[Harriet]

On 4/9/2024 at 11:33 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

Weighed myself this morning and ive now officially lost a stone since the 18th jan! So pleased with that. Feeling much better for it, might even try some of my old clothes on today and see if i can get into them as im definitely down a size. 
 

 

Nice work! 

 

 

On 4/11/2024 at 2:55 PM, Sea-to-sky said:

some of my shines for everyone to enjoy
 

as you can all see, i need to weed out some of it still even after going through it once already.  Bit of a magpie.

 

 

Oh wow, that's a decent sized collection! I always wish I had more jewellery but for some reason I never buy it. Hmm.

[Sea-to-sky]

1 hour ago, Harriet said:

wow, that's a decent sized collection! I always wish I had more jewellery but for some reason I never buy it. Hmm

Highly recommend car boots, market stalls, charity shops and etsy for fun jewellery finds. Thats where i get most of my stuff i dont put together myself. Vintage shops are also fun

 

think you mentioned somethig about looking at the market stalls but never getting to buying things. Sounds like a good goal for summer

for me wearing nice jewellery goes with paining my nails for nice low key things that make me feel good. 

[Harriet]

1 hour ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Highly recommend car boots, market stalls, charity shops and etsy for fun jewellery finds. Thats where i get most of my stuff i dont put together myself. Vintage shops are also fun

 

Etsy can be pretty expensive at times, although there is also some cheap stuff. I guess I would rather have a couple of more expensive pieces I love, though, than lots of inexpensive stuff that I don't love.

 

1 hour ago, Sea-to-sky said:

think you mentioned somethig about looking at the market stalls but never getting to buying things. Sounds like a good goal for summer

 

Oooh, very true. Maybe I can go to a market when we're in Cassis. Story time! Even though I eventually accepted an engagement and wedding ring from Mr Harriet, at first I said I didn't need an engagement ring, and Mr Harriet bought me a giant fossilised megalodon tooth from a market in Cassis. Apparently they wash up on the beaches there from time to time. I still have it. It's black, and the size of my hand. Giant Dino shark tooth and pretty ring. Loot!

 

1 hour ago, Sea-to-sky said:

for me wearing nice jewellery goes with paining my nails for nice low key things that make me feel good. 

It could be nice because like the nails, it's not focused on my body. 

[Sea-to-sky]

2 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Mr Harriet bought me a giant fossilised megalodon tooth

He’s a keeper. Giant dino teeth are the best romantic gifts

[Sea-to-sky]

3 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Etsy can be pretty expensive at times, although there is also some cheap stuff. I guess I would rather have a couple of more expensive pieces I love, though, than lots of inexpensive stuff that I don't love

You definetly have to pick through. Ive got nice vintage and hand strung stuff of there inexpensively. 
the handmade jewellery is gorgeous but seriously outside my price bracket. I have bought maybe 2 of those type of pieces ever off there and they where both gifts for other people

[Sea-to-sky]

*sigh* sleep and i are not the best of friends at the moment sadly. Got about 6 hrs last night, which is 3 minimum less than i need, so i feel like I've been run over. 
 

just finished chewing my way through 3 diana quincy books, which where light but with an interesting enough plot to keep me reading, which is about the level of literature i can cope with right now. Did buy them instead of going into my tbr though, but I've gone through most of the really light stuff in there already (and then reread them to the point of needing a change) and when I'm this tired cant just pick any old book off the shelf annoyingly (short explanation: dyslexia and CFS do not play well with each other).

got a couple of emily windsor books lined up next. Might reread her debutants series as well, which i really enjoyed. 

 

Loosing inches is going well, weirdly it does not come off in the order it went on for some reason. Which annoyingly means I've gone down a jean size but am now a half size ontop. Which, as anyone who has ever had to wear a bra will tell you, is a complete pain in the arse 😆. 
Still sticking to the calorie counting pretty religiously, hopefully i go down to a 16 ontop reasonably quickly. 
 

trying to get back into the habit of having an afternoon nap again to offset the low energy. Does make me feel better but is still not my favourite thing in the entire world. 

mulling finding a new biscuit recipe as the oat and raisin biscuits i made have evaporated. Might make some more oat ones and a batch of anzanc biscuits. 
making veg chilli is on my to do list at some point. If i have the energy i might do thats today as its low fuss. 
 

tomato and chilli soup turned out well. Not sure if i shared the recepie, but it is just 

1 onion (diced)

2 tins of tomatoes

chilli flakes

smoked paprika

a little cumin (optional)

pepper

tin of beans (black turtle or borlotti are my go to) (optional)

3 good table spoons of unsweetend yogurt (optional)

sundried tomatoes (optional)

Cook the onion and chilli flakes off, then add the tomatoes and half a tin of water. Add spices and cook.

if you want to add the yogurt do so now and cook it down.
once cooked blitz till texture is as desired (is nice both smooth or chunky).

After its the desired texture, add the drained beans and cook till theyr done. 
 

Makes 3 bowls full.
can be served with a spoonful of unsweetened yogurt if you didnt add it whilst cooking. 

 

the onion + tomatoes soup base is very versatile and one you can remix in various ways. Its also the base for the tomato, chilli and fennel soup recipe i posted. I also have made a tomato and basil version that is very nice. 

Now and again i experiment with different combinations and some stick. 

 

trying to learn the words for this at the moment. Nice song, want to add it to the book. 

 

[Sea-to-sky]

Went out to my local cafe for a change of scene. Still struggling with the taking up space thing when im tired. Really difficult when they pointedly clear the table at me. Makes me feel guilty despite there being 12 empty tables , so no lack of space for anyone who comes in. Sigh, ongoing. 
 

poked around the garden centre and petted the plants. Now wondering where i could shove an abutilon. I miss having one. 
 

screwed my calories over by succumbing to chocolate cookies on top of hot chocolate. Chocolate is definitely my weakness when im tired. 
have managed to get a decent amount of steps in though so thats something.

 

book is going well, emily windsor, “a gentleman never forgets a lady” highly recommended (it is book 3 of 4 is series. You definitely want to read book 2 before you read this one as they are sequential). Have loved every one of her books I've read so far (which is all but about 2). 
 

got a nap in. So that is good. Still feel like crud, but its a little less now at least. 

[Harriet]

30 minutes ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Went out to my local cafe for a change of scene. Still struggling with the taking up space thing when im tired. Really difficult when they pointedly clear the table at me. Makes me feel guilty despite there being 12 empty tables , so no lack of space for anyone who comes in. Sigh, ongoing. 
 

 

Er, were they really trying to get rid of you? Maybe they were just doing busywork or even trying to make you feel more comfortable with a SUPER CLEAN table? (Too optimistic? )

 

30 minutes ago, Sea-to-sky said:

screwed my calories over by succumbing to chocolate cookies on top of hot chocolate. Chocolate is definitely my weakness when im tired. 
have managed to get a decent amount of steps in though so thats something.

 

I could do with a hot chocolate. Good luck on your weight loss so far, in spite of chocolate.

[Sea-to-sky]

40 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Er, were they really trying to get rid of you? Maybe they were just doing busywork or even trying to make you feel more comfortable with a SUPER CLEAN table? (Too optimistic? )

Not sure, maybe?? 😅 i can be a bit over sensitive to things when I'm tired. Not the worlds best at reading social ques when im low energy wise

 

42 minutes ago, Harriet said:

could do with a hot chocolate. Good luck on your weight loss so far, in spite of chocolate

Thanks. It has been going well, despite sometimes going over my cals. 

[Laghail]

Delighted to read about your successes here, including your success in sourcing good chocolate. Any variety or flavor profile you tend to look for in chocolate?

v sorry about the shitty reception from the cafe staff. I had a lovely lady take care of my table at this brunch place in St Paul this morning. She had a compatible sense of humor and steered me to a delightful goat cheese spinach and chicken sausage. 

 

[Sea-to-sky]

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

Any variety or flavor profile you tend to look for in chocolate

Dark chocolate. Like it slightly bitter. Not too sugary. 
this cafe does really good brownies, but right now they where all salted caramel flavour, which is my least favourite flavour next to anything peanut.

 

got to be honest, that looks like an omlette. Nice looking cafe though. 

[Sea-to-sky]

Going swimming today and put my swimming costume on for the first time in months. Cant believe how much weight I've lost, especially off my lower half! Makes me feel so positive about all this to see good results. 
 

rereading my way through another of Emily Windsor's series. Captivating debutants (or something like that). 
 

actually slept well last night \0/ so feeling better. Therefore the obvious conclusion is to go for a dip in 10’c of water.

yes i may be slightly nuts. Especially as i haven't been in in months. Much swearing will probubly happen as it is going to feel so cold after all that time. 
but the weather is sunny(ish) and i am feeling in a good place for it for the first time in a couple of months. 
 

edit: 10.9’c. Freezing but a fun swim

[Sea-to-sky]

Looking back over the last week (yay, bujo) i realised that i actually got a decent amount of exercise in latterly (2 walks and a swim) despite being tired. 
going out today for lunch with my brother so taking it slow this morning so i dont accidentally sabotage that. 
been playing around with this weeks bujo layout, still work in progress so will see how it turns out.  
 

hopefully feel up to doing some mando this week. Weather is still very patchy, but hopefully get out more later in the week. Need a change of scenery after being stuck in with all the rain. 

[Laghail]

I LOVE WHEN YOU GET TO CELEBRATE! Bodies are always valid, but bodies changing in a way we want?? Celebration meme below:

 

[Laghail]

On 4/14/2024 at 4:25 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

rereading my way through another of Emily Windsor's series. Captivating debutants (or something like that). 

 

Ooh, favorite reading attitude so far? Currently I'm a big fan of reading while laying on my couch with a giant pillow under my head and a light blanket. This lets one dog colonize the pillow at my head, and the other make a hammock between my knees on a lap blanket. Once they've settled down into their spots, I can then uncork my coffee thermos and finalize the combo of ultimate comf - dogs/hot beverage/good book/cozy pillow+blanket. Additional comfy modifiers apply if the weather is in a 60-65 F / 15-16 C range and if there's gentle acoustic music playing, or maybe lyrics to songs I know so well that my brain treats the words like an additional instrument. 

 

 

On 4/14/2024 at 4:25 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

actually slept well last night \0/ so feeling better. Therefore the obvious conclusion is to go for a dip in 10’c of water.

yes i may be slightly nuts. Especially as i haven't been in in months. Much swearing will probubly happen as it is going to feel so cold after all that time. 
but the weather is sunny(ish) and i am feeling in a good place for it for the first time in a couple of months. 

Yesss!  This makes me so happy. Remember to record your sets and reps of cussing too 🤪

 

On 4/14/2024 at 1:19 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

Dark chocolate. Like it slightly bitter. Not too sugary. 

 

Like 70% cacao or closer to 80%?

 

On 4/14/2024 at 1:19 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

this cafe does really good brownies, but right now they where all salted caramel flavour, which is my least favourite flavour next to anything peanut.

 

Mm, I'd normally tease you for being wrong, but I had salted caramel ice cream a bit ago and my brain freaked out and told me I was eating cold butter. It's had me off salted caramel ever since.

 

On 4/14/2024 at 1:19 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

got to be honest, that looks like an omlette. Nice looking cafe though. 

 

10/10 was an omlette. And I think an egg-white one as well, which is a shame, because it could have used more of a punch. Either put the poor yolks back in, or add a tomato jam or a tapenade or something. Katsup was a poor alternative but still a good choice. 

[Sea-to-sky]

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

LOVE WHEN YOU GET TO CELEBRATE

Thank you 😄im so happy about it!

 

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

Currently I'm a big fan of reading while laying on my couch with a giant pillow under my head and a light blanket

This is prime reading setup for me too. In the afternoons i am also crashing out on my bed and reading as its quiet up there and that means i recharge well.

My favourite is taking a book and lunch for a walk and finding a nice spot to just camp and chill for a couple of hours. This is very much a summer activity though, due to weather and the fact everywhere looks like a slip and slide round here right now. 
 

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

This makes me so happy. Remember to record your sets and reps of cussing too 🤪

It was mostly inarticulate yelling, trying to catch my breath and failing,  and saying “fudge” a hell of a lot, does that count? 😆🥶

 

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

Like 70% cacao or closer to 80%?

I tend to get local chocolate and their dark options are 60% (which i am prone to inhaling if not careful), 75% (the one i buy most often) and 80%(which i can only eat in small pieces)

 

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

but I had salted caramel ice cream a bit ago and my brain freaked out and told me I was eating cold butter

Im with your taste buds on that one.

 

1 hour ago, Laghail said:

Katsup

Just checking, but katsup is tomato ketchup, right?

[Harriet]

On 4/14/2024 at 11:25 AM, Sea-to-sky said:

 

actually slept well last night \0/ so feeling better. Therefore the obvious conclusion is to go for a dip in 10’c of water.

yes i may be slightly nuts. Especially as i haven't been in in months. Much swearing will probubly happen as it is going to feel so cold after all that time. 
but the weather is sunny(ish) and i am feeling in a good place for it for the first time in a couple of months. 
 

edit: 10.9’c. Freezing but a fun swim

 

Cold water helps you sleep? I would have guessed it would boost stress hormones and prevent sleep, which is why I haven't tried cold showers at night, yet.

 

7 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Looking back over the last week (yay, bujo) i realised that i actually got a decent amount of exercise in latterly (2 walks and a swim) despite being tired. 

 

Excellent! Bujos are so good for these insights.

[Sea-to-sky]

1 minute ago, Harriet said:

Cold water helps you sleep? I would have guessed it would boost stress hormones and prevent sleep, which is why I haven't tried cold showers at night, yet.

I cant remember the ins and out of the science well enough to word vomit them Back at you sadly. But it does  have quite a few immune response, mental health and some other things benefits. 
i started it as a social activity, but have actually found it helps the CFS.

probubly a certain percentage of this is that it helps my mood (and mood effects your energy. Etc etc, weird knock on effects).  But theres definitely some immune system stuff going on there too i would say.

The outdoor swimming society have some interesting articles on the effects of cold on humans if you want a read about it. 

the exercise is probubly more responsible for the good sleep to be honest. I do tend to sleep better after ive had a swim.

[Sea-to-sky]

Quiet day today. Weather indeterminate and pretty tired so taking is slow. 
 

trying to get more walks in now im feeling better so the 3 walks a week thing is back on. Need to get out and get a change of scene this week as I'm getting a bit cabin fevery between being tired and the rain

tired so penmanship could be better on calligraphy, but was fun. Labels worked well despite lack of black pen. (Thanks @Everstormfor the suggestion). Might add some colour but will see how we go. 

 

reading the 7th book in lidiya foxglove’s fairytale series. Cannot recommend this series enough they are amazing. The stories stand up in their own right and have the best plots. Ive loved every one of them so far. You can read them out of order, most of them do fleeting make mention of aspects from previous books so it is fun to see previous books referred to. 
You definitely want to read book 2 before book 7 though, as they do follow after each other and include many of the same characters. 

 

[TimovieMan]

20 hours ago, Laghail said:

 

Great songs! 😍

[Laghail]

21 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

My favourite is taking a book and lunch for a walk and finding a nice spot to just camp and chill for a couple of hours. This is very much a summer activity though, due to weather and the fact everywhere looks like a slip and slide round here right now. 

 

I am not the boss of you, but I vote that one or all of your summer challenges have an outdoor reading component. Something to trick you into shooting us pictures of the Cornish summer countryside. (You're near Cornwall, right? I'm not discounting that pre-coffee Jon is misremembering shiz)

 

21 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

It was mostly inarticulate yelling, trying to catch my breath and failing,  and saying “fudge” a hell of a lot, does that count? 😆🥶

 

Yes. I think that's like HIIT swearing. Well done.

 

21 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

I tend to get local chocolate and their dark options are 60% (which i am prone to inhaling if not careful), 75% (the one i buy most often) and 80%(which i can only eat in small pieces)

 

I feel that, except about local chocolate. Great tragedy of mine is that local chocolate is Nestle. This is why I start flame wars with @TimovieMan over Danish and Belgian bakery, the only local chocolate here is Nestle. 💀🔫 

 

 

21 hours ago, Sea-to-sky said:

Just checking, but katsup is tomato ketchup, right?

 

Yeah, "Katsup" is kinda a joke spelling, but turns out there's some history behind UK sailors importing a Chinese fish sauce around 1690, and it eventually hitting the US and UK markets as Catsup and Ketchup, respectively. I guess the TV show Mad Men did some plots around the condiment so people began to again notice the differential spelling, and now we have a boring food anecdote to share at all the parties that we don't attend. 🤷‍♂️

[TimovieMan]

5 minutes ago, Laghail said:

I feel that, except about local chocolate. Great tragedy of mine is that local chocolate is Nestle. This is why I start flame wars with @TimovieMan over Danish and Belgian bakery, the only local chocolate here is Nestle. 💀🔫 

Flame wars??? 😯

I thought it was just banter... 😔

 

Also, Nestle???

[Harriet]

Walks are such a good intermediate between total sloth and champion activity levels.

[Sea-to-sky]

2 hours ago, Laghail said:

Yes. I think that's like HIIT swearing. Well done.

Hey, whatever burns the calories 😆

 

yes, this one is from cornwall. You guys might get naturey shots come summer. No promises 

Commiserations about the lack of decent chocolate locally.

at least you have decent bakers and cafes. Small mercies and all that

 

1 hour ago, Harriet said:

Walks are such a good intermediate between total sloth and champion activity levels

Definetly. Mini workouts also helping. Trying not to do all the things all at once now i feel a little better and the weather is nicer. 

[Laghail]

2 hours ago, TimovieMan said:

Flame wars??? 😯

I thought it was just banter... 😔

 

It is, just teasing you!