HollieKTrying to go out for a walk without getting hailed on today is proving to be difficult. I've managed one circuit along the canal path, but looking at the colour of the clouds right now, I'm not hopeful about getting a second one in.
This is one major reason why charity shops are unable to take donations at times - they're being used as a dumping ground for unsaleable items as well as actual saleable donations.
"Many items arriving at shops are heavily worn, damaged, stained or unsuitable for resale, creating additional handling and disposal costs for charities already under financial pressure."
Nutrition - Recommendations for Women
Energy - 2,000kcals
Fat - Less than 70g / 35% kcals
Saturated Fat - Less than 20g / 11% kcals
Protein - 45g
Carbohydrates - At least 260g / 50% kcals
Sugar - Less than 90g
Fibre - 30g
Salt - Less than 6g
Fluids - 2L
Vit A - 600µg
Thiamin / Vit B1 - 0.8mg
Riboflavin / Vit B2 - 1.1mg
Niacin / Vit B3 - 13.2mg
Vit B6 / Pyridoxine - 1.2mg
Folate - 200µg
Vit B12 - 1.5µg
Vit C - 40mg
Vit D - 10µg
Vit E - 3mg
Vit K - 1µg/kg
Calcium - 700mg
Phosphorus - 550mg
Magnesium - 270mg
Potassium - 3,500mg
Iron - 14.8mg / 8.7mg (post menopause)
Chromium - 25µg
Zinc - 7mg
Copper - 1.2mg
Selenium - 60µg
Iodine - 140µg
This book of tests for colour-blindness turned up in a donation a few weeks ago, and I found it fascinating, but didn't think it would gain much traction trying to sell it in our shop, so we sent it on to the warehouse for inclusion on the eBay site. Good to see it listed.
Trying very hard not to ask my son why he hasn't set off into college yet, when I know full well that he doesn't have any lessons until 1.00 today, because he told me earlier.
Weigh-ins
For Weight Loss: The best time to weigh yourself for weight loss is first thing in the morning, after using the restroom and before eating or drinking anything. At this time, your body is in its most consistent state — unaffected by meals, fluids, clothing, or daily fluctuations. Morning weigh-ins provide the most reliable and stable reference point for tracking fat loss over time.
For Weight Gain: If your goal is healthy weight gain, it may be more helpful to weigh yourself later in the day, after meals and hydration. This reflects your body's ability to retain nutrients and sustain a higher caloric intake — key aspects of gaining weight safely and steadily.
Watching juvenile (teenage?) magpies learning to find their own food is fun. There's a couple that are being fed infrequently by a parent, but are also being left to find food for themselves. On Friday one of them was fed, the parent flew away, and then it sat on a branch in the tree, looking rather stunned and waiting for the parent to come back. Over the weekend, the parent landed on next door's lawn and ostentatiously pecked for bugs, while the kids watched. Then they started to peck at stuff to work out if they could eat it, including a leaf, a twig, and other random stuff. Today one of them is bouncing around next door's garden, pecking a pigeon's tail, chasing off a starling, and looking very confused when its sibling decided to have a bath in the bird bath.
May 2026 Books Read: 12
Believe - S M Govett
Return To Neverbury - Chris Lynch
The Summer Guests - Tess Gerritsen
A Murder In Eight Cocktails - Kelly Mullen
The Killer Question - Janice Hallett
She Didn't See It Coming - Shari Lapena
Oryx And Crake - Margaret Atwood
The Year Of The Flood - Margaret Atwood
MaddAddam - Margaret Atwood
Death And Other Occupational Hazards - Veronika Dapunt
Vox - Christine Dalcher
White Rabbit, Red Wolf - Tom Pollock
Festival fun in Droitwich over the weekend.
So, the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival launched earlier today in Droitwich, and is on for 9 days.
