Thanks for the recommendation! And healthy eating for both of us

 Another nice sunny, slightly breezy day, with the odd chance of a little shower....so washing is going on the line, I don't think the showers are enough to worry about.

Yellow Shoes, thanks so much for the rowan/mountain ash recommendation, I'd not even thought about one of those, even though they're very common.  I looked them up, they stay fairly small - certainly small enough for our garden - need no (or very little) pruning, have clusters of gorgeous small white flowers in Spring and berries in the Autumn.  I particularly like the look of one called Sorbus Eastern Promise - it has lovely pink berries, very attractive to birds, and wonderful colours of foliage in the autumn.  It'll provide dappled shade and some privacy in the corner of the garden where the patio and table/chairs are - we're a bit overlooked by neighbouring houses in that corner.  So that's settled, a Sorbus Eastern Promise it will be - thank you!  I know it sheds leaves, but that's in winter when we're not sitting out there, whereas the yucky yucca (which doesn't look particularly healthy) chucks its long brown dead leaves with gay abandon all over the patio and table any time it feels like it.  Thanks for the warning about the shoots, K - we'll look out for those, I doubt husband or I will be strong enough to dig out the stump....we may have to resort to a liquid stump killer.

I've just done a freezer inventory and will be doing a menu plan today.  Husband weighed himself a couple of days ago and was disgruntled to find he's the heaviest he's ever been.  I can't say I'm surprised, he's always had a huge appetite - whereas mine has diminished with age, his hasn't.  We do eat mostly healthy meals, but our carb intake has risen lately and I know that bloats me.  The problem with husband is that he is always snacking between meals, he's nipping into the kitchen and munching all day....not because he's hungry per se, it's just an ingrained habit I think.  My snack weakness is crisps, I could happily eat 2 or 3 bags at a time - so I just don't buy them.  Husband's is nuts, seeds and mixed fruit - his excuse is always "well, they're healthy"!  Well yes they are, but they're also very high in calories and fat.  And he'll eat handfuls of them at a time.  I only buy small amounts of dried fruit, mixed seeds, almonds and walnuts for use in meals or cooking - the walnuts I hide at the back of the baking cupboard as husband will eat them if he sees them, they're his favourite.  But whereas I purposely don't buy crisps, husband will buy his own nuts and dried fruit - a couple of weeks ago I went to the library, leaving husband sitting in the car outside.  Except he took the opportunity to go to the Grape Tree shop down the road and bought himself a carrier bag full of nuts, seeds and dried fruit.  I think I'll try portioning them up and telling him he can have a measured portion each day and no more.  Whether he'll go along with that remains to be seen.  

He's far less active now, which means he doesn't need as many calories.  Having said that, he rejoined the gym yesterday (I think weighing himself shocked him into it).  He'd finished his GP-referral gym course a couple of months ago but hadn't bothered going since, now he says he'll go 2 or 3 times a week.  I hope he does, I'll certainly encourage him to, he's going tomorrow.

I shall plan meals with meat for him and fish for me, with the bulk of the plate made up with lots of green veggies, with the carby brown rice, pasta or potatoes perhaps 2 or 3 days a week.  We went to the freezer shop yesterday and I stocked up with loads of veggies.  Frozen Brussels sprouts I've found are actually quite nice just chucked on a tray with a sprinkle of oil and roasted from frozen, they get all caramelised and crispy round the edges and taste lovely.  Frozen cauli and broccoli are nice cooked then mashed with a little butter and some herbs.  We like fresh cauli cut in thick slices and roasted.