The Weekly Review Journal- Jan 19th-25th

Health Issues

We’ve both still got my big son’s cold. My man flu is obviously much worse than Heather’s slight cold!!

My diet is a bit stuck at around 90kg, but the blood sugar seems to be a lot better. I bought myself a monitor after Christmas and it’s been quite interesting watching what happens as I eat different things. I’m supposed to have an appointment with the diabetes nurse next Wednesday but, as the appointment has been postponed twice, I’m not holding my breath.

Walking

The weather has been cold, wet and windy here so, since last Wednesday’s visit to the Vehicle Museum, walking has been restricted to Lytham. I manage to get out every couple of days and walk between 2 and 7 miles depending how I’m feeling. I really need to get into the hills though.
Today (25/1) I had a walk around Lytham, through Lytham Hall and down to the sea/river front. It was round about 5.75 miles and I feel tons better for that. Spring appears to be coming, judging by the snowdrops in Lytham Hall and had a few minutes watching, and failing to take pictures of, what I think was a kestrel over the marsh at Lytham.

Socials

Quite a sociable week this week. Andy and I drove over to Buckshaw and met up with David, Nick, Nick’s flatmate Aidan and Molly the dog for lunch at The Kitchen Tap. Nice lunch, nice pint and interesting watching a football match none of us really cared about while a bunch of Mancs got very excited. Sunday was a lunch at church, which was OK.
I went to Men’s (Prayer) Breakfast on Saturday Morning at The Toby in St. Annes. I haven’t been for quite a while but was persuaded to give it another try and really enjoyed it. Previously it seemed to me to be a bit difficult to chat to people who were connected to other churches. Many of them kept in their own friendship groups. At the Toby there were only 7 of us but the conversation flowed much more freely. It seems to have been decided to meet there regularly, in which case I will give it another try. The Breakfast was good too!
Next week is 2 Pint Meditation at The Fairhaven with Gary and Carl and a guy from Kirkham who I haven’t met yet. January has been damp rather than dry!

We met quite a few Americans when we did the Camino and we are still sort of in touch with some of them, as well as having an American neighbour. I can’t believe any of them voted to put Trump in the White House for the first time, never mind the second. This begs the question, “Who on earth voted for this person?”
This week has seen the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Star of the show has, obviously, been Mark Carney, the Canadian PM, whose speech on Tuesday (I think) was just brilliant. In fact it was so good it got his invitation to join Trump’s new version of the UN withdrawn. Hopefully Trump has upset so many people that noone but a few desperate despots will join in the Board of Peace. I suspect it might end up with Trump, Putin and Netanyahu and not many others taking part.
Thankfully, our PM seems to have realised that trying to appease Trump is a very bad and very unpopular policy, while Farage and Badenoch are trying to keep on Trump’s good side. I do understand the dangers, but I find Davey’s and Polanski’s stance on Trump more in tune with my thoughts.

Temptation

For quite a while Heather has been complaining about our oven. Matters came to a head while baking the Christmas Cakes and then again at Christmas when cooking Christmas Dinner and also cooking for New Years Day Lunch.
We decided to buy a new oven. We are now the proud owners of an AEG oven which looks really nice. Having had it fitted on Thursday, today was test drive day.

I’m doing Sunday dinner this evening in the new oven. The nerves are building up already!