Dusty's Frugal Fortnights

beanielou

Good news on the walk.

dustydigger

Morning!
The ''Duck Pond'' has appeared in our front garden.There is a hollow which only fills with water once the ground is totally saturated from unceasing rain,and now its a couple of feet across and perhaps 2 inches deep.We have alternated days of torrential and persistent downpours with dry sunny days,but predominantly wet days.Last year we were cutting the grass in early March,this year it is so waterlogged I dont see Mr Dusty doing the mowing for a while,which he is happy about:)But the garden is looking very messy.
Got in a walk yesterday just round the nearby streets but no chance today,its chucking it down,I can barely see across the room its so dark. House is tidy,so I am doing no housework today,its too dark to see things properly and for some reson I dont like doing cleaning by artificial light unless absolutely necessary. Too dark to read easily,so a good excuse to come online :D. I'll clean out my emails( I did unsubscribe from a lot of sites,but still get quite a few emails a day.)Also got to check out LibraryThing,the site has been down since Friday,very annoying. Not that I've finished any books to add to my ''shelf'',because I am reading 6 books at once,its going to be a while finishing them,but they will all come to a close near each other,and then my pathetic two books read this month will look a lot more satisfactory. One book that I must concentrate and finish soon is Edgar Rice Burroughs The Chessmen of Mars,which is required by another reader in a matter of days.Online borrowing is for only 2 weeks instead of 3 I thought I could renew it,but someone wants it,their request appeared yesterday,so I have 2 days to finish. Oh well ,only about 130 pages,I can manage.
Quicl check of other groups and sites,then it off to the kitchen. The lamb casserole is doing fine,I only have to do the roasties and veggies for Mr Dusty. I am in two minds between soup and baked cod. Oh do I long for lovely fish in crisp batter,its months since I had it:D:D If I can pull off losing that pound at SW to make my four stone,I think I will reward myself with the meal which has always been my fave since childhood. Ah,those were the days,very fresh fish and lovely batter,cooked of course in lard. Fish n' chips has never been the same since they changed over to using bland cooking oil!:rotfl::rotfl:And a fish lot cost one shilling,old money,5p!! Of course prices have gone up,but thats the equivalent of only the purchasing power of £1.20 today,so it was a lot cheaper . We could eat it regularly. Ah the good old days..........

dustydigger

family history - Yay! The birth certificate for my mysterious uncle whom I couldnt identify arrived,and my guesses were proved right.:T I can now add him to my family tree,plus his wife and her ancestors going back 3 generations.So satisfying filling the gaps:j
finances - My CA was building up again,so I was able to transfer £100 to the bank!:D That makes £400 for the Emergency Fund (which I never had before,its such a relief to have something to fall back on!I'm aiming for £1000) and £300 (I am aiming for £800)in the Xmas Fund.:beer:
Sorted out more paperwork,scratched out details and off it went in the recycle bin.
Havent been out for a walk for a couple of days because of the atrocious weather.
Really need to sort out exercise for bad weather.I'm a real couch potato,I need to get more exercise in my life The next big campaign!
At least its stopped raining,making my visit to the DN this afternoon easier. I'm off now to get my clothes together,and find some shoes with a small heel. Last time I went she lectured me disapprovingly that I was wearing very flat shoes,saying it wasnt good for my feet. Considering it was only 4 months after my second knee op and I was still in agony even trying to walk she was lucky I wasnt wearing slippers rather than my most comfortable shoes.
No wonder what with her telling me I was diabetic,a bolt out of the blue,and moaning about my shoes my blood pressure was sky high. First two arm bands didnt fit or didnt work,so she took me off to this other machine way down the hall and in public,limping on my stick,and my BP was 170/97,normally its around 136/72. In the end she didnt record that figure:rotfl:
So this time,wear correct shoes,and I'll arrive early so as to sit a while and breathe deeply to calm my BP. At least walking now doesnt feel like being stabbed in the knees! I am well over 3 stones less in weight,so fingers crossed for a good outcome.
For some reason they didnt ask for urine sample last time,taking it today,so that will mean another appointment to discuss that.Our surgery is always chaotic.I just got an appointment for a smear test again. Last year, early 2017, I patiently explained I had had a total hysterectomy,did I really need it. Woman very surprised, said had no notes about said op,which had taken place Nov 2015. Heaven knows what happened to my notes,and here we are again. Cant be bothered to phone about it,will tell the secretary on my way out,so as not to raise my BP too much before seeing the nurse.:rotfl:

beanielou

Good news on the EF.
Hope appointent goes well.

beanielou

Good news on the EF.
Hope appointent goes well.

Sayschezza

You are so organised and I am so impressed.

dustydigger

:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j
Well,I had my test results,and the diabetic nurse was pleased,impressed,and pretty stunned actually.Boy,am I relieved and can hardly believe it
blood pressure target 140/80 - achieved 128/69:j
cholesterol target 5 - achieved 3.3 :j
BMI was 40,now 31.6 (aiming for 25 eventually)

weight loss 3st 12 lbs:j
triglycerides,etc - normal.
And the all important HbA1c? Last year was 49 now I am at 37,well down into the healthy low sugar normal range.:j:j:j

Not all unalloyed joy though,apparently I have an underactive thyroid.which probably explains the spate of ill health with infections etc lately. And perhaps why though doing everything the same as always I am not losing any weight .Hypothyroidism apparently is a hindrance to weight loss,since the thyroid gland has a major function in regulating metabolism.
I have to go back in 3 months and be tested for thyroid antibodies,then I would probably be on medication for life. Nothing I can do in the matter of food etc. My own immune system is as ever attacking my body,has been most of my life,right from the rheumatic fever when I was 17,which caused my crippling arthritis :mad::mad::mad:
But for now I am rejoicing over my fab diabetes results.:beer::beer::beer:

redofromstart

oh those are brilliant results, shows just how much changing what you eat can achieve. Well done you!

I am now craving fish and chips

mummytogirls

Afternoon DD,

Ive been following your diary but not posted on here before.

I have an underactive thyroid too and am on thyroxine for life. I was diagnosed at 31 with it so quite worrying at such a young age. Do you feel tired? The thyroxine definitely helps with that but the weight is hard to shift even nearly 3 years in for me!

Great news on the other results though, well done xx

Sayschezza

Under active thyroid here also. Weight loss is really hard and the dry skin conditions/thinning hair/brittle nails/etc etc are an ongoing nuisance.