Cate's Diary

[Llama]

That looks like a Christmas card! Nice to see people get into the Christmas spirit (and by that I mean getting things cozy and pretty with lights, loved ones, and warmth). I can´t really wrap my head around not having that in winter and doing it in summer instead but it´s lovely nonetheless.
Good thinking about the exercise options for R. Biking is great if you can do it safely.

 

[Cate]

Thanks, LaMa. It does look like a card. I don't normally get the Christmas bug, but I have this year. Of course, we are only used to a Summer Christmas & that's why we usually eat a lot of cold food or have barbies.
R has been riding for years, including around Hobart so is a fairly safe rider.

 

[Marsia]

Wow, Cate, I thought I was just gone from the forum for a couple of days, but reading your journal, so much has happened! So sorry about R's dog and good thinking about getting him into exercise so he can self regulate his emotions. So glad he has a nice girlfriend there to help, too. I keep getting startled seeing Christmas stuff up. We've been so focused on the move it seems like it should be early fall, not winter. We have a small fake birch tree with built in lights we'll put up and just make decorations this year. Your tree looks wonderful! Glad your GKs are enjoying the decorations and visit. Is having grand kids much different than having kids as far as the way you feel about each other? I hope I get grand kids some day!!

 

[Cate]

Hi, M. You were only gone for a couple of days Sometimes my fingers fly & sometimes I struggle with what to say. When I'm feeling good I have more to say. I know that R walked his dog every day & walking without him will feel weird & sad for quite a while. He used to love riding.
Having grandkids is very different to having kids. It's hard to explain really. You don't have the pressures of being solely responsible for them so can be more light-hearted & silly even. It's just very different. I absolutely adore our GK's, but I am one step removed. I don't ever want to interfere with their parents' roles & always feel that I have to be careful. I do like that we are dependable & they know that we love them. You need to spend a lot of time with kids to stay close, especially when they are teenagers. They don't share things like they used to & are more guarded, but that is mainly because of their circumstances. When marriages break up, it is another step harder to stay close. It depends on your child's partner & how well you get on with them. Being a MIL can be very tricky. It can be a balancing act. I hope you become a grandma too one day.
I had better scoot. I have a doctors ap't. I'll be back later xo

 

[Marsia]

Hi Cate! It sounds like a cross between being a nanny (which I did some in college) and being a mom - you don't have the final word, but you can steer the kids in a good direction and get to do fun things with them a lot. When I was a nanny, I liked to take the kids in their bathing suits on a campus tour of all the water fountains, and we'd have a blast! I feel like you do about teens, they really close up fast unless you are constantly interacting. Some weeks when I hadn't been there for K because of the move she really changed a bunch and it took a while to have her tell me why and what she was experiencing. So strange how relative time is, and how much people can change week to week at points in their lives!

Sorry to hear about your son's divorce. Poor kids! I can't imagine being a mother in law. Sounds like quite a hard role to negotiate.

I hope your doctor's apt went really well. Was it someone who you can get advice about your knee from?

 

[Cate]

Hi, M. You hit the nail on the head. I think being a grandma is a little like being a nanny. Teens change rapidly & can close up quickly. Our son's divorce was years ago now. It was very painful at the time. I tried being a supportive MIL while they were together, but we never really clicked. She became quite vicious afterwards, but I have never criticised her to the kids, even when they did. I never have.
My doctor's ap't went really well. I wanted her to explain exactly where my cyst is & she did. It's actually quite large & on the outside of my left knee. It isn't a Baker's cyst, but it looks benign. I talked to her about how I am now dieting to lose 20 kg & what I am doing. She wants me to lose slowly & to make sure I don't lose muscle. I said I hadn't heard from the physio & she said to ring instead. Strength training will be important. I will need tailored exercise to fit in with both knees being painful & regaining balance.
She gave me another prescription (low dose Lyrica) for nerve pain, but I can take myself off them & see if the pain increases & then just take them if/when I need to. For now, I will increase my Osteo paracetemol & take them at midday.
I actually had a really interesting conversation with her & felt I made a genuine connection. I really made her laugh as I was leaving. I had asked how to pronounce her first name (the practice always comes up with a simplified name for their doctor's & most are called Dr "simplified first name ) & had a few goes & got better at it as I went, but each time she giggled a bit more. It was a fun encounter. I told her about the Sikh delivery man who, when I asked his name said Singh. Every Sikh man has the surname Singh! I told her that I am going to ask his first name next time & try to pronounce it. I think it must have been fun for her just having a laugh with a patient.

It's a gloomy day out there today. G is off to play golf again in another tournament & I will put up some more decorations. I dragged the box out yesterday & put a few up. I started with my favourites. The last few years I have given away the cheap plastic stuff & replaced it with some cute, fair trade lovely stuff, some of it quite quirky. Decorations should make you smile. When I came out this morning it certainly did.
Dhal & soft eggs for breakfast this morning. YUM! I have been reading about lentil stew in here for months & been thinking about making it & yesterday G just did, without me mentioning it. We just loved egg hoppers in Sri Lanka. I love having a savoury, hearty breakfast.

 

[Llama]

Yay for savory breakfast! Being able to have a laugh with patients really is half the joy of the job for me and I'm sure it's similar for many doctors.

 

[Floater]

Egg hoppers look so cute, I just googled them! I'm glad you had a positive experience at the doc!

 

[Marsia]

Hi Cate! So glad you got good info from your doctor and that you clicked with her. Is there a reason they aren't removing the cyst right now? So glad you'll get good strengthening and balance exercises and someone to help with pain management!!! Egg hoppers and lentils for breakfast sounds divine! I'll have to look up the recipe. Did you go to Sri Lanka ever?

I had a strained relationship with my last MIL. She had bipolar disorder and was alternately too polite and accommodating, and annoyed and feeling put out. Now I have a good relationship with my MIL, which I definitely don't take for granted!

Have fun putting up decorations! Can't wait to join you doing that too, soon!

 

[Cate]

Yay for savory breakfast! Being able to have a laugh with patients really is half the joy of the job for me and I'm sure it's similar for many doctors.

Savoury breakfasts are the best! I felt that she doesn't get the chance to laugh much with her patients & it was fun. They see SO many patients & usually don't remember why you're there even when they have asked you to come back the week before. This time I felt her engage with me, so that's good. It was lovely hearing her giggle.

Egg hoppers look so cute, I just googled them! I'm glad you had a positive experience at the doc!

Egg hoppers do look cute. G & I used to have them often in Sri Lanka- either them or string hoppers & would also add curries, including lentil curry.

Hi Cate! So glad you got good info from your doctor and that you clicked with her. Is there a reason they aren't removing the cyst right now? So glad you'll get good strengthening and balance exercises and someone to help with pain management!!! Egg hoppers and lentils for breakfast sounds divine! I'll have to look up the recipe. Did you go to Sri Lanka ever?

I had a strained relationship with my last MIL. She had bipolar disorder and was alternately too polite and accommodating, and annoyed and feeling put out. Now I have a good relationship with my MIL, which I definitely don't take for granted!

Have fun putting up decorations! Can't wait to join you doing that too, soon!

I'm in the public health system & it's slower because of covid. After my ap't in Feb, I should have some answers. We haven't made the hoppers as you really need a special hopper pan, but the lentil curry with egg is absolutely delicious. Right now I'm not eating any bread or flour so am happy to do without. We went to Sri Lanka in 2017. It was absolutely wonderful. I would go back & do exactly the same tour again. I do have an album on my FB page with 700+ photos I had the most exciting experience of my life in SL with a wild elephant. It still makes me smile. I wouldn't be able to get to the top of Lion Rock at Sigiriya these days, but I will never forget that feeling of accomplishment when I did back then- only 4 years ago. Many on our tour didn't get to the top.


I'm glad you get on well with your MIL, M. Mine couldn't stand me for about 20 years & she terrified me mostly but after a big sitting across the table from one another truth-telling "conversation" which concluded with us both in tears & me saying that we both love G & that I'm not going anywhere & we should really try to get along, we learned to speak up about any differences & clear the air, rather than letting things fester. We were both very honest with one another on that day. After that, we respected one another a lot more & made adjustments & in the last 20 years of her life got along very well indeed, so much so that she rang me one day just to tell me how much she loved me & how grateful she was to me.

This morning's breakfast was 3 Ryvitas with one boiled egg, a little tuna & 1/4 of an avocado, a little low-fat mayo & a little rhubarb chutney. Delicious & filling.

 

[Llama]

We haven't made the hoppers as you really need a special hopper pan,

I have a tiny wok that looks almost like the hopper pans shown in the description I found. And they use a yeasted coconut and rice flour batter for the pancakes (don't know how traditional that is). So wheat-wise they'd fit well with your current diet but I assume they need a lot of oil to produce the pretty pattern... Best to stay with the lentil curry and egg!

I wouldn't be able to get to the top of Lion Rock at Sigiriya these days, but I will never forget that feeling of accomplishment when I did back then- only 4 years ago. Many on our tour didn't get to the top.

I remember and you really earned that feeling. Memories like that are exactly why we pay good money to go places.

in the last 20 years of her life got along very well indeed, so much so that she rang me one day just to tell me how much she loved me

Such a waste of the first 20 years but wonderful that you managed to turn it around when you did. Not many people could do that: big respect.

 

[Cate]

Hi, LaMa. The Dhal or G's equivalent is going to be a keeper. He's out now playing comp pool so I won't do the recipe now. I looked up the book that I saw him use, but I know he varied it. It had 2 chillies & he added lemongrass I know as we had just bought some fresh. I'll post it here in the morning & in the recipe section. It's very nice & very versatile. We had it for dinner tonight with some greens & a hard-boiled egg. I have just had some very yummy cheese & 5 crackers to bring my calories up closer to 1200. I struggle to reach my protein goals most days. I'll have to work on that some more. I think I need help. LaMa what do you use & how do you make your protein puddings?
@Trusylver - do you use a protein powder & if so which one, please? I tried one once & thought it was awful.

I have had a good day today. G did lots of brush cutting & I did some more decorating & housework, took Arch for a lovely walk & chatted to another neighbour up the other end of our road.
Not drinking wine makes it SO easy to stick to my calories. Because I imposed a month-long white sugar/wine/bread ban I do struggle to get to 1200. I never thought that would happen. I'm glad I can be stubborn.
Edit: I had some Greek yoghurt, berries & almond meal & got up to 1200 cals.

 

[Llama]

Because I imposed a month-long white sugar/wine/bread ban I do struggle to get to 1200.

Nuts would make it very easy to get the calories up and like cheese they'd give you some extra protein. Seeds (pumpkin seeds?) tend to have a better protein to calorie ratio though.

LaMa what do you use & how do you make your protein puddings?

Mine are store-bought but they're basically low fat quark (which is around 12 g of protein and 66 kcal per 100 g) let out with a bit of water to make it creamier/less dry and with some flavorings added. I could make it myself but it's not that expensive and it's easy. Plus buying it makes it feel like an indulgence when I make most of my food myself.

 

[Cate]

Nuts would make it very easy to get the calories up and like cheese they'd give you some extra protein. Seeds (pumpkin seeds?) tend to have a better protein to calorie ratio though.

That's what's missing from my pantry. I must buy some & save pumpkin seeds in future. I used to always have them but obviously forgot to put them on my list. I don't love them, I must admit.

Mine are store-bought but they're basically low fat quark (which is around 12 g of protein and 66 kcal per 100 g) let out with a bit of water to make it creamier/less dry and with some flavorings added. I could make it myself but it's not that expensive and it's easy. Plus buying it makes it feel like an indulgence when I make most of my food myself.

I might try making some I think, but it's the protein powder I think I need to get. Remember Lucy's chia seed puddings. I still have chia seeds in my pantry I would like to get rid of. I think I'll experiment & make something out of them.
I have just been looking at recipes & think I'll try a mixture of berries, greek yoghurt, chia seeds & maybe a teaspoon of honey. I'll put it all together at night & have it for breakfast. When I get some pumpkin seeds I can add them on top as well & maybe some LSA & almond meal, some sunflower seeds.....(I have these) I'll go work out calories now (& protein).
We're going into town this afternoon to have a barbie with G's siblings as an extra gettogether before Xmas.
I had a mix of tuna & avo with a little each of low-fat mayo, rhubarb chutney, sambal oelek & garlic on 3 Ryvitas for BF, Very yummy.
Another of our old golfing friends has gone into palliative care & G is going to try to see him this afternoon while we're in town. He's a lovely, funny guy. He has lung cancer & has kept smoking. It was his choice & he's philosophical about it.
Edit: It appears I threw the chia seeds out. I looked up one of my recipes on MFP & also saw hemp seeds in one of them. They & pumpkin seeds are now on my shopping list & I'll check out some protein powder, although I am hesitant to get any.

 

[Llama]

Nothing wrong with protein powder if your stomach can handle it. It's an easy way to get the protein you need without going crazy on calories. Some kinds even taste nice!

 

[Cate]

I'm not against them in theory, LaMa. I just hate wasting food & the only ones I have bought I thought were horrible. Do you use them? Do you mix them with water?
G saw the snake today in a different place. I'm trying to assume it's the same one. It was up above the house & ducked under a bush. I can't take Archie up there anymore. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't worry.
I may not be on here in the morning as I have to take my car to get serviced. I'll come back during the day sometime.
We just got home from a BBQ at G's brother's with his siblings. We're both tired & might get an early night. We took Arch too & he had a "play date" with their puppy. He's a good influence on him apparently as he's much calmer when Archie's there.
I haven't put my calories in so had better do that now. I skipped all the chocolates, wafers & ice cream & dinner was healthy with fruit salad for dessert. I had a dollop of yoghurt with mine. I did well.

 

[Llama]

Do you use them? Do you mix them with water?

I tried a couple of times. The chocolate ones tend to be most palatable to me but I can really only stand them mixed with milk (and I don't even like milk). Ultimately they're just not satisfying to me the way my protein pudding/quark is. I want to eat things, not drink them

G saw the snake today in a different place.

Archie needs rubber boots. And stilts.

I skipped all the chocolates, wafers & ice cream & dinner was healthy with fruit salad for dessert. I had a dollop of yoghurt with mine. I did well.

You definitely did, great work!

 

[Marsia]

Wow, the hike in Sri Lanka looks out of this world - like from a movie! I don't like protein powder either. I make milkshakes with oat milk, hemp seeds, and fresh or frozen fruit and sometimes unsweetened cocoa powder and/or yogurt. I throw a few dates in or a ripe banana if I don't have to worry about calories. Your breakfast sounds absolutely scrumptious! Rhubarb chutney sounds sooo good.

LaMa, is quark very similar to cottage cheese? I may try your idea with cottage cheese in a blender and see how it goes.

Great job skipping all the temptations at the BBQ! I like your month-long ban on the tempting foods. I'll have to try that on those months where I get stuck in the doldrums.

 

[Llama]

LaMa, is quark very similar to cottage cheese?

Over here cottage cheese is lightly salted and kind of... grainy? Like little blobs? The consistency of quark is more like cream cheese. But I just looked it up and saw there's something called creamed cottage cheese. That could be very similar. Low fat, unsalted, creamed cottage cheese. Quite the mouthful!

 

[Cate]

I want to eat things, not drink them

I think I'm the same really. I tried them with water & with milk & just didn't like the texture (or taste). I bought some more seeds (hemp & pumpkin).

Archie needs rubber boots. And stilts.

I pictured that. It was funny!

Wow, the hike in Sri Lanka looks out of this world - like from a movie!

I really loved Sri Lanka. Getting to the top of Lion Rock was quite thrilling.

Great job skipping all the temptations at the BBQ! I like your month-long ban on the tempting foods. I'll have to try that on those months where I get stuck in the doldrums.

I needed to do that to feel like I was on track. One of my sisters IL, W, didn't get it, though. She kept saying just try a bit with these obviously delicious & expensive wafers. My brain works much better with "no thanks" than it does with "just a little bit". Those little bits here & there add up to much more over time. The no alcohol is perfectly acceptable to her though as she rarely even has a sip. Both of G's sisters are very large.

I didn't say yesterday, but on Thursday night I lay awake for hours with churning thoughts about having to move. My SIL, L is really struggling to prepare her house on her own ready to sell. Her & her late husband were both hoarders. It's a mind-boggling task.
I turned this horrible night's sleep worrying myself sick into a very productive day of going through all of our paperwork & emptying out a 2 drawer attractive solid wood filing cabinet, which is now on the for sale list. I have listed things I am going to try to sell soon, rather than one day when we do decide to move. I need to declutter more seriously to make life easier now as well as later. Each of G's siblings has been a good example of how hard it is to move when you have to downsize. Plus, M of course.
I have offered the filing cabinet to W's son & DIL as they have just moved back to Tassie from Melb & have bought a house. They can have it for nothing if they want it. It used to live in our living room & is quite attractive (for a filing cabinet)
Next is my Mum's motorised chair & then my motorised golf buggy (it's too heavy & bulky to travel to other courses).
I also picked up about 6 boxes of glasses, cups & cookware from D's place & will gradually wash & sterilise it all to give to the op shop, rather than it go to landfill. I have left them in the garage for now.
I kept some things but made it a rule that if something stayed, something had to go. I got rid of lots of our glasses with advertising on them.
Had a great night's sleep last night.
I have a 5-year plan. We'll reassess how we're going in this house in 5 years. We are going to have someone come & give us a quote to clean our roof & spouting & to paint the roof if it needs it.
It's cool here this morning. We may go to the tip today. I have so much recycling!