Wonder Diet

Feeling very pleased with ourselves this week. Don was told he had to lose weight prior to an operation, but we have not really had much success. Quite by chance I came across the "Women's Weekly 21 Day Wonder Diet" book in the newsagent and I persuaded Don that we should both try it. It meant following a 21 day regime and most significantly giving up alcohol!!!

Well, we started. It is a very healthy diet based on a low fat, no sugar plan which follows the Australian dietary guidelines quite strictly. The recipes for each meal for 21 days are all set out and a shopping list is included for each week. We found the recipes surprisingly easy and quick to make and quite delicious. You don't have to follow the daily plan, but can swap meals around, repeat favourites and leave out things you don't like. Neither of has felt at all hungry and most amazing of all - it works. After 2 weeks Don has lost about 7.5 kgs and I have lost nearly 4 kgs.

We actually look forward to each day's meals and have every intention of doing another 3 weeks. The alcohol bit hasn't been difficult to stick to, although we did break out a bit for Mothers' Day. Don is a diabetic and this has been no problem as the diet is suitable for his condition. Best of all the food would be suitable for all members of the family and once weight loss is achieved, could be adapted for a weight maintenance plan.

We both recommend this diet to anyone wanting to lose weight healthily. We feel better and know that we are eating more healthily - not that we were eating unhealthily - just too much.

Liz

Scatterdays - Autumn

It is some time since I have been involved in the Scatterdays - photo challenge , but now I am back to blogging, I will get my camera out and get on with it. This month the theme is Autumn and as I live in the Adelaide Hills, there are a lot of photo opportunities - without even leaving my own garden.

Here is a selection of photos taken in and from my garden. Enjoy!!

I love the colours in the Medlar tree. This year I plan to make jelly with the fruit.


My Nyssa sylvatica - Tupelo tree. Glorious rich colours

Pistacia chinensis - another brilliant tree - can you tell I love autumn colours?


Part of the garden showing off for autumn

Looking down the drive at a Viburnum opulus 'Sterile' - Guelder Rose


The next door vineyards are losing their leaves now and are just past their best.


Autumn is my favourite month in the garden.

Liz

Welcome Ollie

I am catching up on events of the last few weeks, hence the two blogs on the same day.

After Cooper died, our old boy, Jeb fretted badly and we decided that we - Don and I - would get another dog to keep him company. We sort of decided that we would get an older dog if we could and started looking in the papers. Last Saturday we found a young dog advertised - younger than we had planned, but he sounded like a good fit with us - a Jack Russell puppy about 5 months old.

Off we went to have a look at him. Of course the minute we saw him, we fell in love - as we always do with JR pups. And so Ollie joined the family.

See what I mean? How could we resist? Jeb wasn't sure at first, then he decided that maybe the young fellow wasn't so bad and he deigned to play with him. After 3 days he's not so sure about the situation. He plays for a while then finds a place to hide so Ollie can't annoy him.

Ollie on the other hand loves Jeb - in fact he loves everyone and everything!! He loves chewing things, he loves chasing things, he loves playing games, he loves being put outside to do his bits and then coming back inside to do them! He actually watches TV and reacts to what he sees and hears. We've never had a dog do that before. Very funny!!

Already he is making a place in our hearts alongside all the other dogs we have had over the years.

Ollie wanting to play - Jeb not so sure

Jeb, out of reach, but looking decidedly fed up with everything

Welcome Ollie!!!

Liz

Cooper

Nearly a monthy since I added to my blog. So much for good intentions.

I have had a very busy time over the last few weeks. First the end of term with all the usual and of term activities, then the Southern Cross Quilters quilting retreat for which I was a committee member. Check out the website if you are interested. Then the school holidays and a visit from my gorgeous grand daughters and my daughter. A very busy few weeks!!

My girls, Niamh and Erinn watching television

Sadly, during the holidays we lost one of our lovely Jack Russells - my son's little fellow, Cooper. Cooper will be sadly missed although he will always be in our hearts and memories.

Cooper was a sweet natured, funny little dog and we all loved him dearly. Mark will get another dog one day, but you can't ever really replace a friend and a companion - and Coop was certainly that.

Liz

Too Good to be True

Oooooops!!!!

After a night of celebrating our amazing and unbelievable win, we had a phone call this morning to say "Hold on a bit. We think there has been a mistake in the scoring of the Handicap Shield."

Sure enough, it was discovered that the computer operator had given us points won by 'the other' Lobethal school. So no shield!!! Lucky we hadn't already taken possession. I don't think they would have been able to wrest it away.

No matter. We still had a ball. Them's the breaks.

Liz

What a hoot!

Today, I took a team of 25 Year 5/6/7 children to the Hills Combined Schools Athletics Carnival. This is an annual event and although we don't have a lot of success, the kids are really keen and put a lot of time into practising before the carnival. We are only a small school and so practically every senior student is involved somehow.

Had trouble getting a bus to take us there this year, but finally we were offered a second run which meant we were late getting there and we had to leave early so the bus could do two trips. Not a problem; we sent a few over by car for the early events and coming home before the presentations is never a problem as we don't figure in them anyway.

So, today we had a great day. One of my Year 7 Vietnamese boys got a second ribbon in the Shotput as did one of the Year 7 girls. We also got a few 4th and 5th places which pleased us a lot. Despite the lack of wins, we had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed the day away from books, the fresh air and the good sporting competition.

We left early and got back to school, where I was met by the school secretary. She had just had a phone call from one of the other schools wanting to know why we had left early. We explained about the buses.

"What a pity!" was the reply. "You won the Handicap Shield!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Unbelievable!!!! We won!!!

"What does handicap mean?" asked the kids???

Liz

Great Kids

I am very proud of my 6/7 class. One of my friends is the principal of a primary school that was in the bushfire area in Victoria. Although none of the families from the school was injured, many of them had to be evacuated and they all lived through a horrific time not knowing if they and their homes would be safe. I asked my friend if there was any way we, my class and I , could help and she suggested we could write letters to her kids. She also said that they would like to take their children away on a fun excursion to get them away form the horrors they had been through.

I took all this to my class and they decided that they would try to raise some money to help the Victorian school finance this trip. They set to with enthusiasm, organising a non-uniform day, a sausage sizzle and a pancake day. Sure they had fun doing it, but nonetheless, they never lost sight of the reason behind their efforts. I am really pleased that we have just been able to send of a bundle of letters and a cheque for over $400.

There's not a lot wrong with the younger generation. They just need the older generations to have a little faith in them.

Liz Needle

A week of mourning

This week Australia has been saddened by the tragic loss of lives and property in Victoria and Queensland. On the one hand we have had the devastation of the worst bushfires in the history of this rugged land and on the other the widespread and catastrophic floods in the north. We are certainly a land of wild contrasts.

Our hearts go out to all those whose lives have been affected by flood and fire - loss of loved ones, pets and livestock, property and possessions. It will take a long time to recover from the events of the past week.

The one bright light in this tragedy is the way Australians have rallied to support and care for those whose lives have been so devastated. So many people has provided comfort, time, labour, goods, services and funding. It makes me proud to be an Australian.