry bushes you say? How very ericaceous. MIL has 3 BB bushes she feels we need here. Take care and enjoy your day.
 
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Art studio s
dunelm said:
Good morning everyone on a still blustery start to the day here in the dark and dangerous north. A tranche of industrial carpet has now appeared. It’s to go into the end of the garage that will house bicycles and “junk” once the plaster between the sheets of plasterboard on the dividing wall has been sanded and the wall painted. My end will be having those spongy tiles laid that fit together like jigsaw pieces - again - some sanding and decorating to be done first. Luckily we have a large gated and covered area at the bottom of the drive which terminates at the garage, currently housing “junk”. Then, my art stuff can be decanted from the dining room - date as yet unknown. Art bit for today - the start of another pile of stone and rock. Have as good a day as you can and hope that @lindisfel get’s to the front of the GP telephone queue. Must surely be time for my koffy now.


View attachment 59994
Click to expand...
Art studio sounds good!

Impressive rocks @dunelm
 
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