Monday, May 25, 2009

More Pictures From My Yard

Setting Goals


I want to be active participant in the quality of life I will lead as I get older. I was born with health problems that went untreated for 47 years. Doctors shrugged their shoulders and told my parents, “Well, she has allergies. We just don't know what.” When I went to doctors, they always gave me pat answers that didn't resolve my problems.
It has been through thirty years of study and alternative medicine that I found answers. I feel that I am, now armed with knowledge that will help me move in a positive direction of healing and health.
While waiting for my wrist to heal I gained 5 pounds. I have begun walking twice a day. Last week, during one of my morning walks I became determined not only to take the weight off , but I set a couple goals. No more wishful thinking. I'm writing it all down in this blog to motivate me into keeping my word. If it's in writing in a public place maybe I will be too embarrassed not do my best at trying to accomplish them.
Next week, I'm switching to walking two times a day, three days a week, and doing Praise Moves (A Christian answer to yoga,) three times a week. Gradually, I will go from walking to running. In a month, the weight should have come off, I will include weight training. It's time to get rid of those old lady wings I've been growing. Ultimately, my goal is to be able to run a 5k marathon by the time I'm 51.
This is one of those things I've always wanted to do. It was more dreaming then taking the time to actually try. I have a long list of longings (things I long to do,)I just don't see them happening. Trying to live healthy and training for a marathon is something that doesn't take money I don't have.
The reason I want to do these two things? I think that if I have the ability and energy to do a marathon, then I will have the energy and ability to do what ever task God may send my way. I find that I want Him to send me something important in my elder years.
I'm not forgetting that God is in charge of whether or not I will be able to accomplish this goal. I'm praying that as He has given me the desire, so he will see me accomplish the goal.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Boy, You Sure Can't Eat Much


The Title of this post is what an online friend posted, once, concerning my list of things I can't eats. When one looks at the list of things I can't eat it's easy conclude. However, what the average person eats without thinking about it or reading labels on is nothing more then various combinations of the same foods.

Consider the eight most common allergies – Milk, egg, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy. In packaged, convenience and fast foods these food items are widespread. If you add to that list gluten intolerance (Celiac's Disease) along with corn, these food items are pervasive. You run into them even in health food. This may cause others to think the list of what I can't eat is greater than what I can eat.

The truth is, this allergy situation is only the end of careless eating whatever is convenient- -unless you can afford to buy the expensive packaged food made just especially for people these allergies and intolerances. I am, also, allergic to the most common flours used in gluten-free baking. It means cooking with fresh foods from scratch.

Daunting, limiting, confining? Not really. I grant you, I have been raised on Grandma's cooking from scratch. I've cooked primarily from scratch for thirty years, since the discovery of my son's allergies (and because scratch cooking is cheap.) Cooking a pot of rice isn't any harder than cooking a pot of pasta. Chopping a fruit or vegetable didn't change since I have learned of my allergies and intolerances, nor has the cooking of meat, or the throwing on of a handful of nuts. It may mean a brown bag for lunch instead of a trip to a fast food place, but what is that, over feeling well for a change?

When I look at the wide variety of fresh foods available on the market and then look at the way I ate before diet change, I find far more food to eat than a sandwich, burger, or basic meat and potatoes. The most common grains in the average diet are wheat, oats, barley, corn, and rice. That's five grains with wheat being the primary source of all three meals. I personally can and do eat, rice, quinoa, teff, millet, garbanzo bean, soy, almond meal, and tapioca. That's nine grains I eat on a regular basis; nearly double the average daily habit.

I have days when I feel limited, but then, there are those days when I feel simply inspired to learn new things about new foods. It's an educational, creative, full of variety, and healthful way of life. From this way of life I find joy in what I can eat.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Excuses and whining



I had this silly notion that once the splint came off my wrist I would get right back into blogging. I didn't stop to think about how much a broken wrist affects the fingers. All the pain, stiffness, and swelling in my fingers during the past 8 weeks didn't seem to resister in my head how stiff, or how painful typing was going to be. How about how much trouble one has getting back into the swing of things after a broken bone. I had forgotten that too.

I was disappointed in myself when I whined about how difficult and slow typing one handed was and often gave up before I even started to blog. I told myself I would get back into the swing of it when the splint came off. Now, I think I type faster one handed then I can with one good hand and one stiff and sore hand.

It amazed me how uninspired I was while unable to cook and experiment because I couldn't handle opening cans or jars by myself. Have you ever tried stirring a pan of food only to have the pan spin instead of the food. I told myself I would be inspired again when the splint comes off, because I will be cooking again. My cooking is pretty rudimentary because the usefulness of my wrist is still very iffy.

I decided I was going to get up early this morning and write something for my blog, but I had no idea what to write about. I had really been wanting to write about my tortilla experiments, but I found two gluten-free cooking magazines and they seem so far ahead of me I was feeling defeated. My tortilla experiments are not done until I try their recipe.

Then I suddenly remembered a call I wanted to make yesterday. My mother had called to wish me Happy Mother's Day. She left a message on my answering machine while I was at church. Since, she stated that she was making the call before heading into work, I thought instead of ending up leaving a message for her I'll call later in the day, when I would catch her. Well, I forgot to make the call and had to make that call right then and there before I forgot it again. We talked for nearly 2 hour. We had catching up to do, after all.

So I didn't write a blog today because my right hand is still very sore and stiff and typing is just going to make it swell up. I, also, couldn't write because I simply was uninspired. And finally, I didn't write for my blog this morning because I was on the phone with my mother, who appears to be much more thoughtful than I am.

My kids are also more thoughtful than I am. They knew they were not going to be able to be with me on Sunday. They planned and celebrated Mother's day with me on Saturday.


You all have a great week.

P.S. Question, comment, and suggestions are welcome. They come in handy when I am feeling uninspired.


Friday, May 8, 2009

Editing has been done

Well, I have finished my editing. If you are using any of my recipes please note that necessary changes were to Anything You Need Muffins and to American Breakfast Cakes. The rest of my changes are grammar and for clarification.

Spring in my yard


A single Myrtle blossom.

A single violet

Tulips that have been a part of my yard for about 20 years

A little violet patch showed up in my back yard a few years back. Now it is one large batch and several small patches.
It May and my Myrtle is all in bloom.

My arm is still too tender to do the work of splitting up my Hostas, so I begged my hubby into it.

A rainbow showed up late in the evening, yesterday.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

I haave spent sum thyme editting my previous posts for typoes and grammer mistates. I have mor to do tomarrow. :O)