• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

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

Krystyna23040 said:
K

It was a very thought provoking programme @ianpspurs . It reminded me of my struggle to stop eating ice cream, cakes and biscuits - which I did eventually win.

I particularly liked what he said - we are not lazy, greedy or lacking in willpower. But rather we are being set up by the food industry to fail.
Click to expand...
I sympathise with you and well done on breaking that grip. I will certainly give it a watch. Here's my reservations about Elsie Keto and "big food" supported by "the science" which may or may not be heavily intertwined - spoiler alert I strongly suspect they are, certainly by now. Elsie Keto food and supplements, which many feel are needed to supplement it, are also products of the food and pharmaceutical industries. There is a tradition of hero/counter cultural/startup ideas being seen as a threat to the established order. Exhibits a,b,c,d,e in no particular order M'Lud: Trump; Reform/all Nige's self aggrandisement vehicles; Musk and politics; the music industry and Woodstock(ish) music, Brexit, organised Christianity. It beggars belief, well mine, that Elsie Keto is immune. Suspicious, me?
 
Last edited:
ianpspurs said:
Thank you for sharing yet another in the series of splendidly tranquil red roof pieces. I may be reading too much into this to see this series as an attempt to create a sense of inner tranquility or, even better, a reflection of just such a felicitous state? Enjoy every second of the precious time with TGIB, as I can tell you do, but you know that already (does that sound too Rita Skeeter?). The “now but not yet” world into which she and all our grandchildren will eventually be thrust is sadly more often that Fran Cotton image than your art or the Enya video. Those are the glimpses, the cracks in everything which let in the light. Our task is to create that deep reservoir of love and peace which we had as children and carry with us into life's vicissitudes. Austerity was universally awful but the education "reforms" of the last government were, in my opinion (and many others I might add) much the worse part in that they seemingly attempted to deliberately make schooling the antithesis of that. God bless all those who ameliorate (d) the worst effects - often at great expense to their careers, health, family life and even their own life.
Click to expand...
Thank you @ianpspurs. There are a lot of things in life that I find calming and satisfying, meditative if you like. Painting is one but it spreads also into the more mundane; preparing food, making a bed each morning, folding the washing (I don’t iron). I have much preferred forests, mountain tops and coastal paths to all in packages and theme parks. We invested a lot in our children and so also now with our grandchildren. I have always thought that a good teacher knows that when a student is failing, the blame falls on the instructor, not the pupil. How much more generous and tolerant would we be if we could extend this understanding to other aspects of our lives.
 
dunelm said:
I have always thought that a good teacher knows that when a student is failing, the blame falls on the instructor, not the pupil.
Click to expand...
If by that you mean a good teacher (or parent) doesn't place demands on a student which are so far beyond their capability as to cause mental and physical harm I agree. For example, it is as much a nonsense to expect all children to achieve GCSE "pass" level Maths and English as it is to expect them all to run 100 metres or a marathon in a standard time. That is what has happened in British schools There is no such thing as the average child.. I strongly believe that is behind the low morale of and failure to attract new entrants to the teaching profession .
 
Last edited:
ianpspurs said:
If by that you mean a good teacher (or parent) doesn't place demands on a student which are so far beyond their capability as to cause mental and physical harm I agree. For example, it is as much a nonsense to expect all children to achieve GCSE "pass" level Maths and English as it is to expect them all to run 100 metres or a marathon in a standard time. That is what has happened in British schools There is no such thing as the average child.. I strongly believe that is behind the low morale of and failure to attract new entrants to the teaching profession .
Click to expand...
Precisely. When I did my first degree in teaching I found Lev Vygotsky. He made a lot of sense. Later, much later really, teaching A level in Maths, Psychology and Statistics and also those students who did not go to school for a variety of reasons, I incorporated a lot of his ideas.
 
dunelm said:
Precisely. When I did my first degree in teaching I found Lev Vygotsky. He made a lot of sense. Later, much later really, teaching A level in Maths, Psychology and Statistics and also those students who did not go to school for a variety of reasons, I incorporated a lot of his ideas.
Click to expand...
I came across Vygotsky via Bernstein and his two codes idea of language which he then applied to knowledge. Sociology was always far more interesting to me than psychology - as if you couldn't guess. Also, I just don't see you as an advocate of John Holt, not the singer, or Ivan Illich although I do see how some children will learn more looking out of the window than following the Gove National Curriculum. I incorporated Mrs Beeton and Marginal Gains in my teaching. Mrs Beeton? First take 2 eggs - teaching 101: so many colleagues in my first school (S London) had wonderful lesson plans and materials but couldn't actually get the children into the room or keep them there.
 
ianpspurs said:
I sympathise with you and well done on breaking that grip. I will certainly give it a watch. Here's my reservations about Elsie Keto and "big food" supported by "the science" which may or may not be heavily intertwined - spoiler alert I strongly suspect they are, certainly by now. Elsie Keto food and supplements, which many feel are needed to supplement it, are also products of the food and pharmaceutical industries. There is a tradition of hero/counter cultural/startup ideas being seen as a threat to the established order. Exhibits a,b,c,d,e in no particular order M'Lud: Trump; Reform/all Nige's self aggrandisement vehicles; Musk and politics; the music industry and Woodstock(ish) music, Brexit, organised Christianity. It beggars belief, well mine, that Elsie Keto is immune. Suspicious, me?
Click to expand...
I would be really interested to hear what you think about the documentary. It actually compared the food industry with how the tobacco industry behaved in the past.
 
ianpspurs said:
Good morning all from a very frosty Thanksgiving here in, L.A. which one could almost describe as pretty in the same way as the attached. Fortunately, I shall be busy not working from home today. @gennepher hug for the visual migraine and thank you for the kaleidoscope. @Krystyna23040 thank you for the mention of that programme. Tuesday's poorly granddaughter was sent home from school yesterday and later diagnosed with tonsillitis requiring antibiotics. Sad news about Liz Hatton. Have a poem and an (the?) Advent song - the scenery and her voice are glorious even if the message isn't to your taste. Quiet here today as our protectors (for now?) are feasting - best wishes and sincere thanks from myself (and turkey producers/sellers who enjoy a double dip) Enjoy Thursday your way, always provided that isn't unjustly at the expense of other people.
Click to expand...
Thank you Ian,

dunelm said:
Thank you for the kaleidoscope and hope that your migraine is over.
Click to expand...
Thanks @dunelm

Krystyna23040 said:
Hope you are feeling a lot better this morning @gennepher. The kaleidoscope is brilliant.
Click to expand...
Thank you @Krystyna23040
 
dunelm said:
Good morning everyone on a cold, bright, sunny start to bin day here in the dark and dangerous north. Thanksgiving today and a good excuse to get out there and do a practice run on Christmas lunch at a local eatery. Needs research mind as such festive bargains may be as big a flop as opening a new colonic irrigation clinic during a hose pipe ban. Girl in The Bubble over yesterday after school. We did some painting and made our own green, purple and orange by mixing. I am now calling her Paula Rego. I thought Freda Kahlo at first, but no. She will be staying over tonight after her swimming lesson so we might do a bit more. Going to bring some art materials into the house from the art room as it’s getting cold and am loath to put on the electric heaters - humbug! Art bit - a bit of water and some red roofs. Temperature is falling, which influences the production of hats and gloves so wrap up warm and don’t trust even the brightest looking bit of sunshine. Really must have some Koffy.
Click to expand...
I found a peace in this red roof series @dunelm
 
Fbg 6.9

A Blackbird A Cat & A Pigeon
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC6rOQZI30V/?igsh=MTA3M3hmdTZreW9oOA==

Same vid on TikTok
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdjFskWy/

Creative. I forgot to take this photo in daylight, so I have just been and used the flash. More of this amazing fungus .

I hope you had a good day.


I have had a bit of a disaster. I am trying to sleep in the front room at the moment. I discovered a hole that being eaten from outside somewhere through the brickwork up into my bedroom and this creature has eaten through brickwork, plasterboard, through my wooden floors, through my inside doorstep, my skirting board, and emerged underneath the bedside cabinet. And has been stealing some of my stuffing in my mattress.

I assume it is a rat from the size of the hole. Why one would randomly chew a way through into my bedroom I have no idea. I could understand them if they work they way up the service pipes into the kitchen but not this.

I filled the hole with wire and cement. It came in under my bedside cabinet it came in under my bedside cabinet and presumably went straight under the bed which is why Midnight could not catch it.

That's it I'm not sleeping in that mattress again. I have dismantled that cut it up and it's now in the garden.
The bed frame is entirely another matter. This bed was built in my bedroom by this firm who put in this bed that gave me massage, and had slats that moved up and down to support me and so I could sit up, and get out of bed more easily. But the thing failed pretty quickly and stoped working long ago.

There is a lot of heavy machinery in it and I just cannot dismantle that from the bed frame. I was hoping to get it all in the garden and then dispose of it after that, butts it was so heavy it was impossible to lift and it has been made in such a way I cannot get it apart, and at the moment I am attacking it with my plumbers hammer and a saw... I didn't realise it was going to be so difficult to dismantle it. But then the firm took three days to build it, and had this machinery to put it together, so I was expecting a bit much to get it out in the garden in an afternoon. It is so heavy it has been impossible to move or these years, and I want it gone.
The rat taking this stuffing out of my bed with the last door and so that's why I've attacked it today. Midnight does not understand where my bed has gone. And has disappeared I hope he's hiding in the bungalow.

I realise now it would have cost a fortune if I'd have asked somebody to dismantle it so I'm glad I attacked it myself.

When it stopped working I had the firm out and they insist that that I had broken it. But taking the foam mattress apart, I discovered several of the wires had melted and so were not joined together anymore. And I discovered burn marks where the foam had melted. This was an intensely dangerous bed and I had no idea. Even more than ever I want it gone. The heavy machinery part, I just have to put that in my driveway and a scrap man will take that.. the rest is chipboard very heavy chipboard, but if I get that in the garden it will just disintegrate in the rain and I can dig it in.

I think this is because the badger and the foxes have not been visiting lately, they tend to keep the rats away. I am hoping they come back as soon as possible.

So I am trying to sleep in a rocking chair end up front room but not succeeding very well. I am going to back to do a bit more sawing so I will probably do that on and off all night.

My plan had to be in to get one of those chairs that you can sleep in. I had one in my last house and it worked better than a bed. But I can't afford one just yet. So I'm hoping to use my zero gravity garden chair which is in the potting shed at the moment....

At least with the bed gone, I will be able to see two of the outside walls I could never see before and I would not have known if anything had burrowed a hole in it will be better for ventilation as well for the walls.... But I've got to finish dismantling this frame and the inner frame with all the workings, machinery and wires....

And like a @dunelm mentioned earlier he was moving his artwork into the main house because of the cost of heating etc, my new plan for the bedroom hopefully will be some shelving and my artwork to be on that shelving and I'm hoping I will be able to paint in there as well as sleep. It will be a multifunction room. But at the moment it is an almighty blooming mess...

I wish Midnight would emerge. He is not answering me.

I think this fungi is called earth star but I can't remember now
IMG_20241128_222922_(1125_x_1500_pixel).jpg
 
Last edited:
Annb said:
Hug for all the tribulations you are having to suffer but I would like to add a"Winner" for your determination to deal with it all - and, of course, for the wonderful fungal photo.
Click to expand...
Thank you so very much @Annb I appreciate all that very much.... I'm glad you like that photo I thought that was a very beautiful fungus ... It actually looked okay with the flash of the camera...
 
In over twenty years of coaching age groups from 7 - adult.
It cannot be just one way of teaching or method or trying to have an agenda, to how the training session should go. You must be versatile, you have a plan, but it can't be so rigid, or opinionated, or closed to the response.
I took lessons on body language, on how to talk to different age groups, to notice and recognise if someone was not as they usually were. And to ask them in a way not to offend.
To have engagement, involement, to take the time to explain. To encourage, to give them information, to help with the experience I have, to lead, to show by example, do what I hope they can learn from it all.
Not to expect exceptional performance, or expect them to perform at a higher level.
Appreciate their input or their energy, or lower their own expectations.
Be positive, be proactive, be prepared, always have their safety and health first and foremost.
To be in a safe environment.
Listen.
And keep learning yourself.
You don't know everything, or even close.
Keep reviewing your overall effect.
Patience, confidence, and a disciplinary process, that is fair and reasonable.
With the obvious parents or guardians consent.

Children want and need to learn, don't put up restrictive boundaries, let them express, experience, and absorb.
Learn to live, and live to learn.
You're in football ⚽

And I'm off to my retirement.
 
This bed has been very stubborn.... I have been hammering and sawing all night.

Fortunately my next door neighbour has not been at home for the last few days, so I thought I was safe enough not to disturb anyone, my property is detached...

I don't feel tired because I have really achieved somehow with this, I imagine when I have finished and finished disinfecting and cleaning and everything else I need to do with that bedroom now, I will crash....

I think I had better cook breakfast, because I now have to finish the bed off and take it all to the end of the garden then I can forget about it for a wee bit, maybe until after Christmas, it is mostly in tiny bits now, and dawn is not for about another hour....
 
Back
Top