"FEEL THE LOVE.....YES, I DO and THANK YOU!"

WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY

I was completely humbled by all your response to me halting the Blog for a while. I really didn't expect such a strong reaction to my silence. I wish I could reward you with a fantastic weight loss this week but sadly there is no change as yet. But your kind words has encouraged me greatly to soldier on and I hope it won't be too long before you will get your just rewards Onwards and Downwards we will go. Love to you all........and what about Gussie, eh? Read on....

ANGUS and THE BLOG

I hope you are planning on a blog this week. If so, feel free to add this email to it. 

I’ve just gone to the trouble of plotting your progress since January 2014 on a graph (see below). All the data points correspond to the first, second, third and fourth weeks of each month and the numbers were compiled by trawling through your blog posts from start to finish. 

- BIG DADDY'S ROAD TO 100lb MILESTONE -

What I have learned: 

1) You have achieved and experienced a huge amount. The blog not only documents your incredible weight loss, but your travels across countries and continents, your relationships with family and a vast network of friends, and a career that still after so many decades brings joy to your life. 

2) YOU HAVE HAD SETBACKS BEFORE AND OVERCOME THEM. Over the 72 weeks of blog entries, you have reported just six gains. After the first gain of two pounds, you lost double what you had gained in just one week. After the second gain of two pounds, you lost that weight in two weeks and a further one pound the next week. It only took one week to shed your third gain, followed by a further loss of two pounds in the next two weeks. You have had a tricky time recently and have yo-yoed a bit, but you are still one pound below your net gain over Christmas. Do not be defeated by the recent setback — you have bounced back several times on this journey.

3) One of things that concerns me is that there has been a psychological change. From January to August 2014, a loss of one pound was seen as a bad week, with two or above seen as the gold standard (Quote, May 7, 2014: “Well, after two rather cracking weight-loss weeks of 3lbs off a piece - I come crashing back to reality with a some what modest one pound off.”). After Emily’s wedding, you lowered your expectations, and “no loss no gain” became a bad week, and small losses of one pound were treated as big achievements. This mentality is obviously damaging, as it allows weight gain to be perceived as something that is occasionally acceptable, whereas before August it would have been unthinkable. The proof — ALL SIX OF YOUR GAINS CAME AFTER AUGUST. This make it obvious that we have to raise the bar, and you need to demand more of yourself. 

4) You lose focus when you leave home for long periods, or during celebrations. Between March 25 and April 16 you lost no weight while in Australia (and I wager that a post-August mentality would have brought a gain during that time). You gained twice around the time of Emily’s wedding, once during a trip to Prague, once during the Christmas lay off (the flatline on the graph where you stopped the blog), and twice down in Cornwall. You have expressed the fact that you have difficulty staying on track while away from London or during special occasions. What you haven’t seemed to have done is come up with a plan to combat this problem. One suggestion — often in the house when you want a snack you are surrounded by healthy options due to your careful shopping, though when you head in to town to socialise or work in Port Isaac you don’t bring any healthy options with you. Perhaps bring healthy snacks in a bag, so when you get peckish away from home there is an alternative to a cream tea or cornish pasty. 

5) 2014 was an incredible year. You achieved the Weight Watchers 2 stone milestone, 3 stone milestone, and 5 stone milestone, and achieved two Weight Watchers Certificates at 50lbs and 75lbs. You had an astonishing 19lb loss in your first three weeks of dieting — but, and this is more important, after you levelled out you still achieved some huge weight loss weeks (I’m looking at you May 7-13, 5lbs, and you June 18-25, 4lbs). 

6) The blog has transformed. The first entries were short and sweet with a sprinkle of images. These days they are detailed, image driven, and just fantastic to read. It’s something we all look forward to every week, and as Chris says acts as a virtual water cooler for an international band of friends and family to convene around on a regular basis. 

I hope I have given you some things to think about and above all encouragement. Please keep this thing alive, and please put some thought into how we can tackle point 4 on the list, and not let leaving London undo your good work. Lets try and make 2015 as good as a milestone studded 2014.

Wow! What an extraordinary labour of love. I am totally blown away. Thank you Gussie, all I can say is you better get a job soon - because you've got far too much time on your hands!! NO SERIOUSLY - I am so touched you went to all this time & trouble. Fantastic!!

LETTER FROM NOTTING HILL

(Peter Mishcon)

(We called Peter "TOSE" because he is "Lactose Intolerant" and needs special milk.)

Yo Guys

Tose here

Still talking to one and all about our brilliant friends in Port Isaac. How, from lofty stations in their star-dusted careers they take time out to share their wonderful house and celebrity friends with digestively challenged minor players in their fields;  how they lay on personal chauffeured transport from and to Bodmin Parkway railway station, as though these lowly travellers too were worthy of recognition; how, on arrival at the magical Casa Valencia the allotted bedroom has the finest view, the very best quality 300 thread Egyptian cotton sheets and fresh-cut flowers in abundance (note too, dear friend, the inclusion of that latest marvel, an electric hair drier); how they arrange for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to perform a highly risky helicopter practice rescue off Port Isaac….but more dear friends….how they fix it so that the person lifted is the amazing pastiemeister whom none could dare not love to bits (we offer thanks that she is safe and that the townsfolk did not have the maker of the lightest, meatiest, lactose-freesiest sausage rolls torn cruelly from their midst);  AND still, dear friends, more…...how, in the throes of a punishing rehearsal régime, our host finds time in every day to extend the hand of friendship to those who have traversed continents and braved ocean furies to have a selfie-photograph with him in exchange for a modest guinea - not pocketed, dear friend, but selflessly donated to the very organisation above-mentioned, in a valiant attempt to raise the sum of £1,000 (achieved within a day of their friends’ departure);  how they gave up their very favourite Port Isaac monogrammed alpaca beanie to help a friend in need of a cranial follicle or three and then insist that he keeps it as a memento of the holiday - as if a nanosecond of it would slip the knot of remembrance.  

Such friends are dreams made of…….

THE FISHERMAN'S FRIENDS 

(At The Minack Theatre)

Last Wednesday we took Roger, Cindy's Dad, to the Minack Theatre, down by Land's End to hear a concert performed by the sea-shanty-singers THE FISHERMAN'S FRIENDS from Port Isaac. This is an extraordinary theatre designed in the style of a Greek Amphi Theatre, in the open air overlooking the sea. The seats are literally carved out of the rock face.

It was so cold that night - luckily we took a blanket and thankfully it didn't rain.

So the Legend goes the theatre was built almost single handedly by a woman!

Some nights you can see dolphins playing out at sea which is very distracting for the performers!

Jon Cleave

The evening was made extra special by Jon Cleave (The Leader/Front Man of the Fisherman's Friends) who made a Shout Out welcoming "Cindy's Father Roger who has come all the way from Kansas." During the 10 Days that Roger was with us he read Jon Cleave's Book - "The Nasty Pasty"from cover to cover - he couldn't put it down!

ROGER'S HIGHLIGHTS

During the 10 days that Roger was with us here are few snap-shots of what he got up to:

Roger's Arrival: "Bert Large's Restaurant" in the background.

A drink at the Mote in the harbour

In Squeeze-Belly-Alley

A trip to the village of Mousehole

Waiting for the Ferry at Rock

On the Ferry from Rock to Padstow.

Overlooking the harbour in Padstow.

Outside Doc Martin's Surgery

On the Set of Doc Martin listening to a Rehearsal

With Joe Absolom, who plays my Son Al, in the Show.

Music Night at the St Kew Inn.

Sunday Lunch at the St Kew Inn

Camel Valley Winery

Wine Tasting at the Camel Valley Winery

By the Church in St Kew

By the Phone Box in St Kew

Outside Auntie Avice's Pastie Shop in St Kew Highway

And finally outside Valencia - Farewell Roger - Safe trip home.

A GIFT FROM A FAN.

I met this fan from Oslo, Norway yesterday who gave me this gift - a mug she had designed with the characters of Doc Martin in the style of SOUTH PARK. She also had these M&Ms made up with Doc Martin written on them.

Al Large, Mowenna, Bert Large, PC Penhale

Doc Martin & Louisa

The specially designed Doc Martin M&Ms

90 YEAR OLD DOC MARTIN FAN

The Ruby Tuesday Cafe in the village requested that I showed up today at 11.00am to meet a  90 year old Doc Martin Fan called Irene. Apparently in December she had come to the cafe fallen off a stool and broke her hip! Today was a special outing for the lady, to make amends for her last trip and would I come along and say hello. Only too happy to oblige!

THE RHINO ON THE HILL

A few days ago this structure appeared on the hill overlooking the village. It turned out to be an installation of a RHINO by David -  a local artist. 

This is David - the local Artist. It turned out that not everyone is delighted with the new apparition. When I questioned Dame Eileen Atkins - who plays Doc Martin's Aunt Ruth in the show - she replied "Who's that Arsehole who's responsible for ruining my view!"

The Artist oversees the installation of the Rhino.

To give you an idea of the size of the installation - here is Jess, who plays Mowenna in the Show.

One very strange thing that has happened is that the cows on the hill all seem to gravitate towards it - as if worshiping some "Cow-God" that has appeared before them!

MAISIE

Here is this weeks illustration

I have two children aged two and three but I feel like I am being constantly criticised by my mother-in-law for how I am rearing them. For example the other day she was complaining that I still let my older girl have a soother. She will also undermine me, even in my own house, and tell the children that it is okay to do something I might have forbid them to do. She is really lovely to the children and they adore her. My husband refuses to get involved and I feel really unsupported by him. It’s like his silence says he agrees with her!

CARPARK-KENNY

Here is one of my favourite photos of the week "Carpark-Kenny" is one of village locals who comes and helps out with various jobs once the circus comes to town.

KATE

Just a quick shout out for Kate who has brought all the Family together this week with another of her endless schemes - this time with the BIG LEARN WITH THE LION CHILDREN WEBSITE etc. Well done Kate your endless invention knows no bounds!!