Sorry, peeps!  It's been an interesting few weeks.

So much has happened, mostly to do with weight loss and exercise, since the surgery.  Lija and I are up to walking 1 hour a day, and it's gotten really quite easy now.  I'm moving so much better and it's such a thrill for me to be able to walk a few blocks, without feeling dead!  We've both lost about 27 pounds since the surgery, and about 47 since July.  Clothes are beginning to fall off of us or fit better, depending on the clothes!

We're on more or less regular foods now, although we're still eating very carefully, and haven't jumped right in and started eating really solid foods.  Lots of soup and chili and clam chowder, with a bit of soy stuff thrown in.  And lots of protein powder to help make up the 60 grams we have to eat every day.   It's been a struggle to eat, which is a new sensation for both of us.  But we're slowly getting used to our new tiny stomachs and their little vicissitudes.  Dry stuff, not so much.  Tough meats, uh-uh!  But keeping it moist and chewing a lot is helping.  So far no bad "dumping" syndrome.  A few close calls, but disaster averted every time thanks to lots of walking up and down the house or outside. 

It's been a revelation, walking outside on these beautiful fall days we've had.  Our neighborhood is lovely, with lots of interesting houses and kitties everywhere. 





No pictures of kitties as yet, they're elusive little darlings.  But there are several on our morning route, who are really sweet and like to come over for pets, if it's not too cold out.

As it gets colder, I'm sure we'll only be out once a day or so, and the other two times a day will be on our treadmill in the basement (much less scenic, sadly!) but it feels good to be getting to know our own neighborhood finally! 

Looking forward to doing Yuletide this year.  It'll be nice to get some writing done.

Have been recently rewatching some Elizabeth Gaskell dramatizations, North and South and Wives and Daughters, and I'll be starting to rewatch Cranford again.  I was put in the mood for them, by watching the first series of Lark Rise to Candleford, the BBC drama based on Flora Thompson's autobiographical works.  Such a beautifully done series, so wonderfully acted.  The costumes were just right, making people look exactly as they ought to, in all the different classes of society.  I recommend seeing the series, there's a second one out in Britain now, but I've only seen series one.  The next rewatching will be all those Catherine Cookson dramas I have on DVD.  I'll come out the other side of them with a solid Newcastle accent, just see if I don't !  ;)

Halfway through Nick Hornby's new novel, Juliet, Naked.  I'm not exactly sure what it is about Hornby's novels that I like.  I mean, his heroes are often very interested in music, like the hero of High Fidelity, but there's a warmth and a real understanding of personal relationships, from a male perspective, that I find really compelling.  Most "literary" books by men, I find hard to read.   However, Hornby's heroes are seriously flawed, but always engaging and interesting, and the way they relate to the women in their lives is very illuminating, if possibly a little idealized.  But always entertaining.

Wish I had a Halloween party to go to tomorrow night, but I may be going out anyway.  I do so love getting dressed up for no good reason, but can't really justify it at all this year.  Maybe next year!

Happy Halloween to all!