Bouncing beetroot

Not a weigh day. In fact, you may notice that this posting is after midnight as I have been at a party. I could even admit to kind of coming home earlier than I perhaps would have because I knew I hadn't written my blog - I am getting sad!

I short changed you yesterday. It was partly because I was absolutely shattered but partly as I could find no peace. My beloved was sitting next to me on the sofa, snivelling with a cold and eating whilst watching "Extreme Logging" or some equally irritatingly narrated programme - maybe Iceroad Truckers or Worlds Greatest Catch. Anyway, I couldn't concentrate at all.

Today has been pretty good and I have got most of what I set out to do, done. I am still without hot water (five days now) which is really annoying. The silt is building up around me and I just can't face cleaning by boiling kettles. I had yoghurt & muesli for breakfast whilst checking I still have a brain and doing yesterday's sudoku from the paper. I then went to work for a couple of hours. It has been a gloriously sunny, blue sky day which lifts your spirits (and dries the washing). I went to the farm to pick damsons and green beans and managed to snaffle some tomatoes on the vine while I was there. The sight of the damsons on the branches against the cloudless sky was just so perfect. I am going to make some jam and a good sized jar of damson gin. I am not going to make a pie with an irresistible sugary crust - sorry family, I can't risk it! The beans will blanch and go in the freezer.

When I got back, Ben"the relentless"Smith and Emily were lying in the sun on the front lawn. Haha, not doing anything. No excuses, you can put me through my paces at tennis. To give him credit, he didn't even try to get out of it. We played three sets in the sunshine and when I took the keys back, the guy suggested I see a doctor. I was a beetroot. Whatever my level of fitness, health, weight, it does not matter, I go bright red/purple with a white line around my hair line at the first sign of exertion. It is so embarrassing and stays with me for a couple of hours afterwards. However, contrary to the obvious evidence, Ben"bloody relentless"Smith said I was lazy today - lazy! I was absolutely knackered! At first, I thought he was goading me into being more aggressive but no, I think he really thought I was lazy. Christ, I was nearly knocking myself out with my own breasts, I was trying so hard. (If I am to take up this sport seriously, I am going to have to force myself to invest in a sports bra - I am in real danger of physical damage - wriggling puppies in a blanket as they were once described). I was useless and only took 3 games out of 3 sets but I was not lazy Benjamin!

I cooked chicken breast wrapped in pancetta with roasted tomatoes & broccoli for supper. The kids had pasta with theirs but I stuck with the chicken and vegetables. Then we had perfectly juicy mango (which I was loathed to share but was spotted taking it out of the fruit bowl - blast!).

I have just been to a party in the village hall, leaving the other half at home with "flu" - I drank soda water so have no guilts at all today. Got quite a few comments along the "have you been losing weight" lines, which was lovely. My two youngest daughters "took me in hand" to get me ready to go out - selecting my clothes, doing my hair and make up and generally bullying me along - I think they know more about applying make up than I do! There is a little note book on the home screen on my computer and one of them has left a message saying "My Mummy is beautiful x". God, I am lucky.

Serious Subject Sunday tomorrow (later today!). Addiction.

Happy dieting
E xx