Weekly Blog No 60 – Food Discovery 

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Earlier this year, I did mention in Challenge No 27 that I was going to try to extend my skills in cooking etc. I wanted to eat less processed food, which I believe I’ve achieved. However there is always room for improvement.

My GI symptoms have not improved but I do think there is an element of underlying food allergies. I have previously been tested for coeliac in the UK & Canada and it has always came back negative.  Yet other tests have shown that I am gluten intolerant. I do have an allergy to the protein in cow’s milk, I’m not lactose intolerant, therefore I have refrained from cows milk in over 10 years especially in tea & coffee.  I’m a big fan of almond milk and I will use the product in cereal, puddings or sauces etc.

I will be the first to say I’m no saint, I don’t have the complete discipline in avoiding bad food for me.  When I say that, I don’t mean eating loads of cakes or chocolate. What maybe is considered as healthy to you its not good for me. For instance a nice chicken salad sandwich is a sensible option for most people but bread for me is not a good option, bang goes my discipline.

I have read & learned from other people’s blogs and gained  some fantastic ideas, which I’m working through. At present I’m making soups, this is my version of a root vegetable soup. Carrot, parsnip, turnip, onion, garlic and vegetable stock.

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I’ve recently discovered spiral carrots and cauliflower couscous, I have the carrots instead of pasta and cauliflower for rice.  Yum yum

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I shall continue to work on clean living & healthy choices, nevertheless Rome wasn’t built overnight. If anyone has information or recipes to share please do

Written in UK English.

Weekly Blog No 58 – Life

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It’s been a while, so here’s what has been going on.

You can never predict life and sometimes you’re faced with situations that you don’t expect. I think we are never ready for the unexpected in life, however we always manage to jump into adrenaline mode and get on with it.

Family Emergency Update 

My family member was in hospital for a month, I’m glad to report she’s doing ok now. She has a little journey of her own to travel but she will get through it.  Thank you so much to all our family and friends for your continuous support. 💚

My Update 

I’ve struggled for sometime with one thing or another and my issue is I never seem to get conclusive answers. I feel like I’m in constant
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Weekly Blog No 54 – Liebster Award

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Thank you so much for nominating me for the Liebster award. Hungry Hungry Hipos I do appreciate the nomination and the kind words. It’s a good way of devising the subjects you read

These awards only have a few rules:

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you with a link back to his/her blog.
  2. Answer the questions asked by the nominator.
  3. Nominate bloggers with under 500 followers.
  4. Create 10 questions for the nominees to answer.

Simple as that!

Here are the questions given to me:

  1. What made you start blogging? I always wanted to write a book, industry based but never got around to the task. Therefore the best thing is to write a blog and it has been very therapeutic.
  2. Do you have any phobias? Yes funfair rides, thanks to the pirate ship at Gt Yarmouth. My brother M had me sitting at the back intensifying my fear of falling out. This fear has stuck with me, yet I am happy to climb high scaffolding.
  3. What is your favourite song ever, and why? This question I found very hard as I love music, however I’m going to sound about 90 when I’m clearly only half that age. Dean Martin – That’s Amore. It’s such a romantic classic and everyone always sings along to the song when its played. Its a happy tune. Dance music is my all time favourite.
  4. If you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life what would it be? Potatoes, I guess that’s the Irish in me.
  5. What is your favourite book? Sold: by Zana Muhsen. One woman’s true account of modern slavery.
  6. What would win in a fight between a hippo and a rhino and why? It would be a draw because they would become bathing buddies. 
  7. If you could go back in history and give someone a slap who would it be and why? Amy Winehouse, to make her see sense. She was such a talented musician yet alcohol abuse caused her young death. 
  8. If you could cancel one TV show forever which would it be? Jeremy Kyle, do I need to say more. 
  9. What inspires you? People inspire me, kindness especially. 
  10. What is your pet hate? Peoples table manners, I can’t stand noisy eaters, people that lick their cutlery and people chasing food around a plate with a fork.

My Questions:

  1. If you could change career, what would it be?
  2. If the world was going to end in a month, where would you go?
  3. If you were an animal, what would you be?
  4. If you could have dinner with a celebrity, who would it be and why?
  5. If you were given a free flight ticket to any destination, were would you go?
  6. If your house was on fire and you could save one item, what would it be?
  7. What one appliance or piece of technology could you not live without?
  8. Are you a beer, wine or spirit drink person?
  9. Name your favourite sweet/candy and why?
  10. Which one would you be a candle or a light bulb and why?

My Nominees

Hungry Hungry Hipos – I’m enjoying their SW journey and learning new recipes.

DancingBhoy – A blog that always makes me smile or giggle out loud. Love his sense of humour.

The Journey – A very close friend, who shows you beauty from behind a lens.

Lets face the music – A blog fulfilling my passion of construction, which I can no longer do.

carcinoid-cancer.com – A very informative blog from a fellow patient

Weekly Blog No 53 – Lottie’s 5th Birthday.

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A message from Lottie

I would like to say a big thank you for my birthday wishes. I had a great birthday with lots of treats and cuddles.  I thought I would give you all an update of the last 12 months. I am still very cute with big brown eyes, I haven’t grown in size nevertheless I’ve put on a little weight. This is very surprising as I’m no longer able to eat Tim Horton’s Timbits or Dairy Queen ice cream from Canada. There is hardly any drive thru’s in the UK, only McD’s and KFC both venues never succumb to my cuteness for a treat in Canada so I have no chance here in the UK. I do miss my bank visits to see K, she was extremely affectionate to me and plenty of belly rubs, incurring no extra bank charges. Oh I nearly forget the airport with my human dad, I felt like a movie star there as everyone wanted a photo of me or with me. If only I could have charged them for the privilege, I would have been able to purchase additional boxes of Timbits.

Back to my treats, I was very partial to Timbits, a small round donut, which I could easily fit into my mouth. I would peel the outer skin before attempting to eat the inside. I got this trick from my human mum, I would see her strip off the layers off biscuits or sweets etc as she ate them. I have found a perfect dog treat in the UK, it’s like a chicken drumstick chew. If my human parents fetch me one from the dog treat cupboard, I will give them a playful dance, a few cute circles, a sassy bark and a raised paw for extra measure. My human parents will always respond with rubbing of my soft coat.

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As most of you know, I have left my native land of Canada and headed to the UK. I have to say I don’t miss looking over my shoulder for predators like coyotes. Here in the UK until this present day, I have merely had black ants to deal with climbing on my coat whilst basking in the sun. It’s funny to find something smaller than me and I can remove them by rolling on back and squashing them.

Let me tell you about my dog walks, they are so much more fun as I don’t have to have on my dog lead on when I’m in a human park, as there’s no such thing as dog parks or dog licences. I can run up to dogs, sniff, waggle my tail and play chase. As for humans they offer extra petting and comments like, she’s a cute puppy. Yes I know I am small and adorable but can’t they see that I’m fully grown. What do they say “all good things come in small packages”.

The British weather, I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of the wet stuff they called rain give me snow any day. I’m like any other lady who doesn’t like to get her hair wet especially when I’m out and about checking out handsome dogs. It flattens my hair and it’s not cool when I look like a drenched rat.

Family & friends come over to visit my human parents, I love humans coming because I get oodles of attention. Ranging from cuddles, rocking, belly rubs and even kisses. I will reiterate a kiss if my belly gets rubbed as I thrive on such attention.  Even though I tend to follow my human mum around everywhere, my human dad is the soft touch in regards to treats. I simply have to rest my paws on his leg and give him my puppy eyes gaze and he just softens every time then leaps into action.

My human mum has a nickname for me is Velcro and I actually don’t know why. I think maybe she’s suggesting that I follow her everywhere and stick to her like glue. Maybe there is some truth that I do follow her everywhere but I love her and she is my best buddy. I do hate it when my human parents go out so in attempt to prevent that happening, I will shake and even vibrate. I have been known on occasions to even run and hide so they don’t leave me. In the end, what I thought was oscar winning dramatics doesn’t work nevertheless I do make them pay for it when they get home by jumping all over them until they pick me up and hug me.

My new home in the UK is smaller, not so many rooms and certainly less floors for my little legs. There is no hardwood flooring just a whole load more carpet, which is very cosy on my paws and a boundless back scratch. In the UK, there is a lot more animals on the huge picture box, you know the gadget what humans call a telly. I’m not a fan of them meerkats that are on before every episode of Coronation St, I’m likely to growl at them, freaky looking species with long tails and clothes. I would be far more entertaining walking on the cobbles and talking.

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My priority now is to look after my human mum, giving her loads of attention and snuggling into her like a fluff ball as she calls me.

Bye for now and god save the Queen.

Challenge No 52 – 9/11

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It’s been 14 years today since 9/11, which I remember like it was yesterday.

I was just about to take an American Airlines flight from Las Vegas to London after having a holiday in Sin City. The shock had a ripple effect on everyone, phones were down and there was no internet service. Everyone was glued to TV screens watching in horror, tears rolling down their cheeks and hands covering their faces. I was numb and still to this day, I don’t know if it was shock or fear or even both. I was about to take the same airline used for the devastation caused that day.

I had to stay another 5 days in Las Vegas before I could return home and I had seriously ran out of money. Credit card machines were down so I was pretty much confined to my hotel room watching the TV waiting for the latest reports. This was nothing compared to people who had personally experienced a loss or injury due to that days events.

That day changed airport security worldwide and even though it seems an inconvenience sometimes, I would rather have safety any day. I was terrified on my flight home and the flight seemed very subdued, which was only to be expected. Passengers were suspicious of everyone on the flight, which seems ridiculous now but only natural.

7/7 in London brought back the same emotions experienced from 9/11 but this time I had friends and family commuting into London to their workplaces. I did experience a whole different fear, wondering if these people were safe. I was working in Oxfordshire then, about an hours commute from London and in a safe environment.

9/11 will always stay with me as long as I live. My heart goes out to all the people who were and are still affected from that days events. ❤️

Weekly Blog No 51 – Rugby World Cup 2015 

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The Rugby World Cup is fast approaching although I’m not a rugby game enthusiastic, I will watch the World Cup with interest. I guess that is considered a perk when you have cancer, illness allows you time to watch these events.  This year should be interesting as I live in the town where the rugby game was invented.

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Rugby Town Sign

The game was apparently invented by William Webb Ellis in 1820’s. William attended Rugby School and the story is, that he had a disregard for rules so when playing football  he picked up the ball and started to run and this is how it all started

William Webb Ellis Stature

William Webb Ellis Stature

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Rugby School

There is a rugby museum in the town called ” Webb Ellis Museum”, which educates you on the history of the game, the development of the game, players and the ball.

The winner of the Rugby World Cup will be presented with the William Webb Ellis Cup, which recently came to Rugby on the trophy tour

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William Webb Ellis Cup

I hope to see England win, however I think it will be New Zealand and I will be following Canada with interest.