Cate's Diary

[Cate]

Thanks Geo. I haven't had a good day again physically. I'm starting to think I don't have a cold & it's my allergies & asthma. I had 2 asthma attacks in our local town, including once at the doctor's. At least he got to see how I react to perfumes. He gave me a medical certificate for 3 months.
I have to go see an independent job capacity assessor tomorrow. Oh, fun. I'll take the certificate. It's worth going through all this hopefully so that I can get some sort of income from the Government. I honestly don't know what I could do that does not involve contact with fragrances. If they have any brilliant ideas I'm all ears.
My LH is going to go with me just in case I can't drive home. I'm getting stronger & stronger reactions all the time. It's a bit scary. I don't want to end up like my sister who has to wear a mask when she goes out. I know it makes her feel like a freak.

Food-wise I'm doing well. I waited until I got home today to have lunch & it was 3pm before I had it. Tonight we had steak. I am hungry a lot of the time but it feels good to be able to switch back into Cohen's mode. Hungry is ok. I didn't fall apart at the seams.

I'll pop back tomorrow when we get home & let you know how I go.
Cheers, Cate.

 

[geo]

i hope everything will work out well for you at the assessor's, cate.

 

[Cate]

Thanks Geo, It did go really well. The assessor said she couldn't fit me into any of the boxes & is going to push for a disability pension as she can't see me being able to get a job. It sounds depressing, I know & it is a bit depressing but she could tell that I'm genuine. I don't care what it's called.
I am feeling a bit better tonight. I have a sore throat & a heavy head but I'm not too bad. Mentally I feel fine.
I have dropped 4.5kg since last Tuesday(9 days) Nice. I am so happy with how it's going. I have had our GS here this afternoon & this evening & took him to taekwondo so haven't had a chance to get near the computer. I'm tired now so am heading for bed.
Cheers, Cate

 

[Cate]

Today-
I have felt dreadful all day. Heavy head, sore throat, feeling a bit sorry for myself & a bit grumpy. I did offer to take our GS home half way through the afternoon but he chose to stay the night again. He's in my chair in front of the fire. I have booted him out of it a couple of times today. It has been a miserable, Winter's day. Mentally I'm ok but I will be pleased when this cold has gone. All of us have it- my LH, our GS, or OS.....me..
Winter, schminter.
I'll be much more positive, I'm sure, when I'm feeling better.
I won't drag you lovelies down any further & will say goodnight I think.
Love to all, Cate.

 

[Cate]

Still feeling dreadful so, same, same. Managed to vacuum this afternoon, after dropping our OGS off home, after going to the market. About to sit in my chair & read the paper. *Groan, moan.*

 

[Cate]

Starting to feel a little better today I think. My head is not so heavy & my throat is not so sore. *sigh* I don't feel grumpy either, thank goodness. I have had enough of being grumpy.
My LH is home for the day & we are sitting in front of the fire, drinking our morning coffee & reading the paper (well...I was until I got the laptop). We will probably do a bit of gardening today, bring in some wood & have a bit of a lazy day. He's back at work tomorrow.
I will enjoy his company and having a couple of days where I don't have to venture out anywhere.
I had a very strong reaction to my nephew's perfume yesterday & will steer clear of other humans for a few days to give my defences time to re-group. I saw him in the street with my SIL & gave them a big hug each. Big mistake. he had just been to Myers, trying on perfumes. What is it about young men & fragrance? He came over from Melbourne to see his grandmother I think & I just spotted them in town.
I am going to have to stop being a hugger it seems. It keeps happening. If you hug then you have the fragrance on your clothing often. I quickly changed when I got home & threw my clothes in the laundry.
I had a lovely time with our grandson. He seems to be annoying his parents a lot lately. They say he's cheeky & insolent. I don't see it really. It's funny. I guess that's how it is with kids & parents & grandparents. We enjoy his company, he enjoys ours & his parents get a break so it's all good.
It's actually a nice day today. There was a thick frost & now it's a beautiful sunny day. I had better get on the move & make the most of it I think before it evaporates!
Bye all, xoxo Cate

 

[Cate]

Had a really nice day. We went for a walk through the bush for about an hour. Our bush block is really like a rainforest with lots of ferns & moss & fungi. It's beautiful & very peaceful. We had a nice light lunch & shared a bottle of Rose. I just cut my Lh's hair quite short. I like it & I hope he does too as I think it suits him & I won't have to do it again for a while. Te he.
Time for a pot of herbal tea & some fruit.
I am definitely back in the land of the living!
Cheers, Cate.

 

[Cate]

Woken up feeling much better. I'm still croaky but my head is not feeling like it's about to explode & I don't feel at all miserable. There was a very thick frost and it looks like being a beautiful, sunny day again. Nice. The black cockatoos flew over about 20 minutes ago so the sunny weather may not last long.

The forum is quiet at the moment. I hope that it's a good sign. I used to often use the forum to get me through to meal times & to help me articulate my thoughts & fears. I still do.
I'll come back later today after doing some chores. Cheers, Cate.

 

[Cate]

What happened to yesterday?
The day before I ended up going for a walk & did lots of chores & then yesterday I'm not so sure about. I'm thinking......
In the morning I had a sleep-in as it was really cold & we were going out last night. Breakfast, chores, cold, cold. Had trouble getting the fire burning properly. Turned my tuna salad into a hot tuna stir-fry, which was actually quite nice. Our OS arrived in the afternoon to borrow a coat that I have for a fancy dress at the week-end. It belonged to my grandmother & is full-length squirrel. Ouch. I didn't want it but my mother insisted. I had it valued ($2,000) & would like to sell it. Our DIL is going to the party as Cruella Devine. LOL. I also have a fox stole somewhere but can't find it. I hid it from the grandkids.
Our son asked me for a game of cribbage & we played about 5 games. He flogged me 4/1.
Then I read the paper & had a late shower, ready to go out to RocKwiz!!!!! We had an early dinner & went into Launceston early. The show was absolutely sensational! That was one of the best birthday presents I have ever got. It was so appropriate. Clever son!

Today-
I have woken up with stinging eyes, probably from the perfumes etc but feel pretty good. It's Tai Chi day & I am looking forward to that as usual. I'll have lunch with them today I think. Spinach & Fetta Quiche & salad & a pot of herbal tea I think. Their quiche barely has any crust at all & is delicious. I wore a top last night to the show that my TC instructor gave me last week. It is black with a velvet rolled colour, velvet down one side of the sleeves & lace trim. It looked good I think. I wore it with a black thermal under it, black pants & black boots with my African black & silver ear-rings. I had given her a pair of leopard-skin suede gloves the week before that I had never worn & she loved them. Every time I went to wear them my LH would call me Za Za Gabor so I had put them away in the cupboard. Now they are being worn & loved so it's good. I did feel a little self-conscious in them without his saying anything. I love the top. It's not something I would have chosen for myself but it suits me.
Internet-
I am on a "shaped" plan so when I have used up my broadband data downloads for the month I get "shaped" back to dial-up speed which is agonisingly slow. I'll look at alternate plans soon as my contract expires in the next few months I think. That's why I didn't post yesterday I just remembered as it was too slow loading my page. I tried a few times & gave up.
Bye for now, Cate

 

[Cate]

Yesterday-
Had a lovely day. Wednesday is my favourite day of the week. Ahhh. Tai Chi.
My weight has crept back up a little & I put it down to the wine that I have had in the last week. I have shared a bottle of wine with my LH 3 nights in the last week. Mmm. I followed maintenance guidelines with it too. Obviously my recent small weight-loss (4.5kgs) was not stable. We have our YS & his GF coming to stay Sat night, until Sunday afternoon so I will go back on Cohen's 100% again on Monday to lower my weight & then get it stable again. Not far to go. I'll do re-feed again if necessary.
I think it's an important part of the program. I have only been eating Cohen's mid re-feed portions not the original weight-loss portions. It seems to work for me. I'll re-assess after a while if it stops working for me.

Today-
Looks to be quite a chilly but sunny day. It's only going to get to 13oC so it will be a bit invigorating. Not sure what I'm doing today. I have to take our OGS to Taekwondo & have him for the night. I have found a 9 letter word puzzle game online which I'm loving. Since I realised my mum's mind is slipping I have started doing them daily. Apparently she never has done them.
I'll say bye for now. Cheers, Cate

 

[Cate]

Another lovely evening with our grandson. He was asked if he wanted to stay for the senior class at Taekwondo as he was the only junior there. They had another instructor from up the coast teaching a martial arts class. He loved it.
I had an earlier night & slept right through until 6.30 which was lovely. I feel a lot brighter today. Down .5kg since yesterday. I'm 3 above my GW range & am looking forward to being back down in it.

I am taking the dogs to the vet this morning to be vaccinated. I prefer to hibernate in winter. I love my polar-fleece pants, thermal & sleeveless polar fleece vest. It's my home winter uniform. I know I'm a dag. I'll change into it as soon as I get home.

I'll pop back later today & type in the other threads. Cheers, Cate

 

[Alta818]

Cateeeee!!!! My Ray of SUNSHINE!!! !!

Did I hear you say BIRTHDAY?!?!.....Awww...HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY LOVE!!! ! I hope you spent it nicely, from what I read, YOU DID!! !!!

I love how you talk about your grandkids,...! Reminds me of how my mom would always complain to my grandma about us and my grandma just COULD NOT SEE IT!! hahah...Gotta love that bond!!! !!!

I'm so happy that you got over that sickness and that you are feeling BETTER! Woohoo!!!...Great JOB on smashing down some more weight!!! Gotta love that WINE right ! ;!! !

I love it when I read in articles that it's GOOD for me!!!...WOOHOOO!...Really?!? Well,...bring it on!!! I could literally drink a whole bottle a night if I gave myself the option! Hmm Hmmm...

The way you describe your fireplace really makes me want to have one. The crackling sounds are amazing and SO TRANQUIL!!!

I adore your smile! You are the best! ...I'm sorry for any troubles that you have had with your smelling perfumes and all as well as any other family doctor issues. It's funny how sensitive we can be with our senses right?!

....awww well Love....Have a GREAT night, and take care as always my little Kuala Bear!!!! !! !! Love ya!!!

 

[Cate]

Cateeeee!!!! My Ray of SUNSHINE!!!!

Did I hear you say BIRTHDAY?!?!.....Awww...HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY LOVE!!! !I hope you spent it nicely, from what I read, YOU DID!! !!!

Thank you sweet friend. I spent my birthday out on the Great Barrier Reef with my lovely husband snorkelling with a Marine Biologist. Bliss!

I love how you talk about your grandkids,...! Reminds me of how my mom would always complain to my grandma about us and my grandma just COULD NOT SEE IT!! hahah...Gotta love that bond!!! !!!

I know, it's funny. I can't see it at all. He's gorgeous! LOL!

I'm so happy that you got over that sickness and that you are feeling BETTER! Woohoo!!!...Great JOB on smashing down some more weight!!! Gotta love that WINE right ! ;!! !

I love it when I read in articles that it's GOOD for me!!!...WOOHOOO!...Really?!? Well,...bring it on!!! I could literally drink a whole bottle a night if I gave myself the option! Hmm Hmmm...

I do love my wine & like you I could drink a bottle every night if I could get away with it. Mmm mmmmmm!

The way you describe your fireplace really makes me want to have one. The crackling sounds are amazing and SO TRANQUIL!!!

We have an American wood heater. It's a Lopi & is wonderful. Built in Washington it copes well with our winter. Toasty. It has a double layered cook top so you can simmer on the upper back & boil on the front. It's very practical when you can get your own wood but not in a city where wood is very costly. We have 50 acres of mostly bush (woods) & get our own wood. It's great exercise & a perfect excuse for getting out in the fresh air. It's also a good way of spending time together.

I adore your smile! You are the best! ...I'm sorry for any troubles that you have had with your smelling perfumes and all as well as any other family doctor issues. It's funny how sensitive we can be with our senses right?!
....awww well Love....Have a GREAT night, and take care as always my little Koala Bear!!!! !! !! Love ya!!!

As always Alta you have brightened my day. Your love & enthusiasm is infectious. Thank you my friend for visiting me here & for being you. I caught up with your diary today & can relate to almost all of your reasons for getting rid of any excess fat. Sweets you are gorgeous & it's about time you realised that fact. It really is time you stopped letting self-doubt limit you. You are a force to be reckoned with. Sending you a big hug & much love Alta right back, xoxoxo Cate

 

[Cate]

Switch back on!

Light switch-
It is time to flick that switch back on. Actually I think I already have. This time it's getting back into an exercise routine. I actually don't care if anyone thinks I'm obsessive about anything. As of Monday I am officially back into a strict exercise regime. I will start off with a minimum of 30 minutes specific exercise & work my way up slowly. I won't count incidental exercise like wood-gathering or vacuuming, even though it can be vigorous. It must be actual planned exercise. It's time I geared up for a really big walk. I want to feel really fit!
Today-
I am going to go for a walk but also do some vacuuming, vegie prepping & tidying up as our YS & his GF are coming up from Hobart to stay with us tonight & going back after lunch tomorrow. We are having an old-fashioned meal of beef rissoles, gravy & lots of vegies tonight, as requested & will have Atlantic Salmon for lunch tomorrow. My LH is going to make either a Rhubarb & apple crumble or sponge. The fruit is already stewed & ready. We have lots in the freezer.
It's a lovely looking day today, after a very thick frost. Time for me to get moving, xoxo Cate

 

[Cate]

Well so much for starting tomorrow & building my exercise up. Just got back from a 1.5hr walk- about 4km up & down hills. The frost was still on the ground & the air was very fresh but it is a beautiful, sunny day. I went with my YS's GF & it was lovely to have such delightful company. She has just got back from a trip to Europe & is feeling very unfit & was raring to go. It gave us a chance to have a good talk too. I love this girl.

It feels great to have started my exercise routine & I coped well with it. Exercise makes me feel great. It's a good obsession! There is a Zumba class in our local town that I am tempted by but it's at night & I know that I prefer to stay at home in the evening, especially in Winter. Cate=hibernating bear in Winter.

They have gone to visit our DIL & the grandkids. Our OS is at work today or I would have had them all up for lunch. Then they will have lunch with us & head back to Hobart, calling at my MIL's on the way. She will be pleased to see her grandson.

I had better scoot & find a motivational saying for the day. Mmm I'm running out of ideas....
Cheers for now, Cate.

 

[Cate]

Yesterday-
It felt great to go for such a good walk & it was lovely having our younger son & his GF here. I have her to thank for the visit. I love this girl. She's a great influence on him. I really enjoyed their visit & it felt so relaxed & comfortable. We sent him home with some goodies & a car full of firewood. She has a station wagon.

Today-
We cut & gathered wood for over 2 hours & came home for lunch. It was very hard physical work & I will count it as 1 hour's exercise. Happy with that start to my routine. I'm quite tired & stiff as it's been a while since we got wood together.

I'll pop back later. Cheers, Cate.

 

[Cate]

Cate, I have to say, you are truly a very gifted lady, who just has the most caring and sincere nature I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, even if it is in a forum. I can only imagine the joy and happiness you bring to those around you.

Thank you for all you do on here and for truly caring about each and every one of us.

What an absolutely delightful start to my day. Thank you so much Regina. That has made me feel so good I'm almost lost for words & that's no mean feat! On that lovely note I will head off to do some housework with a smile on my face. I'll pop back later, xoxo Cate.

 

[geo]

Keep smiling, my friend..my mum always says that any house work done with a smile will not feel like a chore. Hmm i've yet to try mopping my house with a smile. on my face...LOL!

 

[Cate]

Thanks Geo, I'm still smiling!
Yesterday-
I also ended up going for a walk but it was very cold & my LH came along & I got a lift home with him. My exercise schedule is going according to plan.
I went out to 8-ball with my LH & had a good night. I did foolishly have a little bit of supper & threw up when I got home. I don't know what possessed me to try it as it was pork. Gross! I ate about 3 small mouthfuls. Another lesson learned. Shudder!
Today-
Was Tai Chi day, & once again, it was lovely. I am getting much better at Lilac Moon thank goodness. I was wondering if I ever was going to! One of my TC favourites is going to work with Aborigines as a Teacher's aide in August for a term. I will miss her. We have become good friends. I know she needs to get away for a while. Her partner is very needy & it will help him too I think.
It is very cold today & I am sitting in front of the fire on my recliner. My LH has a rabbit stew cooking for dinner & it smells delicious. I count my 1hr Tai Chi as my exercise for the day & it's my most relaxed & relaxing day. *sigh* I do love Wednesdays.
Kristy-
It was lovely of Kristy to pop in to let us know how well she is doing. We all need good news & positivism. Kristy is doing so well!
xoxo for now, Cate.

 

[Cate]

Today-
I have had a really good, positive day. I have walked for 70 mins & eaten very healthily & have not snacked on anything except my fruit/cracker allowance. I have an hour left before I have to pick up our OGS so thought I would quickly type in here as I usually let him play on my laptop as they don't have the Internet connected at home.
I had my old favourite savoury mince for lunch with beef mince, onion, celery, garlic, ginger, mushroom, a little curry powder, a little cumin & a splash of Balsamic added at the end. Yummo!

I enjoyed my walk today but it felt like hard work. I picked up a full bag of rubbish from the side of the road & probably walked about 3.5km. It really feels good to be back into a routine with it. Dinner tonight will not be strictly Cohen's as we have some non-Cohen's vegies in the rabbit stew. It will be very healthy though. We always have a small plate of fresh fruit each after dinner. We usually split an orange, an apple & a mandarin. Citrus fruit is delicious at the moment.
I'll say good-bye for today. Hope you are all going to plan, xoxo Cate