The Carrot Soup Diaries

What a difference a day makes

2009-05-27T20:15:00.008+01:00

What a difference a day makes. Friday I was 44, suddenly I'm 45 and definitely middle-aged. These pictures were taken when I was at primary school which means that they are at least 30 years old. Sometimes it feels like yesterday, other times it feels like a lifetime ago.

I'm lucky - I wouldn't change anything over the passed 45 years. Bring on the next 45!

And the best time of my life? Tomorrow of course.

Kx

2009-03-30T13:58:00.000+01:00

I loved this picture until I realised that this 'historic view in black & white minus traffic' was taken in 1976. The Granda was a Cinema (not a Bingo Hall) and there isn't a MacDonalds in site.

Unfortunately, that could quite easily be me in the distance, albeit in my school uniform.

Freedom for Tooting! And anybody else who knows what that means must be as old as me..........

Kx

Rusty Camper Vans vs Oil on Canvas

2009-03-11T22:48:00.002Z

I love art. Just lately I have been visiting London and enjoying some of the museums and gallaries that, like so many things, we just take for granted in this country. I wonder how many cities there are where you can walk in to a gallery, completely free of charge, and see works of art by Rothko, Dali and Cezanne.

I love impressionism. I could sit for hours looking at those beautiful lily ponds created by Claude Monet, imagining myself dipping a toe in to those deep blue waters and watching the ripple move slowly across the surface of the water.

And how can you not be inspired by the strength of colour and feeling that Van Gogh put in to his paintings. I sometimes wonder if he put so much life in to his canvases that he didnt have enough left for himself.

Unfortunately, however hard I try, I cannot draw the same inspiration from a work that I saw last weekend at the Tate Modern - Joseph Beuys 'The Pack'. The text that accompanys the work states.......

This strongly autobiographical work [!] refers directly to Beuys's plane crash over the Crimea during the Second World War. He often described being rescued by a band of Tartars who coated his body with fat and wrapped him in felt. Whether real or mythical, the story shows the symbolic importance of these materials in Beuys's mind. It also suggests a fable of death and rebirth in which Beuys is purged, perhaps of his wartime guilt, and brought back to life by a nomadic people.

However hard I try to embrace the symbolism of this piece of art, it still looks like a rusty old VW Camper Van, 24 sledges, some felt blankets and a few chunks of animal fat (eeuuww!!). Give me a beautiful painting and let me float away, just for a while, I will have enough camper vans to deal with on the way home.

Tooting

2009-02-28T22:11:00.015Z

I had to confess during the week, to a group of colleagues over dinner, that I was born in Balham and grew up in Streatham. It didn't sound very glamourous. But actually I'm very proud of the fact that I'm a Londoner; I may not want to live their now, but that's not the point! It must be like defending a brother or sister that you spend most of your childhood fighting with; I can criticise London but nobody born outside the M25 is allowed to!

So when a group popped up on Facebook called Tooting SW17, and prompted by my best friend K, I just had to join.

These two photographs were lurking in an album with 85 others. Pure gems. Not only excellent photographs but also images that stir up a thousand memories of growing up in London.

You know when you are middle-aged when..........

2009-02-22T22:03:00.005Z

Ok, I’m not kidding myself, I know I’m 44 and I’m middle-aged. But nothing quite prepares you for being told that you are old enough to need reading glasses. And it wouldn’t have been quite so bad if the child (she was a very very young looking optician) hadn’t tried to sugar the pill with the line ‘I’m very sorry Mrs Massarella, but this is what happens when you get to your age, it’s perfectly normal.’ I really wanted to say that ‘normal’ was being able to see perfectly clearly, as I had been doing it without too much effort for 44 years (it’s only been the last 6 months when its been a bit of a struggle) but I smiled, said thanks, and then got very excited when she gave me a some lenses and I could see that very small print again. No more guessing how long something should go in the microwave. And hopefully the last time I take aspirin by mistake……print was way too small!

But it could be worse……….I don’t think I look too bad in my new glasses. Don’t all shout at once!!!

Kx

What happened to the Weather?

2009-02-09T19:17:00.005Z

Whatever happened to the weather? Just when it looked like it was going to be a mild winter this happened! These were the views out of the window last Monday. And the snow is still on the grass today - although it isn't as impressive as this.

However, while it looked beautiful, it was a nightmare to get anywhere. It froze solid and driving was out of the question unless you had a four wheel drive (and we don't).

It makes a lovely picture postcard, but I'm bored with it now and I would like it to melt please.

Kx

Oh dear......................

2009-01-04T11:16:00.002Z

I've put on weight. It's very depressing. And what makes it worse is that there is still loads of things left in the house that need eating. As one of my friends on Facebook so aptly summed it up this morning...........L has a whole load of sweets and lard to get thru before his diet starts tomorrow.

I've already brewed up one batch of Carrot Soup (note to myself don't add a whole chopped chilli again) and I'm off now to buy some more carrots. Lets hope they continue to work their weight-loosing magic in 2009.

And finally.....................

2008-12-30T23:54:00.000Z

Omnia Omnibus Ubique

2008-11-18T23:33:00.005Z

All Things for All People, Everywhere

This should be the motto for some human rights organisation, but no……….this is the motto for Harrods.

I shouldn’t love Harrods as much as I do. Every year I pay a little homage to this rather splendid store and it never fails to impress me. I suppose it’s not surprising really as it is the largest department store in the world, occupying 4.5 acres and with over one million square feet of selling space in over 330 departments. A retailers dream!

When I was a teenager I use to go to there with my friends, Kim and Karen, on the bus from Streatham. It was a big adventure. I had to buy something, and it had to be big enough to be put in to a green carrier bag with that famous yellow logo. If I could afford it I would buy my Nan’s Christmas Present there, and she would recycle the bag for months just so that she could tell all of her friends that her grand daughter ‘shopped at Harrods’.

When I first started out in retailing Harrods was held up as an example of how a department store should be run. We were sent along to visit the store for a day, with instructions to come back and make a report, suggesting ways that Allders of Sutton could become more like Harrods……..you can stop laughing now! I can only really remember two things about that day. For some obscure reason, the managers decided that we had to wear our uniform when we went on out visit. Even though it was quite warm we wore our coats so that our uniforms weren’t obvious; the logic was that Harrods may not like the ‘opposition’ in their store. In retrospect, they probably wouldn’t have considered us that much of a threat, however six teenagers with there coats buttoned up aroused enough suspicion to have us followed by a security guard.

The other thing I remember about our trip was the report we made when we got back; on our recommendation Allder’s put adverts in the stairwells and on the walls of the lifts. Not exactly ground-breaking stuff, but it made us feel good and justified a jolly to the world’s biggest department store.

Kx

Hold Fast To That Which Is Good

2008-11-03T20:46:00.006Z

It’s amazing what you find out when you are trawling about the internet. Yesterday I found the words for the school song, and today I found the meaning of the school motto. It’s been 34 years since I started at Rosa Bassett School, and it’s taken this long for me to find out what Honesta Obtinete actually means……………

The school's original motto was "Steadiness, Sincerity and Service", but this was changed to Honesta Obtinete (literally "Possess Virtues!") while the school was still at Stockwell. The Latin was normally translated as "Hold Fast [To] That Which Is Good", taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Authorised Version.

Something else I found on one of the Rosa Bassett Websites………….

In 1913 - that school moved to its new countrified site near Tooting becoming "County Secondary School Streatham". Every pupil & staff member wore a red carnation and so, since that time, it has been customary to wear red carnations for special events
and anniversaries.

Well I didn’t know that! For the next reunion we will all have to wear red carnations.

Kx

Honesta Obtinete

2008-11-02T20:50:00.022Z

For old girls everywhere..............and with thanks to Sonia King for the Rosa Bassett School Tribute Website.

In all things give praise & rejoice,
Honesta Obtinete
And labour together with pride,
Honesta Obtinete.
To honour strength of mind,
to comfort the fearful of heart,
Hold fast to that which is good,
Hold fast to truth and right.

For we are the children of light,
Honesta Obtinete
And we are the children of day,
Honesta Obtinete
Quench not the Spirit that seeks
to follow the vision of seers.
Hold fast to that which is good,
Hold fast to truth and right.

Be watchful and sober in thought;
Honesta Obtinete
Thus cometh the wisdom & power.
Honesta Obtinete
Put on the breastplate of faith;
the helmet of love and hope.
Hold fast to that which is good.
Hold fast to truth and right.

Here's hoping we will all get the chance to sing it together again soon ladies!

Bloater Paste

2008-11-02T13:50:00.003Z

I love Bloater Paste. I didn’t realise how much I loved it until they stopped selling it in Morrisons. Then I discovered they had also stopped selling it in Sainsbury’s and Tescos!

I told a friend how much I love fish paste and he thought it was really funny! Apparently fish paste is very Working Class; I can’t disagree. It was the stuff of birthday party sandwiches before we were all switched on to ‘tuna ‘n’ mayo’. Along with jelly and ice cream , chocolate fingers and twiglets. And those wonderful silver foil covered grapefruit creations, ‘hedgehogs’ of cheese and pineapple, with the occasional cocktail onion or midget gerkin for ‘colour’. I remember thinking that the height of sophistication was rolls of bacon with pineapple on sticks; Louise Judges always had the best party food at her birthday parties. Nevertheless, she always seemed to find a reason to cry because there was something she wanted she couldn’t have. I remember, quite vividly, her crying because she wanted chocolate ice cream at her own birthday party, and she had to have vanilla. Whenever I see ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ I am reminded of Louise Judges………I wonder where she is now??

My cat Dibby* used to love fish paste. He was very canny, and licked the paste off the bread, even if I cut it in to the smallest squares. But it was a treat and I’m sure he only ate it because he liked the taste, not because he was really hungry. My Dad still tells me that during the War, their cat was fed on fish paste sandwiches, and how Tiddles** was blown through the window by a bomb.

So, if anybody knows where I can find Shippams Bloater Paste, please let me know! Toast will never be the same without it!

Kx

*Dibby was really called General Branch which was a type of Insurance Policy. It was Dad’s turn to pick the cat’s name, and he worked for the Prudential at the time, so our poor cat ended up being called G.B. It wasn’t long before it became Dibby, still a bit ridiculous, but much easier to shout out of the back door when you wanted the cat to come in.

**It may not have been Tiddles.

Not tonight, Josephine

2008-11-01T21:34:00.008Z

David bought me a copy of this film today. It seemed a shame that it only cost £3.99 on DVD, as it is a classic. The synopsis is................

‘Two struggling musicians, Joe and Jerry (Curtis and Lemmon), witness what looks like the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929. When the Chicago gangsters, led by 'Spats' Columbo (Raft) spot them, the duo flee for their lives. They escape and decide to leave town, only to find the sole out-of-town jobs available are in an all-girl band headed to Florida. The two disguise themselves as women, calling themselves Josephine and Geraldine (later Jerry changes his pseudonym to Daphne), join the band and board a train. Joe and Jerry both fall for "Sugar Kane" (Monroe), the band's sexy Polish-American vocalist, and fight for her affection while maintaining their disguises’………..and that’s all there is to it!!

One of my favorite films; it has absolutely everything in it.

Marilyn Monroe is an icon. She had an amazing body, beautiful face and a personality that everybody could fall in love with.

I have always been a Tony Curtis fan. If I had to pick my favorite Tony Curtis film it would be difficult to pick between this film and ‘The Vikings’ – a daft period piece, but he was so damn sexy in it. He was an amazing looking man, with those wonderful blue eyes…………..I could bore you for hours on the subject but I won’t.

Jack Lemmon almost stole the show. The closing scene in the film must go down in movie history as one of the most memorable of all time, and if I could fathom how to do it I would add the clip to this blog.

As I’m always interested in obscure facts, here are a few I discovered about the film while I was trawling through the internet;

The film was the all-time highest-grossing comedy up to its time, and one of the most successful films of 1959. It cost $2,883,848 to produce.
The film was originally planned to be filmed in full color, but after several screen tests, it had to be changed to black and white because of a very obvious 'green tint' around the heavy make-up required by Curtis and Lemmon when portraying Josephine and Daphne.
In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted it the eighth greatest comedy film of all time. In 2002, Channel 4 ranked Some Like It Hot as the fifth greatest film ever made in their 100 Greatest Films Poll.
The film's working title was "Not Tonight, Josephine".
The film received six Academy Award nominations including Best Actor (Jack Lemmon), Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay (co-scripting by I.A.L. Diamond and Billy Wilder from a story suggested by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan), Best B/W Cinematography, and Best B/W Art Direction/Set Decoration - with its sole Oscar awarded for Best B/W Costume Design (Orry-Kelly, for costumes including Marilyn Monroe's shimmering gowns). Unfortunately, it was competing against one of the biggest winners in Oscar history - Ben Hur (1959).

If you have never seen this film pick up a copy on DVD and if you don't enjoy I'd be very surprised!

Friends

2008-10-25T22:44:00.022+01:00

I love my job. One of the only down-sides is that I never get to stay anywhere for very long and it’s difficult to make friends; when I do make friends, I don’t get to see as much of them as I would like, because they are all over the country.

One of my best friends took these pictures. When we worked together 6 years ago he helped me through a very difficult time, I will always be grateful for his support. I still call him when I screw-up at work (which is why we talk so often................) and he still listens! He must be a glutton for punishment. And he takes amazing photographs!

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner?

2008-10-20T23:06:00.011+01:00

Last Saturday I got the chance to go on the London Eye. I have always had a problem with heights, which is why I haven’t done it before, but as this was as a company day out I couldn’t say no.

Maybe it’s because I was born and brought up in London; looking at the view from the Eye, on a clear crisp autumn morning, I couldn't help but think it’s the most beautiful city in the world.

I could just be a tiny bit biased.

Kx

The Girlfriend Experience

2008-10-19T22:45:00.011+01:00

I love going to the theatre. It doesn’t matter what sort of theatre; musical, comedy or something far more serious, I enjoy it all. There is something magical about sitting in the darkness waiting for the show to begin.

A friend invited me to see The Girlfriend Experience at the Royal Court. He knows the author, Alecky Blythe, and asked me if I would like to see her latest play.

I hadn’t seen anything like it before; I’m going to steal some text from my friend’s blog ………'Good to see a bit of well acted straight drama, with the twist that all dialogue is verbatum, and that the actors wear headphones throughout so that they can perfectly mimic the various pauses, breaths, swallows and other verbal tics of speech.’ I couldn’t put it better myself. No, honestly, I couldn't.

I loved every minute. Thank you.

Kx

You have got to be proud!

2008-10-05T21:06:00.005+01:00

I’ve spent some time today tidying up my laptop; creating some backup disks, emptying the recycle file, and doing all those things you are told you should do but never get around to and eventually your laptop dies taking several months worth of things you planned to save with it.

In the process of tidying the Pictures folder I found these photographs. I would like to be able to say I took them but I didn’t. My son Chris has been taking brilliant pictures for years, and this is just a few of the ones he took this summer. I love them.

Enjoy! x

Last few days in Portugal........Sunday on the Beach

2008-09-29T20:34:00.002+01:00

We spent Saturday shopping, and laying by the pool. I started to read one of David’s books (I will have to take more books with me next time). And I have worked out which types of books I enjoy reading – biographies.

On Sunday morning we decided to go to the Beach. Tavira is situation a mile or so from the coast, with a tidal river that leads out to an island which sits between Tavira and the sea. The tourist board says………..

A short ferry trip takes you to the Ilha de Tavira to one of the best beaches along the entire coast. Clean, safe bathing, protected by the offshore sandbars is complimented by a few cafes and bars. The scenic location of Tavira, protected by its natural lagoon, offers tranquility and the opportunity to observe nature and birdlife at its best.

I have never seen a beach so clean, so big and with so few people on it. Most of the other people on the beach seemed to be topless or naked; there were plenty of young attractive women and men who looked liked they arrived in the 1970’s and haven’t shaved since. The beach was beautiful but it was still sandy, so I kept my shoes on, can’t stand the stuff.

We ate seafood in a beach-side café which was probably one of the best meals we had during the week, before getting the boat back to Tavira. The evening was spent packing, and having a quiet dinner and drink in the bar; we had to be up at 6am to get the flights home.

Kx

........last few days

2008-09-25T22:23:00.006+01:00

Thursday

It was overcast. We decided to walk to the Supermarket, the trip that a bout of laziness postponed the day before. Why is it that foreign supermarkets are so much more interesting than the supermarkets at home? The fruit and vegetables looked huge, the fish counter twice the size of anything we are use to and Heinz Baked Beans are over £1 a tin.

We had coffee in a small café by the river and then walked back to the hotel. Apparently there is a Castle somewhere in the town and we made a note that it might be somewhere to visit if the weather did change. By the time we got back to the hotel it was 2pm and getting quite hot again, so we decided to spend an hour by the pool and cool down. Suddenly it was 6pm again and nearly dinner time.

Dinner was tuna salad (again), a squid kebab that didn’t have any squid in it, and something that looked and tasted like lemon flavoured shaving foam.

Thursday night is Bingo Night at the Porta Nova. You have to be impressed by a woman that can call bingo numbers and remember all of the catch phrases ‘two fat ladies – 88’ and ‘number 90 – top of the shop’ in English and Portuguese. To give you an idea of the last time I played bingo I think it was ‘number 10 – Maggie’s Den’. Gone are the days of canvas bags containing plastic tiles or those vacuum machines that sent balls hurtling along a plastic tube – bingo has been computerised. A big screen displays random numbers, no rattling, no strange whoosing noises, just something resembling the deli counter at Tescos. To compensate, our very enthusiastic entertainment co-ordinator shouted “shaky, shaky, shaky, ping!” each time a new number flashed up. I’m going to blame the two Black Russians; I don’t think I have ever laughed so much watching people play bingo.

Friday

We really, REALLY, meant to go out for the day. The weather forecast said rain, so we decided to sit by the pool for a bit. It turned out to be the hottest day of the holiday and we stayed there all day – AGAIN.

I finished another book, Sharon Osbourne’s EXTREME. She is an amazing woman, and I admire her honesty, but the second book did seem like an excuse to tell more stories about the outrageous things she has done. However, she also talked about her father’s death and how she came to terms with loosing him twice in her life, which almost reduced me to tears. Luckily I had big sunglasses on, so it was easier to hide the blubby eyes! If you like her, read the book, and make sure you have a box of kleenex handy.

Kx

Postcards from Portugal

2008-09-24T22:01:00.002+01:00

Tuesday

After breakfast we walked in to the town. David had said that he all the small shops sold souvenirs and flip-flops, but no cold drinks. Within 10 minutes I had found the Mini Mercado (is that Mini Mart in Portuguese?). Men may be hunter gatherers, Women are shoppers! It doesn’t take us long to find somewhere to spend money. We bought coke, mineral water and a pair of flip-flops.

Tuesday afternoon and I finished my (first) book. A friend has been desperately trying to find me books that I will enjoy reading and suggested Julie Birchill’s ‘Ambition’. It’s a very dated ‘sex and drugs’ novel published in 1989, centred around the rather over-the-top life of Susan Street, a woman who’s ambition is to become the first female newspaper editor in the UK*. I should object to a book that suggests that a woman has to sleep her way to the top, but it’s such an outrageous, and in my opinion dated, novel I enjoyed reading it and didn’t take it that seriously.

And I have discovered something interesting about myself – I don’t tan, I freckle. I’m hoping in time the freckles will all start to join up.

Dinner at the Porta Nova is proving to be interesting; buffet style with a choice various salads, main courses, desserts and fruit. There is a menu each night, and some of the options have labels which give a hint as to what may be sitting in the chrome trays, but I am convinced that the choices are influenced by what is left after breakfast (rice salad with sausage and cabbage with bacon). But I can’t complain, as there is always plenty of olives, bread, olive oil and vinegar for dipping!

After dinner a quick drink in the bar. Monday night we had spent in the bar listening to a rather nice singer, singing and playing Portuguese music, all very relaxing. Unfortunately Tuesday night was bingo night; we scuttled off to our room.

Kx

* Ann Franklin became the first woman to hold the title of newspaper editor in 1762. She was the editor of "The Newport Mercury" in Newport, Rhode Island.

Postcards from Portugal

2008-09-24T21:03:00.008+01:00

Monday

Breakfast on Monday morning was a huge plate of fresh fruit, followed by scrambled eggs and toast. The plan was to only eat two meals a day; breakfast and dinner.

Breakfast was followed by a lazy day by the pool, a spot of sunbathing and a swim. Nothing that remarkable, but I haven’t been swimming since I was at school and I have never bought myself a swimming costume. Loosing weight has given m bags more confidence so I thought “why not!”.

Chris was with me when I bought the costume, “Do you actually swim?” he asked, “because in 19½ years I have never seen you swim!”. I told him that I learnt when I was at school, but hadn’t been swimming since. “It’s not like riding a bike you know” he said “if you forget how, you drown!”

He had a point.

The water was absolutely freezing, so cold it literally took my breath away, and it took me a while to get in deep enough to actually swim. I just hope nobody was watching. I floundered about for a while, holding on to the edge, and making sure when I finally let go I wasn’t too deep that the water went over my head. Maybe I should have listened to Chris. But, I have resolved to see how much it would cost to go swimming when I’m back in Basingstoke.

Of course, when I bought the costume I didn’t try it on, a legacy from the ‘Fat Years’. I waited until I got home and was quite relieved when I discovered that not only did it fit but I didn’t look like something that needed dragging back in to the sea after being beached. It wasn’t until I put it on in Tavira that I realised the horrible truth; while the fabric had sucked in my wobbly stomach and given me a waist, it had completely destroyed my cleavage! I tried all the normal pulling, pushing and dangling tricks, but nothing worked. Life is always a compromise!

David left me reading my book late in the afternoon and went off in search of a shop; he came back and said that he thought the nearest supermarket was a mile away and a bit of a trek as it was all up-hill. With a glass of coke costing £2 at the pool bar, I started to think it may be worth it.

Kx

Postcards from Portugal

2008-09-19T18:36:00.055+01:00

Sunday

I know I´m not the only woman that cleans the house before going on holiday, but usually I don´t have enough time. We had a few days before we flew to Portugal to help Tom move in to his new flat and for me to shop and clean. Hurrah! I hoping Chris, who is `home alone´ will keep things reasonably tidy, but under Granny´s watchful eye I´m half expecting to find the place cleaner than it was when we left.

Mum and Dad arrived to pick us up at 12.30pm and as predicted I still hadn´t finished packing. 12 pairs of knickers, 14 pairs of tights, 4 skirts and at least 15 different tops including 2 julmpers and a long cardigan - you can never be too careful on an 8 day holiday.

The journey was fairly uneventful (train to Gatwick and a flight to Faro) apart from a flight delay of an hour. No explanations, but lots of speculation that it was due to the collapse of XL (flights cancelled and replacement flights hurridly rescheduled) so nobody seemed to complain about the delay. At Faro Airport we are assured that our `transfer´driver should wait if the flight is delayed. It seemed a long time before she finally turned up, although I don´t suppose it was, and we were just relieved to be on our way.

She told us, as we expected, that the previous few days had been chaos, with delays and flights cancelled, and some stranded tourists having to catch trains to Lisbon to catch flights there.

It´s refreshing to know that, wherever I go I can find a Cabbie who won´t stop talking. In our 30 minute drive to Tavira she told us;
1. She believed in God but didn´t agree in organised religion. She certainly didn´t like the Pope.
2. She didn´t think that a Man and a Woman can be married for life and condemned the Pope for saying Divorce shoouldn´t be allowed.
3. She said that people from the north of Portugal were religious nutcases who couldn´t cook, had no manners, were drunks and drug addicts and couldn´t be trusted. We gathered she didn´t like them much.
4. She couldn't understand people with Scottish accents.

...........at this point I ran out of euros for internet access at the hotel, so I decided to write the rest of my postcards when I got home...........K

All is not lost...................

2008-08-10T09:53:00.004+01:00

I've lost 3 stones. It's difficult for me to see the difference as I see me most days, but it is a bit of a shock when you compare two photographs (then and now) and see how dramatic the change is. And yes, I do feel fitter, younger and I have bags more energy.

Yesterday was a milestone day for me; I went shopping for clothes and I am two sizes smaller than I was at Christmas. It makes all the salads, fruit and carrot soup worthwhile. I feel like I should be making a Gwneth Paltrow Oscar accepting type speech, but to anybody out there who has told me I'm doing a great job and how great I look, THANK YOU!!

All is not lost...............because now I need to loose the next three stones, as I'm only half way, and I can't help but think it will be so much harder than the first three. Roll on the cold weather so I can go back on the carrot soup!

It's not going to be good................

2008-02-29T21:18:00.003Z

I jumped on the scales this morning while I was brushing my teeth. I've put on 2lbs. I 'offically' weigh myself every Saturday morning, so I have been living on fruit and cous cous today - I think it may be too late. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning.

I didn't think I'd eaten too much more than I should, but the odd chocolate peanut and piece of cheese while dinner was cooking must have added up.

And this weekend won't be easy. It's Mother's Day and we're going out for lunch. Avoiding garlic bread and a pudding with lashings of custard will be a challenge. And there's all those little pastry things in the freezer I didn't cook at Christmas. And even though I have put the packet of chocolate fingers in the cupboard for the boys I know they are still there.

So it's back to counting calories on Monday. And more carrot soup....................

Only a pound

2008-02-17T22:11:00.003Z

It wasn't good.

I jumped on the scales yesterday morning and the needle hovered around a bit before settling on a little line that is only one along from the place it settled last week. I suppose it could be worse, at least I lost a pound rather than gaining one, but it doesn't seem much after all the calorie counting. OK, If I'm honest I did cheat a teeny weeny bit; I'm not talking 15 crunchies and a jar of golden syrup (was that in the Vicar of Dibley or did I just dream that one up???), I'm talking about the odd piece of cheese and rich tea biscuit.

So, what can I do to get back on the straight and narrow? Carrot Soup of course. Think I've perfected a receipe for carrot soup; you will need a hand blender for this one.

Carrot Soup
2 Onions
Olive Oil
2lbs Carrots
1lb Potatoes
3 Pints Vegetable Stock
Seasoning

Chop the onions, cook in a tiny amount of oil until soft then add some of the stock. Chop the carrots, add to the pot, bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Peel the potatoes and slice. Add those to the soup and bring to the boil. Simmer again for another 10 minutes or until all of the vegetables are soft. Leave to cool. To get the soup to a 'cream of vegetable' consistency, drain the vegetables (remember to keep the stock!) and put them in a saucepan. Using a hand blender puree the vegetables and when smooth gradually add the stock until you get a nice creamy soup. I've read somewhere that you should add herbs right at the end, with the seasoning, when the soup is cooked and being blended but I haven't tried it yet.

I've tried a couple of different versions of this receipe using sweet potatoes and butternut squash (my personal favourite), and they were good too.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated......the amount of weight I have to loose, I could be eating carrot soup for a while.

The Elders

2008-02-10T22:55:00.000Z

I was sent the following link by the Chairman of the local branch of Amnesty International.
http://www.everyhumanhasrights.org/

With it he sent the following text;

'The Elders a group of prominent former leaders (inc. Nelson Mandela & Aung San Suu Kyi) are aiming to get one billion individuals to sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It's the 60th Anniversary of the UDHR this year. Amnesty will be taking part in this campaign. It would be great if you could sign it and encourage people you know to'.

I'm hoping to get to my first AI Meeting next week; I'm looking forward to it. It was one of those things I talked about doing, when I was at school, but never actually got around to. Better late than never. And in my defence I think it will probably mean far more to me now than it did back then; it's amazing what a difference 25 years and a couple of children can make to your outlook on life!

I'm not expecting to change the world, I'm not sure if I can do any good at all, but what I do know is that I will never find out if I sit here and do nothing for the next 25 years.

In the meantime I hope you have the time to read the declaration and add your name to it - Thank you.

What's in a Name?

2008-02-08T21:27:00.000Z

I was talking to a friend about my name; a lot of people ask me about the origins of the name 'Massarella' (is it Italian??) but this was the first time I had ever had a conversation about the name 'Karen'. We pondered if there was, or ever had been, a famous 'Karen'. After 5 minutes our list had one name on it - Karen Carpenter. Not very impressive.

So, I thought I would do a little research in to the name Karen, and see if I could add to the list. I always thought Karen was a common name but I wasn't expecting to find seven million Karens..................

The Karen

The Karen are an ethnic group in Burma and Thailand. They have have fought for independence since 31st January 1949. Consequently, 31st January is recognized as Revolutionary Day amongst the Karen.

The Karen people live mostly in the hilly eastern border region of Burma, primarily in Karen State. The total number of Karen is difficult to estimate. The last reliable census of Burma was conducted in the 1930s. A 2006 VOA article cites an estimate of seven million in Burma. There are another 400,000 Karen in Thailand, where they are by far the largest of the hill tribes.

Well that all sounded very jolly; but then I started to look at some of the other websites dedicated to the Karen people. One, in particular, caught my attention with the following introductory paragraph.............

The Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) is a small and independent group documenting the human rights situation in rural Burma by working directly with rural villagers who are suffering abuses such as forced labour, systematic destruction of villages and crops, forced relocation, extortion, looting, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual assault and summary executions. The vast majority of these abuses are committed by soldiers and officials of the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC), Burma's ruling military junta.

(http://www.friendsofthekaren.org/)

A little more thought provoking than anything I could find on Karen Millen, Karen Kay or even Karen Krizanovich!

5 things to start with

2008-02-05T22:14:00.001Z

I don't feel any thinner which is a little frustrating. I jumped on the scales this morning and the dial is heading in the right direction, but I just don't feel any different. My coat looks huge on me but maybe that is just wishful thinking.

So, to keep myself motivated, I started to think about all the things that I can look forward to doing when I have lost weight. OK, some of them are possibly a little ambitious, but I'm not expecting to be able to do them all by Easter.

1. NOT HAVE TO SHOP AT EVANS
For as long as I can remember, I have bought all my clothes at Evans, because it is the only place that does clothes in my size. Shopping there can be a lonely business when most of your friends are a size 12, or less. There is nothing more embarrassing than having to leave a lingerie department because your shopping companion is pointing and laughing at the size H cup bras.

2. RIDE A HORSE
I haven't ridden a horse in years, 35 actually, and I quite fancy having a go again. And it's suppose to be really good exercise. Just think it's something that only average size woman can get away with. And you've got to have some consideration for the poor horse.

3. SALSA DANCING
I really don't think I need to explain!!

4. GO IN TO A RESTAURANT WITHOUT CHECKING OUT THE SEATING
I know it sounds strange, but I always check out the chairs in a resturant, hoping I can find one I won't get wedged in during the meal. It only happened once when I was pregnant; getting in the booth was difficult enough, after lunch I couldn't budge, and they had to slide me out sideways. Not something you forget in a hurry.

5. GO ON HOLIDAY SOMEWHERE HOT
OK, I'm not expecting to look like Kate Moss by August and be able to slip in to a designer bikini. But, maybe a thinner version of me wouldn't hate the heat quite so much and I could visit some of the places I have always wanted to go to; Greece, Rome and Egypt.

I think that's enough to be getting on with!

Carrots can help you see in the dark............

2008-02-04T22:19:00.001Z

The carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from β-carotene, which on consumption by humans is metabolised into vitamin A. Lack of Vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and vision can be restored by adding Vitamin A back into the diet. The urban legend that says eating large amounts of carrots will allow one to see in the dark developed from stories of British gunners in World War II who were able to shoot down German planes in the darkness of night. The legend arose during the Battle of Britain when the RAF circulated a story about their pilot's carrot consumption as an attempt to cover up the discovery and effective use of radar technologies in engaging enemy planes. It reinforced existing German folklore and helped to encourage Britons - looking to improve their night vision during the blackouts - to grow and eat the vegetable.

Carrot trivia courtesy of Wikipedia. What did we do before the Internet?

Weigh In

2008-02-02T21:40:00.000Z

Saturday is weighing day. And after 3 weeks I have managed to reach my target weighed of 10 stone 3lbs. Unfortunately that's just for my left leg. If I put both of my feet on the scales it's not such an impressive weight loss.

Actually, I'm very pleased, I've lost 10lbs in 3 weeks which is quite good; not too much and not too quickly. It has been reasonably easy to stick to the diet so far, which is worrying, as I was expecting it to be a lot harder. I am waiting for that morning when I wake up and crave a fried egg sandwich!

I may have left it too late

2008-01-31T21:33:00.000Z

It occurred to me today that I may have left it too late in life to start dieting. Why? Is it because my metabolism is so much slower and it will take me longer to loose weight? No. Is it because it will be hard to change my eating habits after 43 years? No. It’s because I’m starting to find it really hard to read those little ‘Nutritional Information’ panels on the back of M&S sandwiches………………

Fit and Healthy

2008-01-30T21:23:00.000Z

I’d like to say that healthy eating and lots of brisk walks has made me feel so much healthier! Unfortunately, the truth is that the cold I had at the beginning of December seems to have come back! I spent Monday in the office with my eyes streaming and I couldn’t stop sneezing. And I know the worst is yet to come, you know what I’m talking about ladies, when your nose starts peeling and your lips blister; probably one of the only times when you hope the person you are talking to too IS having a conversation with your cleavage.

Of course it is partly my fault. Rather than risk the cold and go out and buy tissues, I used toilet paper. While it may ‘love your bum’ it hasn’t done my nose any good. On the way home I popped in to the chemist to buy supplies, buying two boxes of tissues with ‘balm’. As I told the lady who served me, I think the damage was already done by then.

I’m just checking to see how much vitamin C there is in carrots. Isn’t that supposed to help when you have a cold? Of course, I could try Carrot and Orange soup, and if it’s horrible it doesn’t really matter as I can’t taste a thing.

I often wonder................

2008-01-28T22:24:00.001Z

I often wonder why it is that some people can stick to a diet and some people can’t. If you read through the blogs on the diet site I have registered with (and I’m sure it’s the same for any similar site) it is full of stories that start with the words ‘I have been dieting for years……….’

Of course, the obvious thing to say is that it is highly unlikely to find people that have managed to loose the weight registering on a dieting website and posting blogs that start with ‘hurrah I’ve been a size 10 for the past 5 years…….’

So why is it that some people can loose weight and others fail miserably every time?

I think it is down to the reason that the person wants to loose weight in the first place. Before I married I had 25 pounds to loose to get down to 9½ stone. I was young and I don’t remember it being particularly difficult. More importantly, I had a goal and I believe that’s what kept me motivated. Twenty one years later and I would kill to be a size 18 again, let alone the size 14 (well almost!) I reached for the big day. They say you put on weight when you first marry, I just forgot to stop.

I wonder how many other people who loose weight for a wedding or holiday put the weight back on afterwards? And probably a few pounds extra!

So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this time will be different. My target is to loose 5lbs – and when I have done that I will set myself another target. And my motivation is different – this time I just want to prove to myself that I can do it.

Why the Carrot Soup Diaries?

2008-01-26T22:44:00.000Z

I love carrots, ate pounds of them when I was pregnant, and I have found that they really are the very best ingredient for low fat and low calorie homemade soup.

I love carrot soup. Creamy carrot soup, carrot soup with chunks, tomato and carrot soup, carrot and butter bean soup, I just love them all. So it really isn't much of a problem eating it every day to help me loose weight. It's just that I would rather be eating it with a big hunk of fresh bread (brown or white) covered in butter. That's real butter, not the whipped up in to a frenzy extra low calorie stuff that masquerades as butter and is mainly water and stuff that really can’t be good for you, even if it is virtually fat free.

I started a diet a couple of weeks ago and became a member of a dieting site. There's a food diary, a blog site, buddies who chat to you once then disappear and a nice little message that pops up and reminds you that you are obese and risking your health at your current weight! It's all good stuff. I do like the blogs; I've found it really useful writing down each night what I've eaten, what I've enjoyed and some of the complete disasters I have conjured up in the kitchen. And last night I thought that I surpassed myself with a clever little entry about my dislike of a certain dieting guru (you know the one, perpetual smile and irritating voice). I had quite a few good comments, so I knew I must be on to something. And today I find that my entry has disappeared!

So I thought I would start my very own blog.

The Carrot Soup Diaries

What a difference a day makes

Rusty Camper Vans vs Oil on Canvas

Tooting

You know when you are middle-aged when..........

What happened to the Weather?

Oh dear......................

And finally.....................

Omnia Omnibus Ubique

Hold Fast To That Which Is Good

Honesta Obtinete

Bloater Paste

Not tonight, Josephine

Friends

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner?

The Girlfriend Experience

You have got to be proud!

Last few days in Portugal........Sunday on the Beach

........last few days

More Postcards from Portugal

Postcards from Portugal

Postcards from Portugal

Postcards from Portugal

All is not lost...................

It's not going to be good................

Only a pound

The Elders

What's in a Name?

5 things to start with

Carrots can help you see in the dark............

Weigh In

I may have left it too late

Fit and Healthy

I often wonder................

Why the Carrot Soup Diaries?