Cate's Diary

I won’t be around until Thursday evening as we’re heading off early tomorrow morning & staying at R’s for one night, doing the family car shuffle.
Saw the snake again today. D is calling in after work tomorrow & will see if he can catch it.
 
Enjoy your trip!
 
I saved the chutney recipe. Can't wait to grow a garden so I can try it! So nice you have a snake catcher in the family. Hope you have a lovely trip!
 
Thanks, LaMa, Marsia & Floater.
We are back home again now & enjoying a relaxing pot of herbal tea. It feels so good, to be comfortable again. I really struggled with the long drive down & am glad I never have to do that again. R is really happy that we delivered the car for him & has now gone camping with friends for the night, driving himself there. I am absolutely knackered as I hardly slept last night. My brain was hyper. I feel better than I should but was really grateful that G drove all the way home. Arch is happy to be home as well. The puppy exhausted him. I think our "new" car will be much more comfortable for us as it is so much bigger. It has a huge boot, which we love & really wanted. It doesn't have many bells & whistles, but that's not such a bad thing. R was very happy with the sound system I had put in his little "new" car. It has brilliant sound! I don't think I'll bother with our car as I don't think it's a long term thing & I can't see us doing long car trips.
 
Thanks, LaMa. It is exhausting & it did not feel safe for me to drive that far. It won't happen again.
Because we had such a late dinner on Wednesday night we didn't have breakfast until late yesterday & then we just had an early dinner last night, followed by some fruit only. I am now on the cusp of seeing a new low, after bouncing around for a couple of weeks. No alcohol will help. I won't have any for a week or so.
Yesterday, for the first time in his life, at the age of 39, our son, R was able to hop into his car & drive to catch up with some friends. He will not know himself.
 
Thanks, Em. I don't think R thought he would ever get his licence & he will have so much more independence now & his life will change for the better. I'm excited to think that I will get down to my happy weight again if I keep doing what I'm doing. 6.5 kg in 4 months isn't earth-shattering but is such a relief. Now to keep that up (or down!).
 
I agree, 6.5 kg is nothing to sneeze at! I like LaMa's slow and steady wins the race strategy, and I think you're doing really well at it!! I think Rs world is about to get a lot bigger. That's wonderful all the new freedom he'll have! Also lovely to hear you are enjoying the new car, and love that R has a nice sound system you gave him that he is enjoying. I like how you described coming home and being so happy to flop into comfort with even Archie worn out!
 
That's amazing. Such freedom. Also: 6.5 kg in 4 months without suffering is more than most people can manage. Great work!
Thanks, Llama. I need to keep going and the motivation isn't as strong as it was.
I agree, 6.5 kg is nothing to sneeze at! I like LaMa's slow and steady wins the race strategy, and I think you're doing really well at it!! I think Rs world is about to get a lot bigger. That's wonderful all the new freedom he'll have! Also lovely to hear you are enjoying the new car, and love that R has a nice sound system you gave him that he is enjoying. I like how you described coming home and being so happy to flop into comfort with even Archie worn out!
Thanks, M. I do love getting back home again, any time I go anywhere. R's life will really change. It was something for him to push through with it this time which is a good sign of his improving mental health. We had some really good conversations but one, in particular, stands out as he said how much he appreciates me being his sounding board as I don't tell him what he should or shouldn't do, but reinforce & reflect on what he says & encourage him to follow his instincts & give him the strength to follow through with things. That was the gist of it. I can't remember exactly what he said. I'm really happy with that as that is what I try to do.

I feel really tired today. I had better work out a March plan as the cooler weather is around the corner & I need to move more. I hardly moved at all yesterday! I also had 2 small glasses of red wine.
 
That's wonderful R gave you such a nice compliment! I agree with Em, you are really good at being a sounding board on the forum, and admire that, too! It's been cold here, too. I hope you can find a nice way to exercise and stay warm.
 
I need to keep going and the motivation isn't as strong as it was.
Can you pinpoint which parts of the process you're struggling with? The food volume? Calories? Treats? Exercise? Something completely different?
don't tell him what he should or shouldn't do, but reinforce & reflect on what he says & encourage him to follow his instincts & give him the strength to follow through
Agree with Emily and Marsia. I think it's to do with reserving judgment and being truly respectful of other people's personalities and situations. Which is rare!
 
That's a wonderful thing to hear from R, and I can see that from the way you are here, Cate. How lovely.
Thanks, Em. It really did make me feel that I do the right thing with the boys.
That's wonderful R gave you such a nice compliment! I agree with Em, you are really good at being a sounding board on the forum, and admire that, too! It's been cold here, too. I hope you can find a nice way to exercise and stay warm.
Thanks, Marsia. I really struggle with compliments, but when R told me that I felt so good. Sometimes I struggle to find the right words with everyone & if I can't say anything kind & helpful I prefer not to say anything. I went for a long walk with Archie yesterday. It ended up really hot & humid.
Can you pinpoint which parts of the process you're struggling with? The food volume? Calories? Treats? Exercise? Something completely different?
I think it's because I am feeling a bit stressed with all of my medical appointments. I have started putting eye drops in today in preparation for my eye surgery on Tuesday & I am a bit freaked out about a lens being taken off my eye & an artificial one going on. I know everyone says it is simple, but I'm still scared. I have felt like eating sweets the last week & would love something really sweet & sickly right now. I'll get over it. I think it's because I'm feeling stressed.
Agree with Emily and Marsia. I think it's to do with reserving judgment and being truly respectful of other people's personalities and situations. Which is rare!
Thanks, Llama. I really do try.
Thank you, Em, Marsia & Llama for the lovely compliments. They made me feel really good last night, but I was a bit overwhelmed by them & thought I would leave it until today to reply. I don't know why I am not good at getting compliments. Maybe it's self-doubt.

I had another snake encounter yesterday. Arch lets me know when they're about. This one wasn't far from the house & skirted our veranda inside a drain. I watched it for about an hour until it took off up the hill. That's the 3rd in a week, including the baby one inside. I'm not sure if I told you about that one. I think it came up through a small hole between 2 concrete slabs. We caught it under a bucket, slid a file under, flipped it over, put the lid on & went & released it into the bush. I don't expect that to happen again. I have gone along the wall & plugged any small holes with steel wool.
 
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I know everyone says it is simple, but I'm still scared.
Everyone I talked to has been. I think it's normal to be nervous about getting stuff done to your eyes. They're sensitive and important! Can't think of a single person I've met who had something go wrong during cataract surgery though, and I've talked to dozens.
I don't know why I am not good at getting compliments.
Habit? I know where I'm from not deflecting compliments would be seen as prideful. And your brain starts to believe whatever you tell it often enough.
 
Thanks LaMa. I think I’m worried about having an asthma attack as much as anything. Being in such close proximity to other humans worries me because of fragrance.
Re: compliments. I think I was brought up thinking that self confidence equated to vanity & pride came before a fall. It is really hard overcoming a lifetime of that, but I try.
 
I know it’s not the same thing but going to the dentist has been super weird. You obviously have to take your own mask off and then these two people dressed like surgeons loom over top of you and go into your mouth.
 
Everything is super weird now. I wonder if life will ever go back to how it once was?
 
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