Cate's Diary

[Marsia]

It's so great that having alcohol free bubbly is also a nice way to sit and appreciate the day! I think more and more about how in cognitive behavioral psychology they explain that if you are craving something that isn't healthy, don't ignore or push down the cravings, examine them and find a way to get those wants met in healthier and healthier ways. Like sometimes I want to have that lazy numbed out cozy feeling you get after having carbs - that feeling of being in a protected nest feeling safe and secure. But I also get that feeling after working hard with my muscles - that release of tension and good tiredness. So that is an excellent substitute for that aspect of my carb cravings. Sometimes I examine my cravings and they are actually thirst disguised as hunger, and sometimes I am bored and really need intellectual stimulation, but mostly I need to learn to relax and calm my mind instead of relying on carbs to numb me out. I also get lazy and don't set things up for success as far as food prep, so I extra need to learn this type of emotional intelligence where I sit and figure out what it is that I really want instead of having a vague feeling and reaching for food to fulfill it.

I was being too hard on my rhubarb and my golden raspberries, and I thought I could get them to live without a shade cloth, and I fried some of them in the sun. I think most things need shade cloth here except the ultra sun lovers. I hope rhubarb dividing goes well!

He does have some health issues now including doggy dementia but he's still himself and still utterly loveable in fact i care more about him now than i've ever done (and i've always thought so much about him).

I feel the same about my cat. I worry about her weight and keeping it down now that she's a middle aged kitty at 10, but I feel more and more love for her every year. Pets are the best!

 

[Emilyrose]

Archie is amazing!

Sounds like you are flying it! I can feel the energy emanating from your posts.

 

[Cate]

Oh, Tyke, your dog is just adorable! Our last little dog lived to 17 & had doggy dementia for her last couple of years. I love the look in your Tyke's eyes. SO cute & lovable. Share your doggy photos with me anytime
M- Sitting down & enjoying the alcohol-free bubbly was really nice. It feels the same. I must look up to see if it's OK to divide the rhubarb while it's so cold.
Arch is so adorable, Em. I do feel really good & I hope this lasts

Day 5 Dry July.
As I said I had most of a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling rose last night & thoroughly enjoyed it. Yesterday was a good day & I was a bit more active.
G has gone off to golf. I'm a bit worried @Llama as he's been asked to run the comp today as the guy who took over when G left is having a pacemaker fitted today & asked G to help out. I know what he's like.....I reminded him that he says he doesn't want to go back to being so committed to the vets every Tuesday.......I won't be going out & helping.
I have been incorporating deep breathing & a little Tai Chi into small moments in my day- when I wake & when I go outside with Archie at night for his toilet break etc. I have lost a lot of my balance so Tai Chi will be good for me. I must check out classes again.

 

[Llama]

Balance is so important, and combining it with relaxation is just perfect. Fingers and toes crossed G won't get sucked back into the club but there isn't really that much you can do other than staying firm on not "helping".

 

[Cate]

You’re right, LaMa. I have been disappointed with losing my balance so I’ll make sure I get that back.
I do hope that G will not get sucked right back in, but I know him well enough to think that he probably will.

I took Arch into town & we did the big all way around the river walk. He just loves it! It was very sociable doggy wise.
We’re both a bit pooped.
I did some veggie shopping & got some more library books. I feel like having a snooze. Maybe I will!
Edit- I have kept myself awake
I forgot to say I took out 2 books on Tai Chi from the library. They were sitting on the counter next to me.

 

[Emilyrose]

Even if G does get sucked in, it's great that you finally know better! I remember the golf club days, hahaha.

 

[Cate]

So far, so good. He doesn't seem to have been sucked in so far. I have definitely learned my lesson. I think G finds most of them to be whinging old farts.
Yesterday was a pretty good day. I took Arch for a second walk even though I was really tired. I did some deep breathing & a little Tai Chi. I'll check out the books today. G was gone for most of the day as he has pool last night & I had a few snacks, but nothing much- some licorice & a Speculaas biscuit & a few pieces of ginger. I would rather not have had them but I didn't go overboard.
I had a good night's sleep.

 

[Llama]

I think G finds most of them to be whinging old farts.

Excellent! Good job pulling the brakes on the snacks, too.

 

[Marsia]

Hi Cate! You're doing wonderfully with the deep breathing and walks! I agree with LaMa about reining in the snacks, too! I just discovered our local library and it's big and really nice. I also have a stack of books happily sitting beside me. I love picturing your big river walks with Archie. There's nothing like taking a walk with dogs who are enjoying every moment of their walk, soaking up all the smells and meeting other dogs. It's like a mini-party.

I'm really happy to hear that you and G are not getting sucked into the club again. I think you've done your stint and it's someone else's turn. So glad you are looking into Tai Chi classes again and regaining balance. I'll get surprised when we go on a river walk or something like that how much stiffer and less coordinated I've gotten. I am so grateful I know yoga and have a kid who loves doing things that keep my balance up. I am so glad we're doing more stuff like Tai Chi and yoga to keep younger and more flexible!

 

[Tyke]

Oh, Tyke, your dog is just adorable! Our last little dog lived to 17 & had doggy dementia for her last couple of years. I love the look in your Tyke's eyes. SO cute & lovable. Share your doggy photos with me anytime

Thankyou little Tyke is still a cute dog even in his advanced years. May I ask how did you know your last dog had dementia? I've gone by what i've read online....Tyke paces an awful lot, gets stuck in small spaces at times as though he is lost, and he has toilet accidents in the house sometimes (he never used to). Does that sound like doggy dementia to you? He goes to the vets regularly but i've never thought to ask, i don't think much can be done about it.

 

[Cate]

Excellent! Good job pulling the brakes on the snacks, too.

Thanks, LaMa. I had decided to have some sweet treats here & there in my first week of Dry July so that I didn't feel I was giving all of the things up at once. Most of them are gone now.

Hi Cate! You're doing wonderfully with the deep breathing and walks! I agree with LaMa about reining in the snacks, too! I just discovered our local library and it's big and really nice. I also have a stack of books happily sitting beside me. I love picturing your big river walks with Archie. There's nothing like taking a walk with dogs who are enjoying every moment of their walk, soaking up all the smells and meeting other dogs. It's like a mini-party.

It's definitely his favourite walk. So many trees & stone walls & dogs.....so many places to "mark"!
I was relieved that G was not sucked in again. He realises that so many others should have pitched in to help, but have just not bothered. I'm done with them. I will get back into Tai Chi properly again soon. I hadn't realised how much balance I had lost.

Thankyou little Tyke is still a cute dog even in his advanced years. May I ask how did you know your last dog had dementia? I've gone by what i've read online....Tyke paces an awful lot, gets stuck in small spaces at times as though he is lost, and he has toilet accidents in the house sometimes (he never used to). Does that sound like doggy dementia to you? He goes to the vets regularly but i've never thought to ask, i don't think much can be done about it.

Little Tyke is adorable. His behaviour sounds just like Sophie's. I didn't need it diagnosed really. It is so much like human dementia. She was confused most of the time. Just caring for them in their dotage & making sure they don't suffer is the main thing I think. I had her put to sleep when she did not seem to be enjoying her life at all, including losing interest in her food. I had to take her to the toilet in the end & probably left it a week too long. She was a lovely little dog- an Australian Silky Terrier.

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Yesterday-
G & I went to see Elvis & enjoyed it. Austin Butler as Elvis was brilliant. It was entertaining, but often also annoying. It is well worth seeing. Trying to find words to express how I felt about the movie I read this review-
"By the end, you genuinely feel the artist never really got to achieve his vision of connecting with gospel and soul more deeply and touring the world, because of Parker’s gaslighting and control."
We had a Chinese lunch afterwards which was delicious & quite healthy with lots of tender beef & veggies. There is a new Indian grocery nearby & we bought a few things. We had prawn gyozas & salad for dinner at home.
K9 is back in Tassie & her & her parents are coming to visit us on Sunday afternoon. It's lovely that they want to catch up with us. They are having dinner with R tonight. We have to do some serious house cleaning by then.

 

[Emilyrose]

It's sad that even someone like Elvis, probably one of the biggest icons in popular culture, also felt like he didn't get to properly realise his dreams. This being alive stuff is not that easy!

Prawn gyozas sound like something I want to try! Yum.

 

[Cate]

It's sad that even someone like Elvis, probably one of the biggest icons in popular culture, also felt like he didn't get to properly realise his dreams. This being alive stuff is not that easy!

It is sad, Em. I came away with a feeling of sadness I must admit.

Prawn gyozas sound like something I want to try! Yum.

They are very yum. G makes a really good salad with lots of seeds & a Vietnamese-style dressing & just boils the Gyozas. We buy them in a frozen kilo pack & they're very handy. I must get some more.

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Just got back from a trip to the tip. Archie got 3 walks in & I'm not sure who is the most tired. I think it may be me. I suggested G call in to see a friend who has been struggling a bit. I said I would walk & he could pick me up along the way. This friend is under a lot of stress due to his job, but also his brother does not have long to live with cancer. He & his wife are also good friends of ours. She worked with us for 14 years. I'm so glad I suggested calling in. Arch & I walked about 3 km.
Mushroom omelette for breakfast today, it will be Chicken pho for lunch & West African chicken & veg for dinner tonight.

 

[Marsia]

I felt similarly about the movie. There were so many things they could have shown about how successful he was - the process of how he wrote his songs, his working relationship with his band, his friendship with African American musicians, ... It seems like critics like sad movies, and I don't know if this influences directors or why the emphasis on what Elvis didn't accomplish, vs what he did, which was groundbreaking. But it was still a very interesting, good movie, like you said.

Your food always sounds so delectable! I have gyozas in the freezer I'll make tomorrow now that you mention them! Good luck with the cleaning! I still wish K9 and R worked out, but nice they stay in touch. That's great you can get lots of exercise while G visits a friend to cheer him up. It sounds like Covid is behind you!! Yay!!!!

 

[Llama]

Your food does sound lovely. Maybe I'll take some inspiration for my lunch today... Part of my binging could be that I'm fed up with my current food options.

 

[Cate]

I felt similarly about the movie. There were so many things they could have shown about how successful he was - the process of how he wrote his songs, his working relationship with his band, his friendship with African American musicians, ... It seems like critics like sad movies, and I don't know if this influences directors or why the emphasis on what Elvis didn't accomplish, vs what he did, which was groundbreaking. But it was still a very interesting, good movie, like you said.

It was a sad movie. I must read more about his accomplishments. G said that in the movie Jailhouse Rock he choreographed the incredible dance sequence in the final scene. In the Ghetto was an amazing song. I wasn't a big Elvis fan when I was young. He didn't seem cool to me at the time.

Your food always sounds so delectable! I have gyozas in the freezer I'll make tomorrow now that you mention them! Good luck with the cleaning! I still wish K9 and R worked out, but nice they stay in touch. That's great you can get lots of exercise while G visits a friend to cheer him up. It sounds like Covid is behind you!! Yay!!!!

The Gyozas we have in the freezer are all made up & ready to steam or boil. We got lots of cleaning done. I was really disappointed that K9 & R didn't work out too. I really love her. We were both thrilled that she & her parents want to catch up with us.
I think I have left Covid behind. Having Covid already will be little or no protection against getting it again. They are now saying that 28 days later you can get it again. Almost everyone here is getting it now. I am grateful that we had 2 booster shots.

Your food does sound lovely. Maybe I'll take some inspiration for my lunch today... Part of my binging could be that I'm fed up with my current food options.

Your food often inspires me, LaMa

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BF this morning was a toastie- 2 small pieces of sourdough spelt bread, tasty cheese, 1 slice of shaved salami, garlic, sambal oelek, shredded mini greens, sauerkraut & 1/4 of an avocado toasted. It's all about the filling- so much flavour!
More cleaning today- it was long overdue.

 

[Llama]

Now that's my kind of breakfast! Yay for getting the cleaning done, too. Visitor-level living space niceness feels so good I sometimes wonder why I don't keep it that way always. I guess it's the same as with proper eating: short-term benefits vs long-term and my brain is better at short-term...

 

[Marsia]

Oh, the toastie sounds divine! I wonder if there is more than 1 strain of Covid going around and that's why you can get it so close to already having had it? You'd think there would be way longer natural immunity than that. So strange. Lots of people are getting it here, too. It's good we're growing herbs - so many of them help keep the immune system healthy. Anyway, so glad you are over it!!!

 

[Cate]

Now that's my kind of breakfast! Yay for getting the cleaning done, too. Visitor-level living space niceness feels so good I sometimes wonder why I don't keep it that way always. I guess it's the same as with proper eating: short-term benefits vs long-term and my brain is better at short-term...

Visitor level living space is lovely. It's hard to keep up though, especially with a house this size. Whenever someone comes here for the first time we both feel that we have to go to that extra effort. I'm relaxed about it though.

Oh, the toastie sounds divine! I wonder if there is more than 1 strain of Covid going around and that's why you can get it so close to already having had it? You'd think there would be way longer natural immunity than that. So strange. Lots of people are getting it here, too. It's good we're growing herbs - so many of them help keep the immune system healthy. Anyway, so glad you are over it!!!

It is delicious, M. It's the new strain of Omicron & is even more virulent than the initial one. Our current vaccinations don't protect you from getting Omicron.

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I really don't feel like tracking everything I eat so I might have the week off. Doing Dry July will help. I'll weigh myself tomorrow & decide.

 

[Emilyrose]

I think Dry July will definitely help knock a few kilos off. A friend of mine is going through a stressful time and has been drinking a lot more wine than normal, and it's had a noticeable effect on her weight. It's lethal for packing on the pounds. The clever marketing does not tell you that!